From Grandma’s kitchen to mine, these simple homemade biscuits are the perfect addition to any meal.
Is there anything more comforting than a homemade, warm, buttery biscuit? For me, they are the epitome of comfort and pleasure! Homemade biscuits have always been a part of my life. My granny, my grandma, my mama, and my daddy all regularly made biscuits to accompany various meals; they were not reserved for breakfast alone. The beauty about biscuits is the fact that they are perfect with any meal.
When discussing foods that people want to learn to make, good biscuits are almost always at the top of the list. Biscuits are intimidating because they are so basic, yet so easy to completely botch! They tend to be one of those foods that varies from person to person. All four of the people I listed above made their biscuits just a little bit differently from the other. I make mine a little bit differently from theirs. The key to perfect biscuits is practice and patience! You can do this!
Simple Ingredients
3 Cups Self-Rising Flour (see note for substitution)
1 Stick of really cold/frozen butter (see note for substitution)
2 Cups Buttermilk (see note for substitution)
A small bowl with flour (about 1 cup) in it for rolling the biscuits. I use my flour bowl
Recommended Tools
Large mixing bowl
Fork or Pastry Cutter
Cast iron skillet or cookie sheet
Cheese Grater
Process for making homemade biscuits
Step 1.
Put flour in a large mixing bowl and grate the butter into the flour with a cheese grater. Now, the flour and butter is stirred together until the flour coats all of the butter and it’s well combined. It should look like course sand. A good way to test this is to squeeze a handful of the flour mixture. When the mixture sticks together and can be easily crumbled a part, it is the right consistency. If it doesn’t, then you may need to add a little more butter. If it is very sticky and greasy, then you probably need to add 1/2 cup of flour.
Step 2.
Next, you will slowly add in your buttermilk to the flour and butter mixture until the dough is soft and all of the flour is wet. I recommend starting with 2 cups, then adding ¼ cup at a time if you need to add more. The dough will be sticky (not soupy) and lumpy. Do not fret and don’t over mix. Soft dough is what is going to give you soft biscuits.
Step 3.
Now we are getting into the part where most feel the most intimidated: shaping the biscuits. Using a cookie/ ice cream scoop is the best way that I have found to get a uniform shape and size. I use a medium sized scooper that produces a ping pong ball sized dough ball. Scoop up your biscuit dough and drop them into a bowl of flour to lightly coat them. This will make handling them much easier.
Step 4.
Gently roll your dough in your hands to make a smooth ball. It is ok if the ball isn’t perfectly smooth. However, you don’t want major cracks in the tops. Place them, but do not flatten, about 1/2 of an inch apart on a greased baking pan. I prefer either a cast iron skillet or a stone pizza pan. But, you can use any oven safe pan.
Step 6.
When all of your biscuits are on the pan, gently press them down. It is ok for them to be touching! In fact, touching will make the texture that much better! In the picture below, notice that they are flattened to about 3/4 inch thick.
Step 7
Now, let’s bake them in a 420 degree oven for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until just lightly golden.
Step 8
Butter then ENJOY!!
Perfect Biscuits
These biscuits are the perfect addition to any meal. They are simple and delicious.
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Self-Rising Flour (see note for substitution)
- 1 Stick of really cold/frozen butter (see note for substitution)
- 2 Cups Buttermilk (see note for substitution)
- A small bowl with flour (about 1 cup) in it for rolling the biscuits. I use my flour bowl
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 420°
- Put flour in a large mixing bowl and grate the butter into the flour with a cheese grater.
- Stir the flour and butter together until the flour coats all of the butter and it’s well combined. It should look like course sand.
- Then slowly add in your buttermilk until the dough is soft and all of the flour is wet. I recommend starting with 2 cups, then adding ¼ cup at a time if you need to add more. The dough will be sticky and lumpy . Don’t over mix.
- Use a medium cookie scooper or a spoon to scoop the dough. They should be the size of a ping pong ball. Drop the ball into the flour and lightly coat it with flour.
- Gently roll the dough in your hands until it forms a ball.
- Butter the baking pan. You can use any type of pan, but cast iron is my preference.
- Then take you biscuits and gently place them in the pan about ½ inch away from each other.
- After all of the biscuits are on the pan, gently press the biscuits down so that they are touching one another but not pressed completely flat.
- Place in 420° oven for 20-25 minutes. You want them to turn light golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, slice open, and butter the inside.
- Enjoy plain, with jelly, with sausage gravy, or my favorite CANE SYRUP!
Notes
Self-Rising Flour Substitution -
- 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 3 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
- 3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
Butter Substitution - 1/2 Cup Crisco or 1/2 Cup Lard
Buttermilk Substitution - 1 Cup Milk. You can add 1 Tablespoon Lemon to achieve the tart flavor like buttermilk.
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