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Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits are buttery, flaky biscuits with a perfect balance of sweet and salty, featuring crisp edges and soft tender middles. They pull apart like an accordion, revealing beautiful flaky layers, topped with an optional turbinado sugar sprinkle for a crunchy, sweet finish.

  • Total Time: 85 minutes
  • Yield: 9 biscuits 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2¾ cups (355 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons (9 g) baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons (9 g) sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons sea salt or 2 teaspoons kosher salt (10 g)
  • 16 tablespoons (226 g) cold, cubed butter (salted or unsalted)
  • 1 to 1¼ cups buttermilk (240 to 300 g), see notes
  • 2 tablespoons (32 g) buttermilk (for brushing)
  • 1 tablespoon (16 g) turbinado sugar (optional, for topping)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder until combined.
  3. Add cold butter cubes to the dry ingredients and cut in with a pastry cutter or fork until mixture resembles tiny peas. Alternatively, pulse 10 times in a food processor (about one second per pulse).
  4. Pour in 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk and gently mix with a spatula until dough just comes together. If dry or crumbly, add additional buttermilk a tablespoon at a time until soft and cohesive.
  5. Gently knead dough just enough to hold together; avoid overworking to maintain flakiness.
  6. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a rough 6-inch square.
  7. Roll dough into a 14-inch by 6-inch rectangle.
  8. Fold the top third down toward the center, then fold the bottom third up over that fold (like an envelope).
  9. Rotate dough 90 degrees and repeat the rolling and folding process two more times.
  10. After final fold, gently pat dough into a 6 to 8-inch square.
  11. Cut dough into 9 equal squares using a bench scraper or sharp knife.
  12. Place biscuits on prepared baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  13. Just before baking, brush biscuit tops with reserved 2 tablespoons buttermilk and sprinkle with turbinado sugar if desired.
  14. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and flaky.
  15. Remove from oven and immediately transfer to a cooling rack to prevent steaming.

Notes

Keep butter and buttermilk very cold for best flaky layers., Work quickly and handle dough gently to avoid tough biscuits., Weighing ingredients improves consistency., Salt and baking powder amounts were increased slightly from original recipe for better flavor and rise., Use all-purpose flour only for steady results., Adjust buttermilk quantity based on thickness; start with 1 cup, adding up to 1¼ cups if dough feels dry., Homemade buttermilk alternative: combine 300 g (about 1¼ cups) 2% or whole milk with 1½ tablespoons white vinegar or lemon juice, let sit 5-10 minutes., If biscuit bottoms brown too quickly, place a second baking sheet underneath in the oven to shield direct heat., Biscuits can be baked and frozen for up to 3 months, thawed and reheated before serving., Unbaked biscuits can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months and baked from frozen with extra bake time.

  • Author: mapps6841@gmail.com
  • Prep Time: 60 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Bread
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 biscuit
  • Calories: Approximately 220 calories per biscuit (estimate)
  • Fat: Approximately 12 grams per biscuit (estimate)
  • Carbohydrates: Approximately 25 grams per biscuit (estimate)
  • Protein: Approximately 3-4 grams per biscuit (estimate)