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Tall and Flaky Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Close-up of tall, flaky buttermilk biscuits with a shiny, golden-brown top, resting on a wooden surface.
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Follow this simple method to create tall, flaky, and buttery buttermilk biscuits from scratch. This recipe focuses on technique to achieve classic Southern texture.

Ingredients

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  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 3/4 cup cold buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. This is your dry mix.
  2. Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender or your fingertips to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. These pieces create the flaky layers.
  3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the cold buttermilk all at once.
  4. Use a fork to gently mix until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix; the dough will look shaggy.
  5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick.
  6. Fold the dough into thirds, like a letter. Turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat the folding process one more time. This creates layers for tall biscuits.
  7. Pat or gently roll the dough to an even 3/4-inch thickness.
  8. Use a sharp biscuit cutter (do not twist the cutter) to cut out rounds. Press straight down. Gather the scraps, gently re-pat, and cut out any remaining biscuits.
  9. Place the cut biscuits close together on an ungreased baking sheet for softer sides, or slightly apart for crispier sides.
  10. Brush the tops lightly with melted butter.
  11. Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius) for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are tall and golden brown on top.
  12. Remove from the oven and immediately brush the tops with the remaining melted butter for extra flavor. Serve warm.

Notes

  • Keep your butter and buttermilk as cold as possible. Cold fat creates steam pockets, which results in flaky layers.
  • When cutting the biscuits, press the cutter straight down without twisting. Twisting seals the edges and prevents the biscuits from rising tall.
  • For extra height, you can stack the cut biscuits on top of each other before baking, though this slightly reduces the flakiness on the sides.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://epicureempire.com/buttermilk-biscuits-tall-flaky-southern-recipe/