THE BEST BISCUIT RECIPE EVER
These buttermilk biscuits are absolutely amazing! They have a fluffy, tender center and a wonderfully crispy outer layer. Once you give this biscuit recipe a try, you’ll never even think about experimenting with another.
I have been on a quest to find the best biscuit recipe. Some of the ones I tested were good, but they were missing certain aspects I was looking for in what I consider the perfect biscuit. After many attempts and a lot of failures, I have come up with a recipe that resembles two of our favorite biscuits that can be found at Cracker Barrel and Hardees (If you know, you know). Not only is this biscuit easy to make, but it also has simple ingredients without all the additives and preservatives like the ones you find in the grocery store.
While testing recipes, I also experimented with different pans to achieve the perfect height and doneness for the biscuits. I tried various baking times and temperatures to find the ideal balance of a crispy exterior and a tender, flaky interior. Additionally, I made adjustments to the ingredients, such as the type of flour and leavening agents, in order to enhance the flavor and texture of the biscuits.
When you’re baking, it’s crucial to use the freshest and highest quality ingredients available in order to achieve optimal results. Thankfully, there are stores that offer a wider variety and more affordable options than when I first started baking over fourteen years ago.
ALL PURPOSE FLOUR: When I am buying flour, I always choose Organic and unbleached. I also choose a brand that contains zero preservatives or additives. FLOUR INGREDIENTS SHOULD ONLY SAY FLOUR!
To keep it fresh, I always keep it in the freezer if I’m not using it right away, but if you like to bake like me, then you always have some sitting in a jar LIKE THIS ONE on the counter.
BAKING POWDER: Purchasing baking powder seemed easy and straight forward when I first started baking, but once I started looking closely at what ingredients were going into it, things changed.
I was surprised to learn that a lot of baking powder has added aluminum. Once I found out, I searched high and low for an alternative and finally came across THIS ONE that contains no added aluminum. It’s also double acting which means it is activated twice in the baking process, first when it is mixed with liquid and second when it is exposed to heat.
BUTTER: I use salted sweet cream butter in all my baking, and have for many years with great results. I prefer a brand that is organic and grass-fed, since I know the cow is being humanely raised and also wasn’t fed grain its whole life.
*For this biscuit recipe you will want to use very cold butter that is straight from the fridge. You will also be using a cheese grater versus the traditional method of cutting in the butter. This allows the butter to stay in small solid pieces and will melt perfectly when the biscuit is baked.
BUTTERMILK: I have to admit that I rarely keep buttermilk in my refrigerator, so if a recipe calls for it, I always make my own.
To create homemade buttermilk: pour one tablespoon of white vinegar into a measuring cup. Fill the cup with whole milk up to the one cup line. Stir and let it sit for a few minutes before using.
I have read on blogs before that using a pan with sides makes the biscuits rise better versus a pan without. Here are my results for baking the biscuits in different types of pans. I used my favorite cast iron griddle, my cast iron skillet with sides, and a baking sheet lined with parchment.
BAKING IN A CAST IRON GRIDDLE WITHOUT SIDES: These biscuits were the perfect height, and the tops were browned to perfection. However, because of the high butter content in this recipe, the bottoms became too crispy which affected the texture.
BAKING IN A CAST IRON SKILLET WITH SIDES: These biscuits were cooked perfectly in the center, but the tops did not brown evenly and didn’t have that light and crispy texture.
BAKING ON A SHEET PAN WITH PARCHMENT: This gave the best results out of the three. The biscuits were the perfect texture on the inside and had a light and crispy top and bottom.
Unbaked biscuits can be frozen and baked at a later date by placing them on a pan and freezing them for at least 30 minutes to an hour and then put into a freezer bag. When you are ready to bake, remove them from the freezer and place on a baking sheet with sides touching. Bake at 425 degrees for about 14-15 minutes or until center is done.
One of my amazing followers on social media asked if it mattered that the biscuits were placed on the pan close together when they baked. So, I did a test to see if the biscuits would not rise if they were placed further apart on the pan. They actually baked up exactly the same; however, I will probably continue to bake them together since it is how I’ve always done it.
Now that we have all the basics down, you can now make the Best Biscuits Ever!
BEST BISCUIT RECIPE EVER
These buttermilk biscuits are absolutely amazing! They have a fluffy, tender center and a wonderfully crispy outer layer. Once you give this biscuit recipe a try, you'll never even think about experimenting with another.
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 3 teaspoons double acting baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 cup (one stick) cold salted butter grated
- 1 cup cold buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 425 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Whisk to combine.
- Using a cheese grater, grate cold butter and immediately add it to the flour mixture. Gently toss to combine making sure each piece of butter is coated with flour.
- Add in 1 cup of cold buttermilk (see note below for how to easily make your own) and stir until just combined. Dough will be sticky. Do not overmix.
- Pour about 1/4 cup of flour onto large pastry board or cutting board and spread it out in a circle.
- Flour your hands and scoop out the dough onto a floured surface. Sprinkle a little flour on top and press down the dough a bit to make a disc.
- Fold the dough in half and sprinkle with a little more flour. Fold in half five more times for a total of seven folds or until dough is no longer sticky. Do not over work the dough.
- Lightly roll dough to no less than one inch thick (this will give you nice fluffy biscuits).
- Cut into rounds and place biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment making sure that the biscuits are touching.
- Bake for 14-15 minutes.
- Remove and brush with melted butter.
Notes
* For best results use unbleached all-purpose flour.
* To create homemade buttermilk: pour one tablespoon of white vinegar into a measuring cup. Fill the cup with whole milk up to the one cup line. Stir and let it sit for a few minutes before using.
* Make sure the butter is very cold. Place in the freezer for about ten minutes to ensure that it doesn't melt when you grate it.
* Only use double acting baking powder. This allows it to react twice during the mixing and baking process, giving your biscuits the light and fluffy texture.
* For best results, use a baking sheet to bake the biscuits on versus a cast iron skillet, or a pan with sides.
* Unbaked biscuits can be frozen and baked at a later date by placing them on a pan and freezing them for at least 30 minutes to an hour and then put into a freezer bag. When you are ready to bake, remove them from the freezer and place on a baking sheet with sides touching. Bake at 425 degrees for about 14-15 minutes or until inside is completely cooked through.
* To make this recipe even easier, switch out flour for self-rising flour and omit the baking powder and half the salt.
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