# Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

Buttermilk biscuits are tall, tender and flaky, with golden tops and buttery layers that peel apart. They go with breakfast, soup, fried chicken or just a little jam.

Grating frozen butter and folding the dough make the layers, and the recipe needs no mixer or special tools. It makes 8 biscuits in under 30 minutes.

- Total time: 29 min (prep 15 min, cook 14 min)
- Serves: 8
- Per serving (estimated): 300 kcal, 5 g protein
- Cuisine: American. Category: Baking. Diet: vegetarian.

## Ingredients

- 300 g all-purpose flour (2 1/2 cups), plus more for dusting
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 115 g cold unsalted butter, frozen for 15 minutes (1/2 cup)
- 240 ml cold buttermilk (1 cup), plus 1 tbsp for brushing
- 2 tbsp melted butter, for brushing

## Method

1. Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C) with a rack in the upper third. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Whisk 300 g flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda in a large bowl.
3. Grate the frozen butter on the large holes of a box grater into the flour. Toss with your fingers to coat the butter shreds.
4. Pour in 240 ml cold buttermilk and stir with a fork until it just forms a shaggy dough. It should look a bit dry in spots.
5. Turn the dough onto a floured counter and pat into a 3/4-inch (2 cm) thick rectangle. Fold it in thirds like a letter, rotate and pat again. Repeat 3 times.
6. Pat to 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Cut with a floured 2 1/2-inch (6 cm) cutter, pressing straight down without twisting. Re-pat scraps once.
7. Place the biscuits touching on the sheet. Brush the tops with 1 tbsp buttermilk.
8. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until tall and deep golden on top.
9. Brush with melted butter and serve warm.

## Why it works

- Cold, grated butter stays in small pieces, so it melts in the oven and leaves steam pockets for flaky layers.
- Folding the dough in thirds builds stacked layers without developing much gluten.
- Buttermilk is acidic, so it activates the baking soda and keeps the crumb tender.
- A hot oven at 450°F (230°C) makes the butter steam fast, so the biscuits rise tall before the crust sets.
- Placing the biscuits touching each other forces them to rise up rather than out.

## The science

- **Why cold butter makes layers.** Solid butter pieces keep the dough layers apart. In a hot oven, the water in the butter turns to steam and pushes the layers up. If the butter melts into the flour first, you get a dense, crumbly biscuit with no layers.
- **Why buttermilk.** Buttermilk is mildly acidic. It reacts with baking soda to make extra carbon dioxide, and the acid softens gluten. That gives a lighter, more tender crumb and a slight tang compared with plain milk. Plain milk works in a pinch, but it will not give the same lift.
- **Why you cut straight down.** Twisting the cutter seals the cut edges together, which stops the layers from separating as they rise. A clean, straight cut leaves the layers open, so the biscuit grows tall and flaky. This is also why rerolled scraps never rise quite as tall.

## Tips

- Freeze the butter and chill the buttermilk for the flakiest results.
- Work quickly, because warm hands melt the butter.
- Place biscuits close together so they support one another.

## Mistakes to avoid

- Overworking the dough makes tough, flat biscuits, so mix until it just comes together.
- Twisting the cutter seals the edges and stops the rise, so press straight down.
- Using warm butter gives dense biscuits, so keep it frozen until you grate it.

## Variations and swaps

- Fold in 80 g shredded cheddar and 1 tbsp chopped chives.
- Add 1 tbsp honey to the buttermilk and brush the baked tops with honey butter.
- Cut the dough into squares to skip the scraps.
- Swap buttermilk for 240 ml milk plus 1 tbsp lemon juice, rested 5 minutes.
- Swap all-purpose flour for a Southern soft wheat flour for a more tender biscuit.
- Swap butter for half shortening for a taller, softer biscuit.

## Storage

Keep at room temperature for 2 days in an airtight container. Reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 5 to 8 minutes. Freeze baked biscuits for up to 2 months, or freeze unbaked cut biscuits and bake from frozen for 15 to 18 minutes.

## FAQ

**Why are my biscuits flat?**

Flat biscuits usually come from warm butter, twisting the cutter, or old baking powder. Keep everything cold, cut straight down and check the date on your baking powder.

**How do I make biscuits flaky?**

Use cold or frozen butter, fold the dough a few times and do not overmix. The butter melts in the hot oven and creates steam pockets.

**Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk?**

Yes. Mix 240 ml milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar and rest it 5 minutes. The biscuits will be a bit less tangy.

**Can I make biscuits ahead?**

Yes. Cut the biscuits, freeze them on a tray and then bag them. Bake from frozen at 450°F (230°C) for 15 to 18 minutes.

**Why do biscuits have to touch on the sheet?**

Touching biscuits support each other and rise up. Biscuits spaced apart tend to spread out and be shorter.

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Source: https://cookingscientist.com/recipes/buttermilk-biscuits (Cooking Scientist). Learn the science of cooking in the Cooking Scientist app for iPhone and iPad: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6830326846