These Southern Buttermilk Biscuits are flakey, soft and with a slight tang of flavor from the buttermilk, a perfect side for any meal. Great with ham or bacon for sandwiches, smothered with gravy or with a spread of butter and honey!
Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
Simple with only 3 ingredients of butter, self-rising flour and buttermilk, these Southern biscuits always hit the spot.
How to make Southern Biscuits
The key my Southern style biscuits is freezing the butter before making the dough.
I put a cube of butter (half a cup) in the freezer for 15 minutes. Get your box cheese grater out and shred the butter in the large holes over parchment paper.
Frozen butter? Yep and it’s so it doesn’t melt as quickly when kneading the dough and for even distribution of the fat throughout the self-rising flour.
Tip for biscuits with layers
- Laminate that dough!
- In a bowl mix the self rising flour, frozen, shredded butter and buttermilk until the dough comes together. Refrigerate 10 minutes.
- Turn the sticky dough out on to a floured surface and roll out into a rectangle.
- Fold a third of the dough from the left on to the middle section, then fold the right third on top of the left now in the middle.
- Flip, dust with flour, rotate 90 degrees and roll out to another rectangle shape. Repeat once more.
The dough couldn’t be easier to make and by rolling and layering you are “laminating” the cold butter in the dough into lots of layers for flakey, tender biscuits.
I then roll the final time to a thickness of three quarters of an inch and, using a 2-inch biscuit cutter, stamp out 10 to 12 biscuits.
In a 475°F oven they go for 10-11 minutes. Once then come out, brush with some melted butter for that extra kiss of flavor and serve.
Buttermilk Substitute
For a cup of needed buttermilk, you can use 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice and enough milk to measure 1 cup. Stir and let this stand for 5 minutes. You can also use 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt.
Self Rising Flour Substitute
Self-rising flour is typically all-purpose flour with baking powder and salt added. All you have to do for this recipe is combine the flour with 1 tablespoon of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix and you’re good to go.
Can I substitute shortening for butter?
Sure, just use 1 tablespoon less shortening for every 1/2 cup of butter used. So if a recipe like this one uses a half cup of butter measure out a half cup of shortening and minus out 1 tablespoon. Or if a recipe needs 1 cup of butter use 1 cup of shortening and minus out 2 tablespoons of shortening. Butter has water in it while shortening does not. It doesn’t have the rich buttery taste, but works for a flaky dough.
These are the BEST, flakey, soft Southern Buttermilk Biscuits. Enjoy!
Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups self-rising flour (or AP flour + 1 tbsp baking powder + 1/2 tsp salt)
- 1/2 cup butter 1 cube butter, frozen and shredded
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tbsp melted butter (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475°F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat silicon mat or parchment paper.
- In a bowl mix the self rising flour, frozen, shredded butter and buttermilk until the dough comes together. Refrigerate 10 minutes.
- Turn the sticky dough out on to a floured surface and roll out into a rectangle.
- Working quickly: Fold a third of the dough from the left on to the middle section, then fold the right third on top of the left now in the middle.
- Flip, dust with flour, rotate 90 degrees and roll out to another rectangle shape. Repeat once more.
- Roll the final time to a thickness of 3/4 inch and, using a 2-inch biscuit cutter, stamp out 10 to 12 biscuits. Re-use scraps if needed.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes until tops are golden. Brush with some melted butter for that extra kiss of flavor and serve.
Notes
Buttermilk Substitute
For a cup of needed buttermilk, you can use 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice and enough milk to measure 1 cup. Stir and let this stand for 5 minutes. You can also use 1 cup of plain yogurt.Self Rising Flour Substitute
Self-rising flour is typically all-purpose flour with baking powder and salt added. All you have to do is combine 1 cup of flour with 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix and you're good to go.The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
LOVEEEE all your recipes. Everything I made is phenomenal!
If I want to make spiced sweet, sweet potato buttermilk biscuits how do you suggest I make them.
Thank you!
Thanks so much Debra. I do not have a recipe for that, but I’ll put it on my list.
I just made these. Used milk with lemon juice as the buttermilk replacement. These came out perfect. Some of the best biscuits I’ve made.
Awesome, love reading comments like this. Glad you enjoyed this one Dennis!
I am trying to figure out which biscuit recipe is the best and I have been reading through a lot of them. I only wonder why you say 2 and ahalf cup of flour while another recipe only has1 third of a bit more buttermilk but the same amount of butter but says it needs 4 cups. So either your biscuit dough is very dry or hers is very wet. Not sure what the diffrence is.
I hope you tried them both and found a favorite Michelle.
Buttermilk biscuits are a weakness of mine and yours look like flaky, tender perfection!
Perfecto with pan fried ham too! 🙂
Hey Kevin! I use the frozen shredded butter trick myself! It is so much easier than trying to cut the butter in evenly. I believe I need to make these Sunday morning. I have a package of country ham biscuit slices in the frig and they will be perfect pan fried and tucked into these biscuits!
Oooooh, how I LOVE biscuits, especially fresh outta the oven with butter. I bet they make the house small AMAZING!!
You got that right Dawn. Warm and fresh from the oven always works for me! 😉