Southern-Style Buttermilk Biscuits
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Bring a touch of Southern warmth to your table with a basket of rich and flaky buttermilk biscuits—these feature a secret ingredient that makes them next-level tender.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
Southern buttermilk biscuit recipes typically call for White Lily flour, a low-protein brand primarily available in the southern states that makes for ultra-tender, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits. I can’t find White Lily flour easily where I live, so I use a blend of all-purpose flour and cornstarch to get a similar effect. These buttermilk biscuits are rich, buttery, and flaky with a toasty golden crust. Plus, they’re easy to make. You can throw the dough together in 15 minutes and end enjoy the biscuits with your dinner less than fifteen minutes later.
These are traditional roll and cut biscuits. However, instead of using a biscuit cutter, I cut my biscuits into squares—it’s easier as you don’t have to deal with any scraps, plus, who says biscuits have to be round?! For an even simpler drop-and-bake method, see my recipe for drop biscuits.
Table of Contents
“These are amazing. Came together quickly for breakfast. My husband took a bite and gave me a high five. They’ll be a staple around here.”
What You’ll Need To Make Buttermilk Biscuits
- All-purpose flour: Provides the structure for the biscuits by forming gluten when mixed with liquid. Use the spoon-and-level method to measure to ensure accuracy.
- Cornstarch: Softens the dough’s proteins to produce a more tender biscuit.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Leavening agents that work together to create rise and fluffiness in the biscuits. Baking soda also reacts with the acid in buttermilk, aiding in leavening and improving color.
- Sugar: Adds a slight sweetness to balance the flavors and aids in browning.
- Cold butter: Provides fat which, when cut into the dry ingredients, creates flaky layers as it melts during baking. The cold temperature is crucial for achieving the desired flakiness.
- Buttermilk: Adds acidity that reacts with the baking soda for leavening, contributes to the biscuits’ tender crumb, and imparts a slight tanginess. If you don’t want to buy a whole carton, see my instructions for how to make buttermilk using milk and lemon juice or vinegar.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a food processor.
Pulse briefly to combine.
Add the cold chunks of butter.
Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand with a few pea-size clumps of butter intact.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
Add the buttermilk.
Stir until the mixture comes together into a shaggy mass.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and bring together into a loose ball.
Gently pat the dough into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick.
Cut the dough in thirds.
Stack the pieces on top of one another.
Pat out into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick again. You can see in the photo below how this process creates layers in the dough, which makes for deliciously flaky biscuits.
Cut the dough into thirds again.
Stack the pieces up again.
Finally, pat the dough into a rectangle with a final thickness of about 3/4 inch.
Cut the dough into 12 small squares (these biscuits are on the smaller side).
Transfer the squares to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until golden. The biscuits are best served warm out of the oven (though a few minutes in the oven will revive slightly stale biscuits).
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, before baking, the biscuits can be frozen for up to three months. Place the unbaked biscuits on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. When ready to bake, there’s no need to thaw but they may require a few extra minutes in the oven.
To freeze leftover biscuits, first let them cool completely at room temperature. Then, wrap each biscuit tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container, removing as much air as possible before sealing. The biscuits can be stored in the freezer for up to three months. When ready to eat, reheat the biscuits directly from frozen in a preheated oven at 350°F until heated through.
Buttermilk is necessary for its acidity, which reacts with the baking soda to create a light and fluffy texture. However, if you don’t have buttermilk or don’t want to purchase a whole carton, you can make a substitute by adding 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup and then adding regular milk to the 3/4-cup line. Let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes and it will be ready to use.
You May Also Like
Southern-Style Buttermilk Biscuits
Bring a touch of Southern warmth to your table with a basket of rich and flaky buttermilk biscuits—these feature a secret ingredient that makes them next-level tender.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- 10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch chunks
- ¾ cup buttermilk, plus a bit more if necessary (see note)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a 13x18-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Pulse a few times to mix. (Alternatively, combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl.)
- Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand with a few pea-sized clumps of butter intact. (If making by hand, "cut" the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter, two knifes, or your fingertips.) Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl.
- Add the buttermilk and stir with a spoon or rubber spatula until the dough comes together into a shaggy mass. If the dough seems too dry, add a few more tablespoons of buttermilk. Do not over-mix.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough with a bit more flour and bring together gently into a loose ball. Pat the dough into a rectangle about ¾ inch thick.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into thirds. Stack the pieces on top of one another and pat out into a rectangle about ¾ in thick again, flouring the surface lightly as needed to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Cut the dough into thirds again. Stack the pieces on top of one another and pat into a rectangle with a final thickness of about ¾ inch.
- Dust the blade of a sharp knife with flour and cut the dough into twelve even squares (they will seem small). Transfer the squares to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until the biscuits are lightly golden on top and a rich, golden brown on the bottom. The biscuits are best served warm out of the oven (though a few minutes in the oven will revive slightly older biscuits).
- Note: If you’d like to make your own buttermilk, see my instructions for how to make buttermilk.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Before baking, the biscuits can be frozen for up to three months. Place the unbaked biscuits on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. When ready to bake, there's no need to thaw but they may require a few extra minutes in the oven.
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Serving size: 1 biscuit
- Calories: 179
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Sugar: 2g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Sodium: 148mg
- Cholesterol: 26mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Love this recipe and so many of your other ones! I have made this recipe twice, and my biscuits were crumbly. I am not a great cook, but my husband loves homemade biscuits. Could you help me figure out what I should do to tighten them up?
Hi Shelly, Were the biscuits dry?
I froze some unbaked biscuits. Took a minute or two longer to bake from frozen, just as good as original batch. Love this recipe!
Easy to make, nice flaky texture.
So very easy and very good. I will make these often.
Easy and delicious, they were a perfect pairing to your Beef Stew!
Thank you!
DELICIOUS! Easy to make. No biscuit cutter and wasted dough! Light and flakey.
These biscuits turned out wonderfully and were flaky and mouthwatering! Great recipe! Thank you!
Loved, loved , loved!
Made 1 1/2 recipe, folded instead of cutting into 3. This will be my go to recipe. Have tried many others and this is a winner.
LOVE THESE JENN! Thank You! My biscuits didn’t rise as tall as yours I brushed buttermilk on top of the biscuits before I place these in the oven, can this be the reason? Also, please may I add lemon zest/currants or cheddar cheese to them and how much should I add. I would love variations, especially for afternoon Tea. Thanks so much for yet another fantastic recipe! XOXO
Hi Jan, glad you like them! I don’t think brushing butter on top of the biscuits would’ve kept them from rising as much as mine (unless you brushed a ton on). You may have just made them a bit flatter than mine. And yes to all 3 ingredients you’d like to add in. I’d recommend 1 cup of cheese, 1 teaspoon of zest, and 1/2 cup currants…but not all together. 😉
My biscuits fell apart. The taste was delicious but I clearly did something wrong. I thought I followed the recipe to a T
You can disregard my comment from yesterday. I made them again today with much greater success! I am sure I didn’t do a good job of measuring my flour on my first attempt, so today I used the “spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level off”method vs. “dipping the cup into the canister”.
They were delicious and go great with your wonderful beef stew!
Interesting to hear this. I change to metric view and weigh ingredients in most baking recipes. Small, inexpensive scale switches between grams and ounces.
Hi, I was online searching for your Best Buttermilk Biscuit recipe (time to reprint) but this is the only recipe I found. I’m anxious to try it, but I’m also curious about why the 2T of cream cheese is no longer included? Thanks.
Hi Karen, I recently updated the recipe and replaced the cream cheese with additional butter just to simplify it.
Wow! I can make light, airy biscuits!!!! I made Jenn’s stew for the second time in two weeks because I’m totally obsessed! This time I tried the biscuits reluctantly, but having faith Jenn would not let me down! They are without a doubt the best biscuits EVER! And I even accidentally added a whole cup of (homemade per Jenn) buttermilk! And SOOOOOO good with the stew!
I made these again at my cabin in northern MN and didn’t have a food processor. I grated the cold butter and gradually gently mixed it in and then “cut” the flour butter combination with two knives for good measure and they still turned out fantastic! I wish I could attach a picture of how many flaky, fluffy layers I have. Jenn, you have made me SUCH a better cook and baker. Thank you!!
These biscuits were so delicious! Just wondering why alot of my top layers slid off. Would refrigerating my dough for a bit before baking help?
I am a big fan of your website and have loved every recipe Ive tried. I love your cookbooks too
Received the second one for xmas.
Thank you for your wonderful recipes and website
Lynne
Hi Lynne, thank you for your very kind words about the recipes – so glad you like them! These biscuits can come out a bit lopsided-that’s just the nature of them. It may help to refrigerate the dough for just a bit before baking, so it’s worth a try.
If you have White Lily all purpose flour do you still add the cornstarch?
Hi Mindy, Although you have White Lily flour, I’d suggest following the recipe with all-purpose flour. The recipe would be different with White Lily flour and, because I haven’t tested it that way, I’m not sure how they’d turn out. Sorry!
Hi Jenn,
I had the same question as Mindy, as I picked up some White Lily flour in a recent trip down South. Since everyone seems to say this flour makes the best biscuits, would love for you to give it a try and list it as an alternative! Oh, I also just made your beef stew and am loving it!
Andy
These were delicious and yes, so easy to make! I made them to go with Jenn’s beef stew. Wow! So good together. Definitely will be making again and again. Thank you, Jenn!
Most useless recipe ever
Wow, what an obnoxiously harsh, uncalled-for comment.
Agreed.
I made this with your amazing beef stew recipe – they were fabulous. The re-stacking is genius – makes for wonderful flaky layers – and was so easy to do. Thank you so much.
Amazing!! Believe all the hype 🙂 These biscuits were the easiest and tastiest I’ve ever made by far and I have tried sooo many from the internet over the years! Thank you, Jenn, for sharing your talent and making me look like a superstar! Love all your recipes and have both of your cookbooks.
They’re wonderful! I doubled the recipe because we had nine hungry people for biscuits and gravy. The few leftovers are delish with butter and jam.
Hi Jenn
Can I make the dough and then put in fridge for the night before cutting them and baking?
THanks so much
Sure!
Delicious! Followed another’s recommendation to just fold over the layers; worked so well! Flaky, light, and another “keeper” recipe!
I made the mistake of not reading the entire recipe through in regard to freezing the biscuits… so I baked them and then froze them! will they be ok? Wanted to make ahead for Thanksgiving…
Hi Betsy, They’ll be perfectly fine! Enjoy 🙂
Wow! I have never had great success with biscuits but these were outstanding and very easy to make. I served them with Jenn’s recipe for pea soup (so yummy!) although one might have been eaten straight from the oven with butter, just for quality assurance 😉
🤣 Glad you enjoyed them!
Hi! Steve here from England.
Just made your delightful butter-milk biscuits to accompany an Autumn Carrot and Sweet potato soup I am making tomorrow for a group of senior citizens.
Just wanted something different to go with the soup and your recipe was perfect.
Easy to follow, and fantastic biscuits, thank you. I am sure the ladies will enjoy them.
So glad you recommended these to go with your delicious beef stew! I have celiac so I used Pamela’s gluten free, all purpose flour. They came out very good for gluten free, though they didn’t fluff up like yours did… not unexpected, amd still very good.
Yum oh Yum! Leftovers went with your leftover chicken tenders the next day as honey butter biscuits. Fit for my best friends post lady Gaga concert! Love!
Question please: I need the biscuits to be…taller. So, I’m thinking of doubling the ingredients and then doubling the height of the dough. Do you think that would work? How would you change the baking temperature or time baked? Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to comments/questions! I’m not only cooking from scratch, I’m learning from scratch! Oh, by the way, the flavor and the texture of these biscuits was very, very good!! Thank you for another 5 star recipe.
Hi Sonja, I would increase the baking time by a few minutes. I wouldn’t double the height though – 1.5 times should be good. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn,
I have White Lily flour. How do I substitute? Also I used the original recipe before. Is there a reason you changed it?
Hi Barbara, Although you have White Lily flour, I’d suggest following the recipe with all-purpose flour. The recipe would be different with White Lily flour and, because I haven’t tested it that way, I’m not sure how they’d turn out. Sorry! And the reason I went with all-purpose flour is that White Lily is not widely available in all parts of the country.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!
Can I use milk and lemon juice as a substitute for buttermilk like suggested in the strawberry shortcake recipe? I don’t want to run to the store 🙂
Definitely!
Could you add some grated cheddar cheese to these or would that change the texture?
Hi Joan, I think the addition of cheese would be delish! Depending upon how much you add, you may need to add a bit more buttermilk so the batter isn’t too thick. Please LMK how they turn out!
These were super easy and ridiculously delicious! Honestly, we had to put the biscuits away to make sure we had enough leftovers for a 2nd meal of biscuits and gravy for breakfast. This recipe will be on hand for frequent use!
Thank you for this delicious recipe! I wanted to make them savory, so added chopped fresh thyme, and they were wonderful- flaky and light, thanks again!
Made this recipe last night with the following changes: substituted home-made whole kefir for buttermilk 1:1 and grated the cold butter since I didn’t want to pull out the food processor. They turned out excellent. Husband wants more to use as a sandwich with Easter ham. Thank you for an excellent and easy recipe.
Ginger
This is the fourth biscuit recipe I’ve tried (have tried sam sifton’s, Melissa Clark’s and molly Baez’s) and this one is now my go-to! So fluffy, crispy, soft, and love the layers.
I’ve never been able to make good biscuits. Ever. I tried this recipe today, and I’m so proud! They’re delicious! Buttery, flaky, tender…now I can die happy. Lol. Thanks, Jenn!
Seriously the best biscuits I’ve made! A couple things I did different, for the newbies that are having trouble like I did. I grated the butter first, then put it back in the coldest part of my fridge (could also freeze), until it was ready to be mixed in. And the second thing I did was I folded the dough in half and patted out to a rectangle, turned, folded and patted again, turned, folded and patted again for about 6 times, give or take. I did that instead of cutting and stacking. Thank you for such an easy, excellent, recipe! I have become a fan!
Hey what does the cornstarch do for the biscuits? Ive never seen it in a biscuit recipe before so I was just curious. 🙂
Hi Chelsea, it helps to make the biscuits more tender. Hope that clarifies and that you enjoy if you make them!
I hope I have as much success as everyone who commented! Mine are in the oven now. Just 1 question- if you are able to find White Lily flour, what in the recipe changes? I have that on hand, so I used it, added the baking powder and baking soda etc. Just didn’t add the cornstarch – hope this wasn’t a huge mistake!
Hi Stacey, Typically I would tell people to replace the cornstarch with more flour. How did they come out?
Light, flaky, tasty biscuits that weren’t hard to put together at all with a food processor. Served with homemade sausage gravy. Thank you for breaking down the recipe with pics and instructions! Going to freeze the rest of the biscuits and share with my Mom.
Wow I’m shocked how great these are. Amazing thank you so much!
Hi Jenn, sorry in advance for the silly question, but are these buttermilk biscuits the same as scones? I’m in Australia and I’m not sure of the difference! Also what baking instructions would you recommend for frozen unbaked biscuits, would you bake it at the same temperature for a few minutes longer? Thanks heaps!
Not a silly question, Mel — I know there are some language differences between the US and Australia, so to clarify — these biscuits rely on acidity (from the buttermilk) to make them really fluffy and light whereas scones are more sturdy and dense. And yes, I’d bake the biscuits directly into the oven from the freezer. Keep the temp the same; they may just take a few extra minutes to bake. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks Jenn, wow I never knew these existed until now haha, can’t wait to try them this weekend. Will use the remaining buttermilk to make your Ranch dipping sauce recipe, love trying out your recipes, thanks again!
Delicious biscuits! I had leftover buttermilk after making your fried chicken last night and thought I would have a go at these. So quick to make and so delicious. I froze half of the dough, cut into squares, so will see later how it freezes but the biscuits fresh out of the oven with jam were really great. Loved the flakiness. 10/10.
I adore this recipe… But didn’t know if there was any difference once frozen. Did they have the same texture/taste as the fresh ones? I’m trying to prep food in advanced for vacation.
Hi Christy, The taste and texture should be just as good.
This is my go-to biscuit recipe. These are as close to my grandmother’s biscuits as I’ve ever been able to get. She would stock-up on White Lily flour for biscuits every time she visited her family in North Carolina. My kids love these & I make them pretty frequently. Also, thank you so much for including the weight for flour & butter. It saves me having to wash measuring cups & since I live in Europe, butter doesn’t come in 1/2cup sticks, so I don’t have to look up “how many grams in a TBSP of butter” every time!
LOVE these! Run don’t walk to your kitchen! First time through I made the recipe exactly as written. Delicious. So far I have used these for egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches, with jam and butter, and as a dinner accompaniment. Fabulous! They have also lasted 3 days in airtight container at room temp, great grab and go!
I used pastry flour to use up what I had, and these biscuits were out of this world. I will make them again and again. Thank you for the recipe.
These are always a hit in my family. Soft, flaky, buttery and delicious every time. I vaguely remember a similar buttermilk biscuit that you had on your site in which cream cheese was used. Is this correct? Just curious. They both still taste good!
Glad you like them! Yes, you’re right, I updated the recipe just over a year ago. If you’re interested in the original recipe, below the section of “You May Also Like” links you’ll see a link to the original recipe. Hope that clarifies!
These are the best biscuits I’ve ever made. I’m throwing away all other biscuit recipes. Tender flakey, beautiful. Thank you.
Officially the best biscuits I have ever made. Haven’t had a bad turn out and this is my fifth batch in a month!
This was the best Christmas morning surprise ever! I made them for breakfast, and they were a hit!! Everyone lingered at the table…trying out ‘just one more’ with fresh jam or honey-butter. I had never made biscuits before, but knew I could trust Jenn’s recipe….and, of course, it went together quickly and easily….just like the recipe said! They were delicious, tender, and flaky! Thank you, Jenn! (Next year I’ll leave some for Santa)!
These are so easy to make and quite delicious…my husband prefers these to my yeast dinner rolls, which take a lot longer to make!! I baked a few of them and they turned out just like the picture!! I made 3 batches and froze them unbaked…This way I’ll have freshly made biscuits on Christmas Eve…can’t wait!
I made these today with your beef stew. The crust on them is delicious but they didn’t come out high like the ones pictured. Not sure what I did wrong but the taste is there.I’m definitely making them again until they are perfect. My husband said the stew is five star dining as well. Thank you for the recipes and suggestion to put the two together
I can’t wait to try these….a welcome change from my dinner rolls made from yeast!
When you pat out the dough, how large is your rectangle?
How long can you freeze the unbaked rolls?
My grown son, who is a picky eater, will try any of your recipes that I make!!
We love them all!!
Hi Wendy, I haven’t made this in a while, and honestly, I don’t recall the dimensions of the rectangle; just eyeball the dough when you pat it out and make sure it’s about ¾-inch thick. And you can freeze the unbaked rolls for up to 3 months. Hope everyone (including your son) enjoys! 🙂
Made with Bob’s redmill gluten free flour and cut the salt in half. Turned out very good for biscuits and gravy!
This was absolutely amazing. Easier than I thought and they were wonderfully flaky and buttery. Definitely a keeper!!