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Home · Food & Recipes · Recipes · How To Make Buttermilk Biscuits Just Like Mom Used To

23

How To Make Buttermilk Biscuits Just Like Mom Used To

Jill Nystul  ·  November 6, 2016
5 from 1 vote

Biscuits 101

Our family has lived in Utah for over 20 years now, but I’m a California girl at heart. I can’t claim any Southern roots, or tell any stories about classic Southern recipes that have been passed down through the generations. But I was lucky enough to grow up with a mom who knew that the secret to making great food is not taking shortcuts. (She still makes everything from scratch, which is so impressive to me.)

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Even though my mom doesn’t make any Southern dishes per se, I think her philosophy on cooking reflects the soul of Southern cuisine. Because the best Dixie cooks and chefs will also tell you that great comfort food is a result of good ingredients, some old fashioned elbow grease, and a lot of love.

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So I thought we’d tackle a classic Southern recipe today, and one that my mom can make with the best of them… biscuits. I think a lot of people (including myself!) are a little intimidated by biscuits. Because when they’re good, they’re so good. But when they’re bad… well, it may as well be criminal. But making great biscuits is really not as hard as you might think!

So let’s all agree to be a little brave today, and learn how to make our own buttery, flaky, and delicious biscuits at home.

Biscuits 101

Buttermilk Biscuits

adapted from SouthernFATTY.com

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 6 Tbsp butter, frozen
  • 1 Tbsp shortening, frozen
  • 1 cup buttermilk, cold

Supplies:

  • pastry brush
  • finishing salt
  • biscuit cutter, approx. 3″

Biscuits 101

Directions:

Start by grating the frozen butter. Once it’s grated, return it to the freezer until you’re ready to use it.

Biscuits 101

Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl, and then whisk or sift to combine.

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Biscuits 101

Next, take your frozen, grated butter and frozen shortening out of the freezer and add them to flour mixture. Carefully mix to combine.

Biscuits 101

Pour about three-quarters of the cup of buttermilk into the mix, adding more if needed. The dough should be very loose. Set aside the remaining buttermilk to brush the tops.

Use your hands to fold the dough together, working quickly. Scoop under the edges of the dough, and fold it towards the center. This will gently incorporate all of your ingredients, without destroying the bits of frozen butter. Overall, you want to work the dough as little as possible.

Biscuits 101

Remove the dough from the bowl and place onto a floured surface (or onto a sheet of wax paper). Press the dough out until it is a little over 1″ thick.

Biscuits 101

Use your biscuit cutter to cut out your biscuits. You should have enough dough to cut out about 8 of them.

Carefully transfer your biscuits to a greased or lined baking sheet. Arrange the biscuits closely, so they are touching each other on the sides.

Biscuits 101

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Next, if you like, you can use your pastry brush to brush the tops with the leftover buttermilk. Sprinkle with a bit of finishing salt, too.

Biscuits 101

Bake in a 450F degree oven until golden brown. Cook time will vary, so start checking on them frequently after 10 minutes.

Biscuits 101

Serve warm or room temperature, with plenty of butter and jam or honey. Or some country gravy! Mmmm… if I wasn’t hungry before, I certainly am now! :-)

Buttermilk Biscuits

So I thought we'd tackle a classic Southern recipe today, and one that my mom can make with the best of them...biscuits. Making great biscuits is really not as hard as you might think! So let's all agree to be a little brave today, and learn how to make our own buttery, flaky, and delicious biscuits at home.

Biscuits 101
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 224 kcal
Author: Jillee

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 6 Tbsp butter frozen
  • 1 Tbsp shortening frozen
  • 1 cup buttermilk cold

Instructions:

  1. Start by grating the frozen butter. Once it’s grated, return it to the freezer until you’re ready to use it.
  2. Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl, and then whisk or sift to combine.
  3. Next, take your frozen, grated butter and frozen shortening out of the freezer and add them to flour mixture. Carefully mix to combine.
  4. Pour about three-quarters of the cup of buttermilk into the mix, adding more if needed. The dough should be very loose. Set aside the remaining buttermilk to brush the tops.
  5. Use your hands to fold the dough together, working quickly. Scoop under the edges of the dough, and fold it towards the center. This will gently incorporate all of your ingredients, without destroying the bits of frozen butter. Overall, you want to work the dough as little as possible.
  6. Remove the dough from the bowl and place onto a floured surface (or onto a sheet of wax paper). Press the dough out until it is a little over 1" thick.
  7. Use your biscuit cutter to cut out your biscuits. You should have enough dough to cut out about 8 of them.
  8. Carefully transfer your biscuits to a greased or lined baking sheet. Arrange the biscuits closely, so they are touching each other on the sides.
  9. Next, if you like, you can use your pastry brush to brush the tops with the leftover buttermilk. Sprinkle with a bit of finishing salt, too.
  10. Bake in a 450F degree oven until golden brown. Cook time will vary, so start checking on them frequently after 10 minutes.
  11. Serve warm or room temperature, with plenty of butter and jam or honey. Or some country gravy!

Recipe Notes:

Adapted from SouthernFATTY.com

Nutrition Facts
Buttermilk Biscuits
Amount Per Serving
Calories 224 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 26mg9%
Sodium 400mg17%
Potassium 225mg6%
Carbohydrates 26g9%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 315IU6%
Calcium 107mg11%
Iron 1.6mg9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

I may include affiliate links to products sold by others, but only when they are relevant and helpful. I always offer my own genuine recommendation. Learn more.  
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Hi, I’m Jillee!

I believe we should all love the place we call home and the life we live there. Since 2011, I've been dedicated to making One Good Thing by Jillee a reliable and trustworthy resource for modern homemakers navigating the everyday challenges of running a household. Join me as I share homemaking and lifestyle solutions that make life easier so you can enjoy it more!

Every day I share creative homemaking and lifestyle solutions that make your life easier and more enjoyable!

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newest oldest most voted
Jacqueline Corral
Jacqueline Corral

Eh well, over here in Bonnie Scotland we call these scones ( rhyming with gone). They can be savoury or sweet simply by adding extra ingredients such as cheese with optional mustard powder, or sugar with various dried fruits or glacé cherries. Cheese scones, FYI, are particularly good with raspberry jam! Here’s a Wikipedia link giving a bit more info as well as a delightful wee prom about the two different pronunciations: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scone

Vote Up1Vote Down 
3 years ago
Russell Anderson Jr
Russell Anderson Jr

SO what’s up with the frozen butter and shorten?? I’ve never heard of it. I’ve always made mine with just shorten flour and milk or buttermilk but cathead bisuits

Vote Up0Vote Down 
3 years ago
Jill Nystul
Jill Nystul

When frozen, the butter and shortening stay in small pieces, instead of combining with the flour. This makes flaky pockets where chunks of butter or shortening were. :-)

Vote Up0Vote Down 
3 years ago
Corey
Corey

Old time Southern women made these with lard. It is not as unhealthy as it sounds. Look up the stats.

Vote Up0Vote Down 
3 years ago
Russell Anderson Jr
Russell Anderson Jr

My grandmother changed to Crisco shortening because lard was hard to find. You know when your a 16 year old and your grandmother likes your biscuits! Though I’m a long way from 16 now (50)

Vote Up0Vote Down 
3 years ago
Russell Anderson Jr
Russell Anderson Jr

And she likes them (I left this out)

Vote Up0Vote Down 
3 years ago
Pat Schomann
Pat Schomann

So many thanks for this recipe. My husband likes chicken fricassee on biscuits. My biscuits are just ok and that’s it. These look great and have a few additions that I’ve not used in making biscuits. Like frozen butter and crisco. I’ve never used buttermilk either. So looking forward to a successful result and a happy husband!

Vote Up0Vote Down 
3 years ago
priya
priya

that is a delicious recipe!
can the shortening be replaced with anything else?
thanks jillee!

Vote Up0Vote Down 
3 years ago
Jill Nystul
Jill Nystul

You can replace it with more butter. :-)

Vote Up0Vote Down 
3 years ago
Angela
Angela

I never have tried to make my own from scratch biscuits, my mother-in-law would be impressed. They would go well with her from scratch gravy,she has been making since she was 5 back home in West Virginia.

Vote Up0Vote Down 
3 years ago
Janet Arnold
Janet Arnold

I shred my frozen butter in my food processor. It is dispersed very quickly in the flour and I don’t take off the tips of my nails with the box grater.

Vote Up0Vote Down 
3 years ago
Sue
Sue

I’m not a sophisticated baker so, what is finishing salt?

Vote Up0Vote Down 
3 years ago
Jill Nystul
Jill Nystul

Kosher salt will work just fine!

Vote Up0Vote Down 
3 years ago
Deborah
Deborah

My Mom didn’t make biscuits, but my grandmother did. She would cut her cold, but not frozen butter into the flour mixture. She also didn’t use a cookie cutter, she would flour the mixture and pinch off a biscuit amount. She made them every morning. She also didn’t measure her amounts, she had done it for so long that she just knew how much to put in. She also made a sweet milk version.

Vote Up0Vote Down 
3 years ago
K D
K D

I use cake flour to make my biscuits. A much more tender crumb

Vote Up0Vote Down 
3 years ago

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Hi, I’m Jillee!

Every day I share creative homemaking and lifestyle solutions that make your life easier and more enjoyable!

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