Foolproof Flaky Biscuits + Video
The secret to Foolproof Flaky Biscuits is revealed! Find out how to get flaky, layered, buttery, tender biscuits you will swoon over!
One of my husband’s favorite breakfasts is biscuits and gravy. I don’t make it very often because I haven’t had the best luck and getting a tall, flaky biscuit worth making again and again. I have since learned the secret to flaky biscuits doesn’t necessarily lie in the recipe alone, but that the technique also helps get you those amazing, buttery layers! It really is foolproof!
I’m talking crisp exterior, peel apart layers, and a tender center! Did I mention these are oh so buttery?! Swoon! Slather on some apple butter, jelly or jam, butter and honey, whatever your pleasure, and enjoy these biscuits ASAP!
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Let me show you how to get the foolproof flaky layers… First off, it’s really important to have COLD butter when you make biscuits (or pie crust) because when the butter melts, it creates pockets of air to help make those flaky layers. Also, don’t crumble them all away. Pea size butter pieces are ideal.
After you add the buttermilk and the dough comes together, roll it out into roughly a 6×9-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Then cut that rectangle into thirds.
Here’s the trick! Stack each third on top of one another and roll the dough into a 6×9-inch rectangle again. This helps ensure you get those tall, flaky layers!
Using a 2 1/4 or 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, cut 9 (maybe 10) biscuits and place them on a silicone lined baking sheet. Do your best to piece together the scraps and use up all the dough with the layering technique, without overworking the dough or melting the butter with your warm hands.
If any of the edges kind of stick down, I stretch them before baking to help make sure they will grow tall and flaky. You can see in the picture below that they are pretty thick to start with, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-inches tall, and you can see some chunks of butter and layering before they even go in the oven.
Bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown on top and bottom. These are best enjoyed warm and crisp from the oven, but you can store leftovers in a zip-top bag for 3 or 4 days. I like to re-heat my leftover biscuits, one at a time, in the microwave for 10 to 12 seconds.
Foolproof Flaky Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour, (stir, spoon & level)
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into Tablespoons
- ¾ cup (177 ml) buttermilk, cold (or milk plus 1 tsp of lemon juice/white vinegar; allow to sit for 5 minutes before using)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until pea size pieces.
- Add the cold buttermilk all at once and form into a ball.
- Roll dough onto a lightly floured surface, into a 6×9-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle into thirds.
- Stack each third on top of one another and roll the dough into a 6×9-inch rectangle again.
- Using a 2¼ or 2½-inch biscuit cutter dipped in flour, cut 9 (maybe 10) biscuits and place them on a silicone lined baking sheet. Do your best to piece together the scraps and use up all the dough with the layering technique, without overworking the dough or melting the butter with your warm hands. (If any of the edges kind of stick down, I stretch them before baking to help make sure they will grow tall and flaky.)
- Bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown on top and bottom.
Video
Notes
- Store any leftovers in a zip-top bag for 3 or 4 days. I like to re-heat my leftover biscuits, one at a time, in the microwave for 10 to 12 seconds.
Did you make this?
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This is the first recipe I have made from this blog and it was amazing! They were so good I immediately made another batch (literally, 5 minutes after taking the first batch out of the oven). I didn’t have a biscuit cutter so I just cut the dough into squares and they were great.
I’m so glad you are enjoying this recipe so much Alison!
I was looking to expand on my earlier comment but I couldn’t find it because this recipe is so incredible that there are dozens or comments to look through so I’m leaving a second one. ( yup that’s how fabulous it is!) This is by far the best biscuit recipe I’ve ever made, my entire family and friends love them too. I can’t thank you enough for sharing this awesome recipe, i will definitely be making these over and over, as a matter of fact it’s 1 a.m. and yes I’m getting up to make a batch.
This is the best! I’m so happy you are enjoying this recipe Ruth!
I tried these for the first time this morning and loved them. In fact, I had another with lunch! Much better than my usual, go-to Gold Medal recipe.
Wonderful! Thanks for your review Connie!
Amber,
I want to thank you for your awesome recipe. Our family is dairy-free, so I substituted Silk original soy milk for the milk, and Earth Balance vegan cooking sticks for the butter. They turned out beautifully! (We’ve been trying our substitutions in lots of other biscuit recipes for a long time, with not good results.) Yours is our new family recipe. Thanks!
That’s great news Bonnie! Thanks for your comment. I’m so happy you were able to make it work for your dietary needs!
As a man learning to bake, I tried your recipe. Worked out fantastic. I just used my fingers to incorporate the cold butter with flour and patted out. No fancy equipment required! Great recipe that I will definitely use many times. Man-tested and approved!
I love this so much! Thanks for your comment Terry!
Holy cow! I finally made a biscuit that wasn’t a hockey puck! I am so excited and pleased….and these were soooo easy!
Great news! I’m happy for you!
First time making them and great results!! Easy and flaky. I added some honey to my buttermilk since I usually dont like biscuit taste. But they were awesome! Specially with jam! Thank you!
Love honey! Glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Leftovers are much better sliced in half and lightly toasted than nuked.
Nothing better than hot homemade biscuits. And this recipe makes delicious biscuits. I noticed one of your readers does the same as I do – grating frozen butter. I keep a few sticks of butter in my freezer and grate them as needed. I find the butter incorporates better with the flour with much less handling as to not warm the butter. Thanks for sharing your delicious recipes.
I still need to try that. Thanks for the reminder!
Is the butter unsalted?
You can use either salted or unsalted. Depending on your personal preference. You can also adjust the amount of salt if needed too.