Southern Style Buttermilk Biscuits
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Southern Style Buttermilk Biscuits are a little bit of heaven right here on earth. They're light, fluffy biscuits that are perfectly crispy on both sides. Slice them in half, add a dab of butter, and enjoy this southern classic!
Jump To
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- make easy homemade biscuits in just minutes!
- use simple ingredients already found in your pantry
- no need to use a pastry cutter, food processor or rolling pin
- budget friendly and compliments many entrees
- create the perfect drop biscuit every time!
Making Biscuits From Scratch
If you've never made homemade buttermilk biscuits, you'll appreciate this easy, small batch recipe. There's no rolling pin or pastry cutter allowed. You won't need a food processor or anything fancy!
These little mounds of deliciousness are drop and go. They're practically fool-proof, and the best southern buttermilk biscuits ever!
My Granny Mac taught me how to make cathead biscuits in her tiny little kitchen years ago. This buttermilk drop biscuit recipe is similar, but it's much smaller and goes well with southern dishes like chicken fried steak and shrimp and grits.
You'll love this made-from-scratch recipe that's great when nothing else will do but a flaky biscuit, a dab of butter, and a drizzle of honey or strawberry jam. Need a great breakfast or brunch recipe? Hot biscuits are essential when making biscuits and gravy.
But, the most important way to enjoy southern-style buttermilk biscuits is to crumble them into my Cornbread Biscuit Dressing. This old fashioned recipe is a holiday classic and will turn you into a biscuit lover with just one bite!
Ingredients
The best biscuits start with the best flour. In my opinion, White Lily (ad) is the flour that produces excellent results every time. White Lily flour creates light and tender biscuits made with soft winter wheat that will melt in your mouth!
- all purpose flour - use White Lily flour for great results
- baking powder - helps biscuits rise
- baking soda - reacts with buttermilk to cause biscuits to fluff up
- salt - the stuff of life
- frozen butter - place butter in the freezer overnight
- cold buttermilk - keep buttermilk in the fridge until ready to use
Only six ingredients will help you make southern-style biscuits in just 35 minutes! Don't forget to add honey or jam to your shopping list. See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Southern Style Biscuits
Making southern style buttermilk biscuits is easier than you think! All you need is a great recipe with minimal ingredients. You don't need a bunch of tools or fancy gadgets. To make classic biscuits the old fashioned way, the only equipment you need is your hands!
- Start by greasing a round pie plate or cast iron skillet (ad) with butter.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Whisk together until light and fluffy.
- Grate the frozen butter into the dry ingredients with a box grater. Use the large holes for best results.
- Mix the cold butter into the flour with one hand until dough is crumbly. Make a well in the middle. Pour buttermilk in the middle of the well and gently mix into the flour with one hand until barely moistened.
- Sprinkle a little more flour on top of the dough, and gather all of it to make a mound. Pinch the dough into 8 equal balls and drop onto a greased pie plate or greased iron skillet that's 10 inches in diameter.
- Place one ball of sticky dough in the middle, then work around the pie plate or skillet making sure the biscuits are touching. Pat down each biscuit slightly and brush the tops with melted butter.
- Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes until biscuits are golden brown.
Variations
If you want to experiment with different flavors, try adding these ingredients to your biscuit dough...
- sharp cheddar cheese
- onions or chives
- dried rosemary or thyme
- brown sugar and cinnamon
- ground ginger and lemon zest
- blueberries or raspberries
Recipe FAQS
Buttermilk contains acid which reacts with the baking soda to make the biscuits rise. If you use plain milk or another liquid instead, you may get a flat biscuit.
Just add one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk and stir well. This mixture works great in most recipes as a buttermilk substitution.
Yes, you can if you like! But dropping the biscuit dough by the spoonful is so much easier. It's the way Grandma used to do! in her cast iron skillet!
Biscuits need to touch to help each other rise up nice and high. They're kinda like humans...they do better when they have something to lean on. A hot oven is also needed to help biscuits rise.
Frozen butter makes a difference! Grating frozen butter into flour and mixing until lightly crumbled is the secret to flaky layers. If you work the butter until it melts, your biscuits will turn out flat.
What to Serve with Southern Biscuits
- honey butter chicken - a trendy chicken biscuit made even better with honey butter
- bacon and gravy - most folks love sausage gravy, but bacon gravy is a special treat
- chicken and dumplings - delicious biscuits go perfectly with this southern classic
- pot roast and gravy - serve biscuits open faced and smother with pot roast gravy
- pork tenderloin and veggies - a one pot dish brings out the flavor of this southern staple
- pulled pork barbecue - no southern meal is complete without BBQ and biscuits!
Storage and Freezing
After biscuits have baked, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for one day. After that, it's best to refrigerate them and reheat in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes before serving.
Biscuits can be frozen for up to 3 months if wrapped well and sealed in an airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in a 350 degree oven for best results.
Tips and Tricks
- freezing butter beforehand is worth the extra effort
- try not to overwork the dough or it will create a tough biscuit
- the best way to bake biscuits is in a cast iron pan or skillet
- use unsalted butter since salt is already added to dry ingredients
- make sure you check the expiration dates on your baking powder and baking soda
Related Recipes
Drop biscuits are best when served warm with butter and jam. Here are some great southern recipes that just scream for made-from-scratch biscuits...
Recipe Card
Southern Style Buttermilk Biscuits
*See notes in blog post for detailed tips, photos and instructions.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (I use White Lily)
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 stick frozen butter (8 tablespoons)
- 1 cup cold buttermilk
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter to brush tops of biscuits
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Grease a round pie plate or 10 inch cast iron skillet with butter.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Use a whisk to mix it together.
- Grate the cold butter with a box grater into the dry ingredients. Use the large holes.
- Mix the butter into the flour until dough is crumbly. Use one hand to keep from working the dough too much.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients. Pour buttermilk in the middle of the well and gently mix into the flour with one hand until barely moistened.
- Sprinkle a little more flour on top of the dough, and gather all of it to make a mound. Pinch the dough into 8 equal balls and drop onto the greased pie plate or cast iron skillet.
- Place one piece of dough in the middle, and then work around the pie plate or skillet making sure the biscuits are touching.
- Pat down each biscuit slightly and brush the tops with melted butter.
- Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes until biscuits are golden brown on top.
Notes
- Use frozen butter and cold buttermilk for best results.
- Try not to over mix the dough. Gently use your hands to bring the dough together.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an auto generated estimate.
Sharing is Caring! If you love my recipes, please SHARE with friends!
These were really great!
So glad you tried them and they turned out well! 🙂
I made these for breakfast this past weekend and they turned out great! I love how easy they are to make.
Thanks Kara! They are easy once you get the hang of using one hand to mix everything.