Granny's Cathead Biscuits
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You've never had an authentic southern biscuit until you've tried Granny's Cathead Biscuits. We're talking about gigantic, fluffy drop biscuits with crunchy, golden tops that melt in your mouth!
Get ready for real scratch-made flavor when you dig into this old-fashioned recipe that's been used by my family for years and passed down through generations.
This cathead biscuits recipe is similar to my buttermilk drop biscuits, but big enough to wrap around a huge piece of honey butter chicken!
What Are Cathead Biscuits?
Cathead biscuits get their name from being as big as a cat's head. They're not just any fluffy piece of bread, but a great big piece of southern history. Surprisingly easy to make, they're the perfect recipe for beginners!
Don’t worry. There’s nothing related to a cat in this recipe. But, you might start begging for more after you take your first bite! Serve them fresh out of the oven with a big slab of butter, or break them open and slather with southern white gravy.
Drop and Bake!
Granny Mac made this old fashioned recipe without measuring a thing. It was all in her hands...the scoop of the flour, the swipe of real butter, and the swirl of buttermilk.
She always said the best part about these buttery biscuits is that they're meant to be dropped in a cast iron skillet. No rolling pin is used. No cutter is needed. There's definitely no food processor involved.
They're called a drop biscuit because that's exactly what you do! You just mix them by hand and drop and bake. That's the true sign of an authentic cathead biscuits recipe.
Ingredients You'll Need
Homemade Cathead biscuits are made with just 7 ingredients, and the final result is worthy of a celebration. They're special enough to serve on holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas!
Here's what you'll need to make them. (See recipe card for quantities.)
- all purpose flour - (White Lily works best) - it's light, fluffy and there's no sifting necessary
- baking powder and baking soda - leavening agents that make biscuits rise
- salt - an important flavor enhancer and baking necessity
- cold grated unsalted butter - cold butter is the secret to flaky layers
- cold buttermilk - reacts with the baking soda to help the biscuits rise tall and wide
- melted butter - use melted butter to grease your skillet and brush the tops of the biscuits so they'll be golden brown
Tools of the Trade
To make traditional cathead biscuits, you'll need 4 important tools...a large bowl, a cast iron skillet, a grater, and your hands.
You can make this delicacy without a cast iron skillet, but it wouldn't be the same. You could roll them and cut them, but why do that? (Granny never did.)
How to Make Cathead Biscuits
1 - Grease a large cast iron skillet. In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Mix together with one hand.
2 - Grate cold butter with a cheese grater into the flour mixture.
3 - With one hand, mix the butter into the flour until dough is crumbly.
4 - Make a well (indention) in the middle of the flour mixture and pour the buttermilk into the well.
5 - Gently mix the buttermilk into the flour mixture until dry ingredients are barely moistened by using one hand.
6 - Using both hands, pinch the dough into large irregular balls and place in greased cast iron skillet. Make sure balls are touching so they will rise properly.
7 - Brush the tops with melted butter. Bake at 450 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.
What to Serve With Cathead Biscuits
I get a hankering for biscuits every time I fry a pan of bacon and need to sop up the gravy. I hanker for lots of things, but biscuits and gravy and this tomato gravy recipe are right up there with the best of them.
Catheads are the best scratch-made biscuits to hold up to any type of gravy. They're buttery and crumbly on the outside, while tender and soft on the inside. Serve them with comfort food recipes like my Old Fashioned Salisbury Steak and Baked Ranch Chicken.
Homemade biscuits served with mixed berry jam are a little piece of heaven right here on earth. When you slather a hot biscuit with real butter and blueberry jam, it's the most delicious thing you've ever tasted.
You might think that a piece of bread this big would be heavy, but these wonders have a fluffy and light texture that crumble in all the right places.
Expert Tips
- Use cold ingredients. Cold dough is the secret to success. Make sure the buttermilk and butter come straight from the refrigerator and not the kitchen counter.
- If you really want to make cold dough, freeze the butter before hand. It's easier to grate and works well in this recipe.
- Try not to over work the dough or the final result will be tough.
- A cast iron skillet holds in the heat and helps make crispy edges.
- Biscuits that are touching in the skillet will rise up higher.
- Using a low-protein flour like White Lily (ad) makes your biscuits turn out light and airy.
Recipe FAQS
Cathead biscuits originated in the south, but no one knows for sure where the first one was created. Some folks in the Appalachian mountains have claimed them, but there's no way to know for sure.
The higher the temperature, the better the rise. A hot oven will produce the highest rise on breads and bakery items.
Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to a cup of milk and stir. Allow it to sit for about 10 minutes, then use in place of buttermilk. It works great!
Storage and Freezing
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, and at room temperature within a few days.
To freeze, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then place in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
To reheat, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight and heat them up in the oven or toaster until crunchy.
Perfect Go-Alongs
These meals are made with gravy, so they need a huge biscuit to sop up the goodness!
Recipe Card
Granny's Cathead Biscuits
*See notes in blog post for detailed tips, photos and instructions.
Ingredients
- 4 cups all purpose white wheat flour (White Lily works best) ad
- 2 Tablespoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ sticks cold grated unsalted butter (¾ cup)
- 2 ½ cups cold buttermilk
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter to brush tops of biscuits
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Whisk together until fluffy.4 cups all purpose white wheat flour, 2 Tablespoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Grate the butter with a cheese grater into the flour mixture.1 ½ sticks cold grated unsalted butter
- With one hand, mix the butter into the flour until dough is crumbly.
- Make a well (indention) in the middle of the flour mixture and pour the buttermilk into the well.2 ½ cups cold buttermilk
- With one hand, gently mix the buttermilk into the flour mixture until dry ingredients are barely moistened.
- Using both hands, shape the dough into large irregular balls and place in greased cast iron skillet. Make sure biscuits are touching.
- Brush the biscuit tops with melted butter.2 Tablespoons melted butter to brush tops of biscuits
- Bake at 450 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until biscuits are golden brown.
Video
Notes
- Cold butter is the secret to perfect biscuits. If you freeze the butter ahead of time, it will be easier to grate. If you don't have a grater, cut the butter in the smallest pieces you can.
- When you add buttermilk, try not to over mix the dough. Gently use your hands to bring the dough together and stop when it's barely moistened. You should be able to form a ball with the dough, but not mix it until every crumb is incorporated.
- The type of flour you use makes a difference. White Lily is the brand I recommend because it is a low-protein flour that creates a light and airy biscuit.
- If you don't have buttermilk, add 2 Tablespoons of white vinegar to 1 cup of milk or half & half and stir well.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an auto generated estimate.
Being from the south I’ve had these my entire life. I’d never made them though. I made sausage gravy to drench them in. These biscuits did not disappoint. I saved the recipe, and have made them several times now. Thank you so much.
Oh wow! You made my day! Thank you for sharing, and for making Granny's Cathead Biscuits! 🙂
My first time making biscuits (Imma dude)😝 and they turned out grrrreat! Love the recipe
Yay! My grandmother would love to hear that a dude is making her Cat Head biscuits! 🙂
Where have these biscuits been all my life??? They are wonderful and it was so much fun using my hands!! I would post a picture if I could!!
Oh, I'm so happy! Thanks for letting me know how they turned out. I love making them with my hands too! 🙂
Hi Debi,
What method do you use to measure your flour? Scoop, gently fill or by measure
weight?
Hi Dee Anne. I do it like my Granny Mac did...by scooping it out of the flour canister. But, I know that in baking it is more proper to gently fill the measuring cup. I'm just a Granny's girl I guess.
Thanks Debi! Everyone is different! Thanks I’m making the buiscuits now!
Let me know how they turn out!
The step-by-step pics all shown together are awesome!! Keeps me from having to scroll with dirty hands to see what the next step should look like!! Biscuits look yummy!!
That's great to know, Kathy! I'll have to do that on more recipes! Happy to help. 🙂
Love these biscuits. Been making these for years, just like my Memaw & Mawmaw made...
I made these today they were reall delicious these are my go to biscuits from now on
Awesome! Thank you Starla! 🙂
I want a hot one with sweetened strawberries and a scoop of ice cream! NOW!!!
Okay then! Time for you to pull out the flour and get to work! 🙂
Killer biscuits! I love when you make these!
There's a lot of love in these biscuits, that's for sure! 🙂
These biscuits are everything. I remember them from my childhood! They're huge and fluffy, plus perfectly tender. Thank you for this great recipe!
Cat Head biscuits are my number one memory from my Granny's kitchen. She was an expert biscuit maker!
Biscuits have always scared me.....but I’m gonna try these soon!
Let me know how they turn out! 🙂
Love all the details and notes of this recipe! Can’t wait to try them! ????????????
Thanks Hailey! I had a blast making these biscuits. Brought back so many memories of my Granny Mac!