While frozen and canned biscuits or even biscuits from a mix are acceptable to many, most Southerners know they have performed an important accomplishment when they can create an excellent biscuit from scratch every time. This recipe is a great start to learning how to make great biscuits.
A perfect accompaniment for bacon, eggs, sausage, gravy, or jam, the humble biscuit is a staple of Southern cooking. While frozen and canned biscuits or even biscuits from a mix are acceptable to many, most Southerners know they have reached an important accomplishment when they can create an excellent biscuit from scratch every time they get out the mixing bowl.

Homemade Southern Biscuits Recipe
Video Version
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Pastry Blender or Fork
- Large Spoon
- Rolling Pin
- Biscuit Cutter
- Skillet or Pan
Ingredients
- 3 cups Flour
- 4 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3/4 cup Butter 1 1/2 sticks cut into small pieces
- 2 cups Buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Stir it well so that the leaveners are thoroughly incorporated with the flour.
- Using a pastry blender or a fork, add the butter to the dry ingredients. You want to mix it up so that tiny pieces of butter are distributed throughout the mixture.
- The final result should be the texture of something like cornmeal. When the butter melts in the baking, these bits of fat will lead to light fluffiness in the final product.
- The time when you begin adding buttermilk is the crucial point in the creation of the biscuit. Start by adding one cup of buttermilk and stir gently.
- Just use a large spoon and kind of flip the mixture around to incorporate the buttermilk.
- Add splashes of buttermilk, stirring a little at a time until the mixture is a slightly sticky play-dough texture.
- You may not use all of the buttermilk, or you may use a bit more than 2 cups. You’ll learn through experience the perfect amount, but don’t be afraid. It’s better to have a slightly stickier dough than needed than to have it too dry and crumbly. Don’t beat the dough with a spoon.
- When the biscuit dough has just come together and there are no more pockets of dry ingredients, turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
- Pressing gently with a rolling pin, smooth the dough into a 10-inch circle, or until it is about an inch thick. Don’t press too hard. Just gently roll it out.
- Using a 2-3 inch biscuit cutter, cut the biscuits into rounds.
- Place them in a pan spaced apart or with the edges just touching.
- Bake in the center of the oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until they are lightly browned on top.
- Serve warm, topped with jam, jelly, honey, gravy, or any other topping that you prefer.
Notes
Meals: All Recipes | Breakfast | Dinner (Mains) | Dessert | Side Dishes | Soups | Appetizers | Salads | Snacks | Beverages
Dishes: Pasta | Chicken | Casseroles | Rice | Potato | Pies | Cookies | Bread | Cakes | Pancakes | Cheesecakes | Scones | Muffins
Related: Biscuit Recipes | Southern Style Biscuit Recipes