Daisy’s Tall, Flaky Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
Learn the heritage bread technique for making tall, flaky layers and a tender crumb in your Southern bakes using cold ingredients and precise cutting methods.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 30 min
- Yield: 8 biscuits 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 3/4 cup cold buttermilk
Instructions
- Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk these dry ingredients together well.
- Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture. Use your fingers or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the cold buttermilk all at once.
- Mix gently with a fork just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix; the dough will look shaggy.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat the dough into a rough rectangle about 1 inch thick.
- Fold the dough into thirds, like a letter. Turn the dough 90 degrees and gently pat it down again to about 3/4 inch thickness. This folding builds your flaky layers.
- Cut the biscuits using a sharp biscuit cutter dipped in flour. Press straight down without twisting the cutter to keep the layers from sealing.
- Place the cut biscuits close together on an ungreased baking sheet for softer sides, or farther apart for crispier sides.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
Notes
- Keep all your ingredients, especially the butter and buttermilk, very cold for the best rise and flakiness.
- For extra height, you can stack the cut biscuits on top of each other before baking.
- Brush the tops lightly with melted butter immediately after removing them from the oven for a soft finish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 biscuit
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 13
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 5
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 30