Since posting this recipe I’ve received a ton of emails thanking me for this recipe, because it works! Read the comments to see some of the positive feedback I continue to get. I can’t thank my readers enough for taking the time to let me know how well this worked in their kitchen. I will constantly be updating my biscuit arsenal so you’ve come to the right place.
How a Yankee Learned to Made the Best Homemade Fluffy Southern Biscuit Ever!
My husband has a memory of his Southern grandmother who made biscuits every day of her life. He remembers well the visits to the farmhouse in East Tennessee, sleeping in a feather bed under six or eight quilts, waking up to fluffy biscuits made on a wood burning stove, served with homemade pear honey and apple butter.
She didn’t make flaky biscuits. Meemaw made fluffy biscuits and now you can too!
After many dozen biscuits, trying this and trying that, this is that biscuit that he lovingly remembers and has yearned for.
There is this myth that our Southern grandmothers came out of the womb making perfect biscuits and pie dough from scratch without a recipe.
The truth is that they started very young. They had instruction and learned a little more every day. Baking fluffy biscuits or flaky pie dough became second nature just as walking and talking. During their childhood, they weren’t stressed in the kitchen trying to reinvent the wheel. They were picking up cues about flour, shortening and milk and how to balance them out, only they didn’t know it at the time.
It was simply kitchen time with good smells and the excitement of a hot biscuit with jam or honey only fifteen minutes away.
So I did some kitchen time to un-crack the mystery of the Fluffy Southern Biscuit.
Finally, after many tries using various recipes, I came up with a recipe that felt right to me. Although these are made with butter , not lard or shortening, this is the biscuit that most takes him back to his childhood.
I have a secret about southern fluffy biscuits that you need to know. It’s not the recipe as much as it is the technique, so pretend you’re in my kitchen and follow along. You will be so happy when you open your oven door.
If you need proof of how easy my special technique is, watch the video. You’ll learn and you’ll laugh as two twin six-year old boys make the biscuits. My point is that if they can do it with my instruction, you can too? They made the biscuits in the picture.
I have a secret about southern fluffy biscuits that you need to know.
It’s not the recipe as much as it is the technique, so pretend you’re in my kitchen and follow along. You will be so happy when you open your oven door.
Age 5
Age 10, still making biscuits!
I trust this recipe, because it’s my own, and I finally have the “feel” of the biscuit in the same way I’ve mastered the “feel” for pie dough and homemade pasta. It was worth the time and worth the mistakes along the way, and far better than anything that pops out of a can.
A few Biscuit Making Tips for the Fluffy Southern Biscuit Recipe
- Use all purpose soft wheat flour. White Lily all purpose is what I use, which is 100% pure soft white winter wheat. If you don’t have access to soft wheat flour, you can still use all purpose flour. It will be good, but perhaps not as soft. If you do use AP flour, you will use more buttermilk. The heavier grain requires up to 1/3 cup more. Start at a tablespoon at a time. (Some bakers use self-rising flour; I don’t, and I’m not opposed to it, it’s just the way I do it)
- Weigh your flour if you can. 1 cup of flour weighs 128 grams. 2 cups is 256 grams. This ensures that you didn’t use too much flour. If you don’t weigh, spoon the flour into the measuring cup, as opposed to packing the cup.
- Crumble ice cold butter into the flour mixture until you have medium sized crumbles (not too big, not too small) and freeze for 15 minutes. This takes the butter back to cold and keeps it intact. As the biscuits bake, the butter melts.
- Real buttermilk is awesome, but if you don’t have it on hand, make your own buttermilk. Use one tablespoon of vinegar into cup. Fill the cup with milk. Wait 15 minutes; it will get thick. The best flavor, however, is always real buttermilk. Buttermilk freezes well. Portion in baggies.
- If you can’t do dairy, you can substitute with a different liquid, such as almond milk. I’ve made these successfully with water. It may lack a little taste, but still be good.
- Whisk the dry ingredients before adding the butter.
- Put a pinch of baking soda into the buttermilk. I’ve seen this tip in several recipes and adapted it for my own.
- Biscuit dough is counter intuitive. Don’t expect biscuit dough to look like bread dough or pie dough. That would make for a very tough biscuit. The dough should be wet and sticky, wetter than your intuition tells you.
- Don’t roll with a rolling pin. Simple form into a ball, and pat down in the same bowl you’ve mixed it with for easy clean-up.
- Use a sharp biscuit cutter, using an up and down motion, not twisting.
- Biscuits should kiss, which means they touch in the pan. This helps them to rise as they bake.
- Use a cast iron griddle or baking stone if you can.
- Bake at a high heat. I bake at 450 for about 15 minutes for a medium sized biscuit. Check at 13 minute. Don’t worry that they don’t all look alike. These are homemade, not out of a can.
- Make a double batch and freeze. Believe it or not, they are good popped into the microwave. If you know you’re going to freeze them, bake them a few minutes under and then re-bake them right from the freezer.
- Feel free to add in herbs, but add them first to dry ingredients.
Master This Successful Homemade Fluffy Southern Biscuit Recipe
Make several dozen biscuits and get to understand biscuit dough. Then you can tailor the recipe to your own specific taste.
Your own hands, eyes and taste buds will tell you what to do.
I will go so far as to say that you might follow this recipe exactly and not be happy with your biscuit. But, hold on, keep trying. It might be that second batch that you added a touch more flour to, or took out of the oven one minute earlier and you found your perfect biscuit. For example, Mr. ST likes these biscuits two minutes less baked than I do. We are both right.
Here’s a recipe for sausage gravy. You can use the sausage of your choice.
A gluten free version is found below.
I can promise you, if you follow these instructions, you will make the best Southern Homemade Fluffy Biscuit Recipe ever!
Age 5
Turn Fluffy biscuits into sandwiches with this Black Pepper Herbed Biscuit.
Make Shortcake Biscuits.
I wish you the best in making this homemade fluffy biscuit recipe in your home, just like someone’s grandmother used to make. I so appreciate the numerous comments here on this biscuit post.
Gluten Free Biscuit Recipe is now available and there’s a video on my youtube channel.
I also have a Southern Fluffy Grain Free Biscuit.
Just in case you need a grain free biscuit I have you covered. This is great for folks following a keto/low carb diet or folks who are diabetic, as this grain free biscuit will not spike blood sugar.
Let’s connect. Follow me instagram and I would love for you to come back for more comfort food recipes. Subscribe and never miss a new recipe or my Monthly VIDEO Newsletter.
More Biscuits from Spinach Tiger
- 2 cups White Lily flour all purpose (softened wheat flour) NOT self-rising (order here)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted cold butter
- 1 cup buttermilk. (use ¾ cup at first and then see if you need more)
- pinch baking soda for buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 tablespoons milk (for brushing on biscuits)
- Cast Iron Griddle (order here)
- Whisk (order here)
- Measuring Cups (order here)
- Measuring Spoons (order here)
- Pastry Cutter (order here)
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar.
- Cut butter into flour with pastry cutter or simple use hands to mix in, but not smear.
- At this point put the flour and butter mixture into freezer for 15 minutes.
- This is a good time to make your own buttermilk if you don't have buttermilk. I prefer the store bought, but if you don't have it on hand, see below.
- Add a pinch of baking soda to the buttermilk. (This is a good tip!)
- Take flour mixture out of freezer.
- Add in ¾ cup buttermilk. If you are using all purpose flour (not the soft wheat flour) you will probably need to add up to ¼ cup more buttermilk. Add a tablespoon at a time. Stir with a wooden spoon. Mixture will be wet and sticky. You want that.
- Flour the counter or mat. You can at this point continue to make the biscuits in the bowl you've mixed it in, if there is room and the bowl has a flat bottom. (I use a wooden salad bowl. Makes clean-up easy). Watch the video to see how.
- Flour hands and form into a ball. Knead no more than 8-10 times with hands. Less is best. Pat down to an inch and a half thickness.
- Using a biscuit cutter, cut biscuits with up and down method. Do not twist.
- Place on baking sheet or cast iron pan, touching. Brush with milk.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes. Check at 15. All ovens are different.
- Brush with butter when they come out of oven.
- Pour 2 teaspoons white vinegar into measuring cup. Fill cup with whole milk up to ¾ cup. Let sit until milk thickens.
Nice recipe, I changed the butter with avocado, is more healthy, what you think?
Awesome recipe, I just start to follow you to know more about food and cookies recipes.
Your recipe is very important, thanks. My sons love fluffy biscuits.
I see a lot of recipes that add sugar to biscuit or cornbread. I am 54 and a lifelong Southerner and I have never seen anyone that I know use sugar in their biscuits or cornbread including my mother and grandmothers. This recipe may be good if you were making a shortcake type of biscuit for strawberry shortcake?? I just don’t understand the sugar in cornbread and biscuit thing. But we sure like a lot of sugar in our tea.
I studied at least 50 authentic biscuit recipes before coming up with something I knew people could easily make at home
The typical biscuit does have sugar, although you don’t taste it; it’s a small amount. It helps the biscuits remain tender and retain some moisture. It’s not absolutely necessary. You can leave it out.
As I said, these biscuits are not sweet. You don’t taste the sugar.
They would not be appropriate for strawberry shortcake, as they don’t have the right texture for that. I do have a recipe for strawberry shortcake biscuits.
This is not the difference between sweet and unsweet cornbread. With sweet cornbread, you do taste the sweetness (almost cake-like). These are not cake like or have any noticeable sweetness.
Thanks
Thanks for sharing recipe…where did you get those little green/blue biscuit cutters with the ridges on the other end?
…In the South we know that butter makes for a crunchy biscuit…Vegetable shortening makes biscuits tender and fluffy inside..
OK, give me some help please! I made these twice and both times they didn’t rise. The second time I made sure to check the baking powder to make sure it was still active. What’s wrong with me???
I never have commented on recipes before, but these biscuits were
awesome!!!..I have been looking for a keeper recipe for biscuits for
a long time and I have finally found it. Family and friends have
enjoyed these biscuits and requested that I make them again and a
again. As a retired caterer in my 70’s, I now have a favorite recipe
that all will enjoy. Thank you for sharing.
Nailed it! These came out absolutely perfect. Printed the recipe to make sure I never lose it. We wiped out the first batch in about 5 minutes, and feel the need to start another batch!
This recipe, is soooo good!! I have been trying to adjust my recipe
for a perfect biscuit. This is the best ever. Thank you so much
Oh my goodness, they are to die for. We don’t have White Lily flour in Texas but i made the adjustments you suggested with more buttermilk. I forgot the baking soda in first batch and they were still good, but the second batch (with baking soda) were out of this world. My husband likes BIG biscuits so I don’t get many out of the recipe. Will double from now on. Where have you been all my life? Thank you!
Dear Angela,
I came across your recipe a few days ago and was convinced this would be the “one.” I’ve been searching for a great biscuit recipe for a few years. Well I’m happy to say I have finally found it! You should get an award for this recipe, it is that good! My first try came out perfect! Thank you!
P.S. I used all purpose organic flour. Before measuring (by scooping flour into a tablespoon and into the measuring cup), I stirred all of my flower in my container with a whisk with a whisk and proceeded to measure from there. Five star is here! I will be using this for Thanksgiving this year!
Hi there
THANK YOU for you nice comment. I am so proud of this recipe and that it brings joy to others the way it has to my family.
I’m sorry I’m late in my reply. I somehow missed this and just read it.
Kind words go far.
Bless you.
This morning having the day off I decided to make biscuits to go along with my oven barbecue chicken I am having for dinner. I have a favorite recipe that I use and have always considered them perfect. However today I thought I would try something different and found your recipe. I followed the ingredients except I only had Pillsbury flour and salted butter and had no buttermilk so I made my own with vinegar. I used my cast iron pan because it makes the biscuits just a little crisp on the bottoms, They turned out perfect!!!! high, light, and are delicious! I love to cook and have 8 blue ribbons and if I was the one handing out blue ribbons your recipe would take first place. Thank You so much for sharing.
I made these for my husband this morning! He loved them! I used all-purpose flour, and just like you stated, it needed about 1/4 cup more buttermilk. Delicious!
It was a snow day here and the perfect opportunity to try this biscuit recipe. I’m from the south and used to lard biscuits but these were so light and fluffy. My kids ate all of them in minutes, fighting over the last one on the plate. I’ve found a new favorite biscuit recipe. Don’t tell my southern family I’ve switched to butter! Thanks for the easy and successful recipe.
These are fabulous! Next time I’m going to double the recipe. My one complaint is that your website has too much stuff going on (ads & stuff running in the background). It took forever to load & at one point froze up my computer (a Macbook, so it doesn’t happen often). But, that says a lot about the biscuits. I restarted my computer and tried again so I could save the recipe.
Tammy, Thanks for letting me know. I was experimenting with the ad inside the post. I took it out.
I will more we can do to the site.
thanks angela
I saw your response & thought I would come back & check (I’d like to check out some of your other recipes). Taking out the ad seemed to have made a big difference. Thanks.
Yes, I would have had you not directly insulted me. You can move on too.
Whats the big deal? This recipe, minus the sugar which I dont like anyways in my biscuits, is in many cookbooks like Better Homes & Gardens, and likely the Joy of Cooking, etc….
Well
I’m happy you took the time to stop by and write. The big deal is the technique. If you read the comments, you’ll see the results the people have had with this recipe.
Ingredients are only part of a recipe. The baking time, and making the biscuits in one bowl, looking for sticky dough is not something you see in every Better Homes and Garden recipe.
If it were so easy, people wouldn’t be leaving messages they leave.
You have a choice to go elsewhere to get your recipes. No where on the internet will you find two five year old boys who can make the biscuit you see in the photo.
That’s a pretty big deal to me and to many others.
I devised a technique that children could do without using a biscuit cutter and would yield successful results.
Have a blessed day.
I don’t usually comment or write reviews but these are absolutely the best biscuits I’ve ever made. They are even better than my Grandmothers’ biscuits and we all thought hers were pretty darn good. I’ve discarded all other biscuit recipes because none can compare to this one. Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe.
Was looking for a great recipe that I could use to make breakfast biscuits and sausage to freeze. These biscuits came out moist and flaky. I used unbleached flour and these still came out great(I followed your tip and added 1/4 cup more buttermilk). I used a scale to measure out the flour, this seemed to help because past attempts at other recipes were too heavy. These still came out super moist and flaky from freezer to warming in microwave. This will make busy mornings a little easier having these in the freezer!
Thank you
Best biscuits ever!! Hands down. I sprinkled sea salt on top after brushing with butter, fabulous:) thanks so much for this terrific recipe.
Really mad. I guess I should know not to attempt a recipe unless I have more than the required amounts of ingredients…and I guess that I should have looked at the comments first. I searched the internet for “best butter biscuit” and found this one to make with my 8 year old daughter and friend. I had just a bit more than the required amount of milk. The dough was awful. Not sticky, but completely dry. I would need at least another 1/4c. I saw afterwards in comments section that this seems to be a common issue. Please update your recipe to indicate that this may be needed. I would have adjusted my dry ingredients downwards. Hindsight is everything. Instead I have a garbage can full of wasted biscuit dough and two unhappy girls.
Just wanted to add my compliments to all the others. I’ve made these biscuits twice now, and they really are the best, even with regular all-purpose flour. (I did need the extra liquid you mention in the notes section.)
I’ve tried probably a dozen other biscuit recipes over the years. This will be my go-to recipe from now on.
Ms. Angela,
I just wanted to tell you that I tried your recipe for the Southern Biscuits tonight. I must tell you that I am 59 years old and have for ages tried to make biscuits, using every recipe I could find. And they always came out dry and dense (made good patio blocks though, and I won’t even tell you about my sourdough bread recipe which I had to literally use a hammer on to bread it), but I made these tonight and they were perfection. Almost like my Mom used to make. Thank you , Thank you ,Thank you I had almost given up on making biscuits. I feel like I have accomplished something in my life, may seem silly but to me it isn’t. Thank you again!!!!! This is a definite keeper!
I just love waking up to these kinds of comments. I’m not from the South, and I knew they were holding out on the truth about biscuits and i had to discover it. I’m so glad I did and that people like you can find success.
Happy New Year
Just tried these biscuits. I always thought making biscuits would be very challenging, considering the intricacy of handling the dough and getting the flakiness right. But watching your two adorable sons making biscuits made me feel like I could try them too. The recipe is perfection. I made them for the first time and they came out amazing! My husband loved the morning breakfast surprise and couldn’t believe how good the biscuits turned out in the first attempt. Your measurements and tips are very precise and helpful! Thanks a lot for posting this recipe! And to your sons for making them look so fun to bake! 🙂
I made these biscuits this morning and the are delicious. Traditional baking powder biscuits made with Crisco have almost a bitterness to them. These are perfect in every way.
Great video and recipe. I hope this isn’t a question you’ve already answered. I looked but may have missed it. Dilemma: I have White Lily Self-Rising Flour in the pantry, and since I’m only cooking for two, I’m hesitant to buy an additional bag of regular. Is there a reason I shouldn’t use the self-rising I have on hand if I leave out the baking powder?
Yes you can use the self-rising. Leave out the salt, but do add the sugar. Self-rising already has salt. If you have baking soda, put a pinch in your buttermilk. Let me know how that turns out.
I found a trick when researching pie dough recipes this summer to grate the butter into the flour..I did that with this recipe..and it turned out great! best biscuits I’ve ever made!
These came out great, which is unusual when I try to cook biscuits!
I like that the recipe uses butter instead of shortening. My husband was very happy with the result!
Is baking powder and baking soda the same thing? I am new to all this and am craving some good homemade biscuits. Also, I am celiac and wondered if this recipe would work with almond flour or some other kind of gluten free flour such as brown rice, amaranth, etc.? Thank you for suggestions–to anyone who responds to my inquiry.
Here is an article explaining the difference between baking powder and baking soda.
As far as gluten free, I might try the new gluten free flours. They may not come out as fluffy, but should still work.
I hope this helps.
The most fluffiest biscuits! These are sooo good!
AWESOME, WONDERFUL recipe!!! Thank you so much for sharing this. I’ve been trying and trying with Alton Brown’s recipe. These I made with your recipe are sweet and fluffy and buttery. Everything a southern biscuit should be. Thanks again for sharing this.
David,
Thanks for your nice comment.
They are in the oven right now! Loved the video of the boys! Do you have suggested temp/time for convection ovens?
I hardly eve leave a comment but I have been trying for years to make a great biscuit. This is it. I just made them and am so happy!!! they are just what I have been looking for. love you.
My family LOVED these biscuits. I made them instead of having dinner rolls. I added about a half a tsp of garlic salt to the melted butter at the end, came out perfect! Nicely done, soft and just like home. Also it only took me 8 minutes to cook these!Well, guessing it’s because my oven is only 3 months old, haha. Fantastic! 🙂
I have tried many biscuit recipes and this is by far my favorite. I grew up in North Carolina and these biscuits remind me of those I would get at home. Thank you so much for the recipe, video and extra hints!
I love this recipe! I’ve only made biscuits from scratch one other time but they turned out hard. So glad I found this recipe. It will be my go to from now on. Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️❤️❤️
Emmy,
Thank you for stopping by to tell me.
I posted long ago after trying this recipe to let you know it is the best biscuit recipe ever. Just a note to those reading – if you do not enjoy making biscuits do not try this recipe. Once you make them, your family will expect a constant supply. Do not ever take them out of the house, because once you do, you will be expected to bring them to every social gathering that involves food. People will randomly stop by just for tea and a biscuit. They really are fabulous!
Joanne
That’s one of the best comments (and funny too). So true.
Great video, thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you for sharing this! The boys are adorable! I am going to have to make these right now! Mouth is watering already…
p.s. The tips you give are just the ones I needed to hear. Thank you again!
Awesome. ..I love to cook but have never done saw this one and thought I would give a try. I happen to have all but the Lily Flour so I used All Purpose Flour White… Now I tried this 15min after finding it literally!!!! Have work on it and take my time next time which will be tomorrow. .. I only got 8 biscuits I had no biscuit cutter so I used a cup… My dough was very sticky… I probably need more flour on my hands and on table… My daughter and I had a blast get dough off hands… Lol… Not sure how much extra buttermilk I added as I did not measure… Not sure what I was thinking… I just poured because it was dry… Will not do that next time… I would definitely recommend this to anyone… Any ideas on how to cut butter in without and pastry mixer.. I did by hand and cut butter up.. I mixed-up with a whisk…
Easily the best biscuits that I’ve ever made. Great recipe
Hey Angela!
I’m writing you as to inform you and your subscriber’s of something I had found out through a little research of my own; concerning “White Lilly Flour”.
What I had found out was White Lilly Flour was bought by “Smucker’s” and you can order White Lilly Flour from there Web Store. Verses Wal Mart’s on line ordering is a bit more exspensive. . .
I’ve been making BG for quite along time when persona’ly was looking for a new aproch to my own recipe! And happened appon your site. I haven’t had the chance to try your method as of yet!
But I rest assured that what you have done will meet and or exceed what I was looking to do with my own recipe . . .
I Look forward to that morning and also to the repost of what those results are!
Thank You so much for your time in doing what you’ve done. . .
Mr. Don Birk
p.s. 🙂
Your biscuits are incredible. I’ve never made them from scratch before, and I’m so glad yours were the ones I chose to try. I make a double batch every time, and they’re always gone within three days tops. My boyfriend doesn’t eat them, he inhales them. Thanks for a great recipe!
Sooooo soft and yummy!!!! Coming in for sweet potato recipe now :9 ~LOVE~ 😀
Well, I made your biscuits for the third time this morning. They were my Fathers Day gift to myself. As a northerner I can’t get White Lilly or full fat buttermilk, but I have some self rising White Lilly I brought back with me from my last trip down south (Now I wish I could find some Yellow Label syrup). Angela, they get better each time. I made one batch with lard and one with butter. I think my wife and I like the lard better. I added a touch of salt and one tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of baking powder to the milk. I also used my cuisinart on short bursts to cut in the lard. I know, I am lazy. Thanks so much!!! Awesome.
The recipe and feedback sound great. How would the recipe change if I needed to make a large batches to accommodate a large crowd (think 300+ servings)?
Your material implies that you are pretty literate and good at writing attention-catching posts.
Maybe you write for other individuals? I really could hire you on your work (per hour, per article, .etc).
i’ve made 4-5 batches of these biscuits and from day 1 they were AMAZING. but i think tonight is the best batch yet!
my fiance’s favorite meal is biscuits and gravy with the biscuits being his favorite part. after time spent down south he has a very discerning palate when it comes to biscuits and these biscuits have done it for him. i have tried several biscuit recipes and he has politely told me they didn’t have “it.” i was losing hope that i wouldn’t be able to master biscuits before we got married (a challenge i gave myself) but i have thanks to your recipe! the video was extremely helpful as adter several failed attempts i had lost confidence-but when i saw your adorable little sons do it so effortlessly, i knew i could too.
my fiance just tried one hot from the oven and told me they were the best biscuits he’s ever had, and i agree!
Looking for a recipe like this for a long time. Used AP flour, a little extra buttermilk based on the consistency and an extra quarter tsp of baking powder. They were absolutely wonderful. Fluffy and butteyr on the inside and crisp on the outside. Thank you very much for posting this recipe. So long Bisquick.
JB
That makes me so happy to read and I love the So long Bisquick comment.
I found this recipe by chance about a week ago and am getting ready to make them for the third time. They are great!
These are literally the best biscuits I’ve ever had!
I have been searching for a great buttermilk biscuit recipe. Happy to say I found it with this recipe! I made them in a preheated cast iron skillet and they rose beautifully and tasted wonderful!
Great Kristin. I’m not sure I would use a preheated pan, but I’m glad it worked for you.
Thank you so much Angela!! These are YUMMY!! I followed your suggestions and I won’t be needing mcdonalds anymore!! I was unable to make an edible biscuit till now!! These turned out delicious!!
Such great news. Yes, stay away from that place. Seriously glad to be of help.
Angela, thank you so much!!!! I was unable to make an edible biscuit, no matter how I tried. I followed all that you suggest. These are amazingly YUMMY!! I don’t need mcdonalds any more!!!! Lin
I never take the time to write reviews, but I had to with this recipe! I am a southern girl and one who considers herself a baker, and I have never been able to make fluffy biscuits until now! This recipe is amazing! Thank you for rescuing me from my biscuit making shame:)
Thank you Heather. Loved hearing this.
Good luck with more biscuit baking.
Wow. These were the best biscuits I have ever made. Thank you for the recipe. My mother’s family is from the south, and I have never been able to consistently make great biscuits. These are wonderful. As my son was eating his 2nd biscuit he said, “I hope when I get married, my wife can cook like this.”
What you said is right, southern biscuits are not flakey, they are fluffy and pillowy. These were perfect. I like to use my iron skillet because it gives the bottom a little crisp. I had to use a little extra buttermilk like you said I might need b/c I did not have white lilly flour. I had pillsbury all purpose. Next time I will buy the White Lilly.
Thank you again. I have already sent your website to my best friend, who is a great cook, and I know she will love these too.
Wow and I thought mine where good yours are what’s camber soup says Mmm Mmm Good 🙂 Thanks familia loved them with dinner tonight !
Thanks so much Anita. I love to hear that.
Ur more than welcome:)
So sorry I was sure I gave you a rating here you go with award winning busicuts I’m making some as we speak for one of my children who just come home to visit there Madre he loved them so much I had to make more 🙂 thanks
Excellent! It turned out just as you said. I did use SR flour & added a pinch of salt plus a little less than a TBSP of sugar to the flour. I keep my flour in the frig so all my ingredients were cold. I did have to use a little extra buttermilk to make the dough sticky enough,. I cut them out with a 3″ round tea glass & ended up with 7 large biscuits which fit perfectly in buttered, iron skillet. They came out light & fluffy on the inside with a buttery crunch to the outside. Yum! This is a keeper! Thanks for sharing!
I made them for my Thanksgiving dinner. And They were so good thanks so much, they are now part my Sunday breakfast.
These are AMAZING!! Everyone in my life loves these! Do you happen to know if the dough will keep overnight? If so, should I put the dough wrapped as a whole in the freezer or fridge, or should I wrap the individually cut biscuits? Thank you!!
I made these using bread flour because that’s all I had. These are the best biscuits I have made! Even my Mother who bakes her own said these were so good that I will have to bake the biscuits from now on!
Wow, wow, wow! I live in the south and decided to try my hand at biscuits. I tried several recipes and they were always flat and bland. Thank goodness for the Internet and this page. I just made them this morning for my two sons and topped them with homemade sausage gravy. Then I made them again tonight for my wife to taste. She LOVED them. They are indeed “the best homemade southern biscuits” out there. THANK ANGELA!
Dear Angela, thank you so much for sharing your recipe, giving useful tips and clear instructions and pictures. As a result, I had success with biscuits, first time ever! After reading your story, admiring the beautiful twins (I have twins too, 7 yrs old) and positive reviews, I gave it a shot. I made them with slight trepidation, wondering again if baking biscuits is skill that will elude me. I followed all instructions and stood by the hot oven for the entire 15 minutes, staring at the biscuits while they baked. I was elated to see them rising (although not as spectacularly as yours) and finally starting to brown. I was still staring at them when they were done and taken out of the oven. I couldn’t believe I made those biscuits. For once, they looked right! And when I buttered one and tasted it, oh! So delicious! The husband and 3 kids approved of them too. They had refused to touch the previous ones I baked after taking one look at them! Talk about being subtle! I am so happy. Once again, thank you!
Thank you Simone for that lovely comment. I get the greatest joy knowing I truly helped someone in their kitchen. Biscuits are the kind of food that make a good memory and I’m glad to see that for you.
Thanksgiving 2013, and we don’t have any rolls or bread so I decide to make a batch of biscuits. I never make biscuits, because they never come out very good. The Thanksgiving biscuits were no different. So forward a few weeks to Christmas 2013. Again I think it would be nice to have biscuits, so I search the web and land on this recipe. I cut up my butter and stuck it in the freezer. I mixed up the dry ingredients with the butter cut in, and stuck that in the freezer. Came time to bake the biscuits, and I stirred in the buttermilk, flopped it out on a board, kneaded a bit, cut out the biscuits, and placed them close together.
Took them out of the oven after about 12 minutes (this oven runs a bit hot) and they were a beautiful golden brown top and bottom. We all bit into them with exclamations – crunchy on the outside and tender and moist inside — the best biscuits ever!!! Highly recommended.
I read this with held breath to the end and then I smiled. Merry Christmas, Richard James, you made my day.
These sound amazing, and having heard so much about the American ‘biscuit’ I would love to try making them. In Australia a biscuit is what you would call a cookie, and this looks similar to a scone.
Anyway, I just wanted to say that I was really looking forward to watching you make them, but the link didn’t work. Lucky it didn’t take to much searching to find it (just look for tastingnashville.com and at the moment it’s on the front page). But here is a copy of the URL if it will let me http://50.87.139.102/?p=220.
Might try making them for my birthday party tomorrow night. Now I just need to find a recipe for corn bread, and see if I can find what grits are all about!
Hello!
I am anxious to try these biscuits (actually in the middle of doing so), but I am confused by the directions. It says to add dry ingredients (flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda) together, but I think the baking soda is for the buttermilk. I don’t see a measurement for the dry ingredients. . .
Can you clarify?
Thanks!
Best biscuits EVER. I have been making biscuits for my family for years and they always ask for it specially on weekends. I have always been looking for a flaky biscuit recepie and I now found it. Same ingredients but the way you handle the dough makes a world of difference. My family loved them. Thank you sooooo much, grateful for you sharing such a wonderful recepie 🙂 I give this recepie the highest rating!
I halved the recipe (just me at my house) and they didn’t turn out as high but the buttery flavor and fluffy texture made them taste wonderful! I’ll keep trying, though. Love good biscuits! My mother in law was a southern cook and made biscuits similar to these, and I often watched her but was never able to pull it off. I had convinced myself some cooks have magic fingers. Anyway, thanks for sharing the recipe and the tips.
OMG! I have to admit that i am NOT a good baker! My husband’s mother made scratch biscuits without a recipe, so every time I tried they just never measured up so after a few years of trying, i finally gave up! I am 60 years old and been married for 43 years and FINALLY have made a yummy biscuit with this recipe!! Thank you!!
Peggy, Thank you so much for this comment. Means a lot.
The pictures using another service…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/63569992@N02/11074304143/sizes/z/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/63569992@N02/11074246356/sizes/z/in/photostream/
Sorry…
–Ivan
another picture showing the inside…
http://goo.gl/R7bD9j
Third batch…
A little too brown to my liking – and mishandled the salt :(..
Am I setting my oven too high ?
http://goo.gl/V4nidd
–Ivan
Best biscuits I’ve ever made! Hands down! Fluffiest and yummiest! My husband and I were both so amazed. Thanks for the awesome recipe! 🙂
I love to hear this news. Thank you so much for stopping by.
I’ve had nothing but success with this recipe. My family thinks I’m brilliant!
That’s so great to hear. You are brilliant. I’m so glad it works for you.
Love this recipe!!! I used King Arthur pastry flour.
Monique That’s wonderful. I’ve never used pastry flour, and that’s good to know that it works well for this recipe.
Thanks for the recipe !
They taste great… My second try at it, and it’s getting better
http://goo.gl/caVLci
Hugs,
–Ivan
Thank you, thank you, thank you, these were excellent…. I’ve been searching for a recipe like this and my family agrees this one is a keeper.
Why do you use all purpose white lily instead of self rising?
For those looking for white lily and can’t find you can order it online from their site.
Also, where is the recipe for chocolate gravy?! That combo looks ultra yummy!!!
Here you go Henry. http://spinachtiger.com/chocolate-gravy-with-mile-high-buttermilk-biscuits/
Don’t know if it’s the freezer step or what, but this is the best biscuit recipe! They rise perfectly, the tops browns nice, and the bottoms sort of fry from the butter.
I didn’t have buttermilk or anything to make it with, so I dissolved a True Lemon packet then added milk to make 3/4 c.
I have never in my life tasted a biscuit that is so lush, so buttery, that it does not need butter.
Until today. This is, hands-down, the best biscuit that I have ever had.
I’m more of a yeast bread baker, but my husband and 3-year-old love biscuits and gravy. I try a different biscuit recipe each time I make it, and they’ve been good but unremarkable until these. I made these this morning with a traditional sausage gravy.
I used AP flour and added a bit of extra milk. I got a nice silky dough, but they didn’t rise as much as yours. I suspect that the AP flour needs more baking powder, since it is more dense than your White Lily flour. Next time (and I suspect that “next time” will be tomorrow morning!) I’ll try increasing the baking powder to 1.5 tbsp.
I added a bit extra melted butter, mixed it with the milk, and basted the biscuits with it several times during the cooking process. The basting always gives my baked goods some extra goodness, and this was no exception. The tops were rich, flaky, and slightly crisp. The inner biscuit was fluffy and had such a lovely flavor from the buttermilk.
Anyway, hubby and son loved these with sausage gravy. I thought they were even better with homemade strawberry jam. Either way, they were AMAZING and I will never make another biscuit again. In fact, these may replace some of my weeknight yeast rolls as well.
Thank you so much for this recipe! 🙂
(and sorry for the novel – I’m a writer and I tend to get a bit carried away)
Was looking for a soft biscuit recipe.I found this one and I am pleased with the results.the appearance looks great,and the favor is wonderful..I read the reviews and added 1/3 cup more of the buttermilk. I will pass the recipe to my
family members and my friends.
Thank you for the recipe.
Thank you! Your advice and assistance worked! These really ARE the best biscuits I have made ever. I do not think I would have persisted on biscuits without your notes or personal help. I thank you, kindly. My husband finally says…now those are good biscuits! I agree with you that I was simply adding too much flour…And white Lilly is definitely the flour of choice for a reason. Thank you for helping me gain confidence in biscuit making…now I will begin the task of trying to make cinnamon rolls from scratch correctly. If you have any tips here…please share. Thank you, again. I will continue to forward your website to others looking to perfect their biscuit making. 🙂
I am so happy to get this kind of comment. Thank you for your kind words and please do try some of the other varieties on the site. The sweet potato biscuits are great.
Thank you for this. I can now make better biscuits than I can buy at the store, and for less money. Far easier than I thought it’d be as well.
That is such good news. Happy biscuit making and thanks for letting me know.
I have a question for you Angela because I really want to try this recipe for my biscuits and gravy this morning but I’m using regular AP flour and I’m going to make my buttermilk but if I need to add an extra 1/3 cup how much vinegar to I use for the buttermilk
Add 1 Tbsp of vinegar in measuring cup then fill the rest up to the 1 cup line to equal one cup of buttermilk. As I figure, the ratio is 1 teaspoon of vinegar to 1/3 cup of milk.
Made the recipe this morning and if I could give it 10 stars I would. I have been a baker for 40 years and have tried and tweaked countless recipes, but still hadn’t found “the one” – until now. I wanted one that was very fluffy (almost like a roll, but with more of a mouthfeel), and still had a crisp outer top and bottom. These came out exactly that way. I did not have Lily Flour, but just a store brand AP flour. I did end up adding an additional 1/4-1/3 cup buttermilk, but assumed I would because it depends on the grind of the flour you are using. Heavier flours take more liquid. I opted to not brush milk on the tops before baking because we only have 2% on hand and you definitely want a milk with a higher fat content to get the desired color and texture. I did brush melted butter on them after baking. I used a 3″ biscuit cutter which resulted in 7 biscuits that rose about 1.5″ to 1.75″ tall. Beautiful and perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing the next time I make these.
That makes me so happy, and thank you so much for writing here. This comment means a lot, and I think I will go in and let folks know about using AP flour and adding more buttermilk.
Thanks again,
Ok. This is getting a little out of hand!:)
This is the 3rd time in one week to make these, but the practice has definitely made them even better. The last two times I served them with sausage gravy.
Unbelievable! I cut them a little thicker tonight and let them go 18 min.
This recipe is crazy good. My whole family agrees. I got so many compliments tonight I just had to comment and thank you again for such a keeper.
Starla,
I would love to have that sausage gravy recipe. I’m so glad you are enjoying them. And, it’s true, biscuits just keep getting better and better.
I was looking for a good buttermilk recipe that I could add to my homemade recipes, and this is sooo it ! I made a 1st batch with my son, and cooked one of the biscuits to see whether I would like it or not, and when I tasted it, it was so delicious and buttery, taste very much like Popeye’s Chicken (buttery biscuits). I ate it with some homemade applebutter I’d made just the other day. This recipe gets a THUMBS UP from me! I HIGHLY recommend this recipe.
Michelle that makes me so happy to hear that this was successful for you. I’ve never had Popeye’s chicken (biscuits) but I’ll take that as a compliment.
I need help. The liquid measurement in biscuit recipes never seem to be enough for me and I always find myself adding a quarter cup more of the liquid. What am I doing wrong? I do live in a very humid environment…down south. Could this be it? Please help.
On a positive not….Your recipe reminds me of my grandmother baking for us when we were little.
I am working to perfect my technique and this recipe is the closest I have come to awesome biscuits. I just need to figure out the liquid part.
Thanks for your help.
If the extra liquid is giving you the biscuits you love, then that is the amount to use. In the old days, I understand the women never used a recipe but a “feel” to know it was right.
I use this recipe ALL the time. I love making biscuits now after years of trying to find a good recipe. I am smiling reading your comment – when I was little, I used to marvel at how my grandma made her biscuits…. in the top of her flour canister! She didn’t measure a thing, just made a little well in the top of her flour, and started mixing them together right there without a bowl or anything. She made fabulous biscuits – now I do too!! Thank you!!
I love this recipe, but mine turns out way to dry as well. I add about the same amount of extra milk and it turns out fine. It does make me wonder what I am doing different though…
Sorry-forgot to rate:))
Made these tonight to go with fried chicken and corn on the cob!
They were absolutely fantastic! This will be my “go to” biscuit recipe for sure. Thanks so much for the recipe!:)
I made these biscuits yesterday and they are AMAZING! Not quite as fluffy as I had hoped, but still delicious. Stores in my area don’t carry White Lily flour. Would Swans Down Cake Flour be comparable? Just trying to make them as fluffy as possible. Thanks!
Sorry if this is a dumb question, do you use AP flour or SR flour?
Phoebe – look at the answer to the question above yours. She is using bleached (for right biscuit color) AP White Lily flour.
All purpose.
I use NON self rising, as there is baking powder in the recipe. I hope that helps.
Yes! Thank you!! Excited to make them and will let you know how they turn out!
Angela-I have been searching for a perfect “fluffy” biscuit recipe. Excited to make these soon. Which Lily flour are you using exactly? White Lily Bleached all-purpose? White Lily Bleached self-rising? or White Lily Unbleached self-rising? I am assuming that you are using one of the self-rising because of the lack of baking powder? Thank you in advance for clarifying!
Yes, I often keep butter cut up in the freezer for that very reason.
Another tip is if you think the butter has gotten to soft after you cut in the flour, refreeze for 15 minutes. It stops the butter from further softening and will be wonderful as it melts in the oven.
If you keep your flour and butter or lard in freezer couldn’t you cut out the 15 minute wait of putting the mixture in the freezer? That is a step I use to save time. Haven’t tried your recipe but will soon.
These are gorgeous and I love your biscuit baking tips!
Is the Lily White Flour all purpose or self rising…
I. I do not have an iron skillet. Can I use a ceramic frypan?
Do you have to use the White Lilly flour or can you use any self-rising flour???? Recipe looks and sounds awesome….thank you for posting…I will try to make them as soon as I found out the answer about the flour….Thanks Again…
I made these tonight and they were very good. I do not have access to White Lilly nor self-rising flour but they were still very good so I used all purpose flour with extra baking powder. I only got 5 biscuits out of the recipe though and they were not but an inch tall. I used a kitchen glass as the cutter so they were about 2 inches in diameter. I will definitely make again.
I am wondering if I don’t have baking soda can u ommit it. Will they still be as good.
I have used your recipe for 3 days in a row now. Thank you so much for sharing. I finally made biscuits I am proud of. Thank you and God bless you
Crysti
I love to get comments like this. It really makes my day. Biscuits especially are a challenge for anyone, and God bless you back for your kind words
Look at the rise on those, fluffy indeed! Those are the most perfect biscuits.
Can’t eat the biscuits, but those shirts the boys are wearing – adorable!
Michelle,
They are just as cute as those shirts too.
Wow. These do look perfect. The cinnamon pear jelly has me intrigued as well.
I received the cinnamon pear jelly as a Christmas gift. It’s soooo good, Lora.
May be a silly question, but Im gonna ask anyhow, b/c I’m not certain :O) .. In making the buttermilk, does it matter if the milk is skim or must we use whole for the fat content?
Kiki,
You can use skim milk. I prefer the full fat or low fat, but I’m sure skim would work too.
I just discovered this recipe — it’s wonderful! AND I used skim milk, but I added 1 tablespoon melted butter along with the vinegar to give it more body.
I hate using Crisco or shortening; this recipe is close to mine but your’s are perfect!! Definitely going to continue to use this recipe for sure!! My tip would be to mix a tbsp of melted butter into the milk (I used semi room temp milk)for the “brush-before-bake”, the tops will be golden flaky and delicious (*This is great for crispy flaky tops. If you prefer a more buttery taste add more melted butter to milk mixture. ** Along with the butter after baking.) Best of wishes cooking and thanks for this awesome recipe!
Also, I am 20yrs old, in good ol’ Mobile, being from the south, grand mama had me baking biscuits at 8yrs old, pies/cakes/cookies/sweet breads etc., by 13. This recipe tops grand mama’s, lord bless her heart and rest her soul, she’s yelling at me through the grave for this one. My fiance loves my cooking but these biscuits he devoured! I got one with peach butter on it out of a batch of 15 fluffy biscuits. Just another way to melt a southern mans sweet heart with biscuits and strawberry/blueberry freezer jam. Oh, and of course pecan pie! 🙂
I am heading to the States next week so will be on the lookout for soft white flour. I really do enjoy a good biscuit slathered with butter…but chocolate sounds good too.
Ok my mom stopped by and ate the last 2 biscuits and said to tell ‘whoever gave you that recipe’ (lol she’s 72 & has no clue about the internet) that ‘those biscuits are better than mine’ (hers) & she then shocked me by asking for the recipe.She has used her biscuit recipe for as long as I’ve been alive (49 yrs) I wrote it out for her right then and there. Just wanted to share that with you..:)
These look like biscuit perfection to me! This is a keeper and I will try these, have to find the White Lily flour. xo
Omgosh !! I just tried this recipe and holy cow! It’s great! I made the 1st batch and for some reason I had to add a whole cup buttermilk..they were the best tasting biscuits! So I thought, i’m going to make a double batch..I did and they were prettier and a little higher than the 1st batch..I still had to use 2 cups of buttermilk (double batch) I will no longer EVER use my old recipe..these are better than my grandmother made.(& she’s from the hills of Tennessee)..THANK YOU!
Peggy
Thanks so much for this kind comment. Yes, sometimes you do need that full cup of milk and good for you for knowing that and going with your instincts.
Ok my mom stopped by and ate the last 2 biscuits and said to tell ‘whoever gave you that recipe’ (lol she’s 72 & has no clue about the internet) that ‘those biscuits are better than mine’ (hers) & she then shocked me by asking for the recipe.She has used her biscuit recipe for as long as I’ve been alive (49 yrs) I wrote it out for her right then and there. Just wanted to share that with you..:)
Sorry I couldn’t make it rate 5 stars! WhichIt should be
I should have added more buttermilk, but I was “making my own” and didn’t make the extra 1/4 cup. Next time I’ll use the whole cup. HOWEVER my family LOVED THEM and all 12 are already gone. I made them an hour ago. Crunchy on the bottom and top and nice and soft in the middle. They were gone so fast I didn’t even get a picture.
Great recipe for a person trying home made biscuits for the first time.