Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

Preheat and prepare baking surface

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. If you prefer slightly crisper bottoms, place a metal baking sheet inside the oven while it preheats.

Place a large mixing bowl and the bowl for chilling butter in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before using if your kitchen is warm. Very cold ingredients help produce flaky layers.

Mix dry ingredients

Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in the chilled large mixing bowl until evenly combined.

Cut in the fats

Cut the very cold unsalted butter (cut into 1/2-inch cubes) and the cold shortening (if using) into the dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips to work the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter remaining (about the size of small peas). Work quickly so the butter stays cold.

Add the buttermilk

Make a well in the center of the flour-fat mixture and pour in 1 cup cold buttermilk. Using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, stir just until the dough comes together and there are no large streaks of dry flour. The dough should be shaggy and slightly sticky; do not overmix.

Adjust consistency

If the dough seems too dry and doesn’t hold together, add up to 1/4 cup additional cold buttermilk (or milk), one tablespoon at a time, until it holds together when gently pressed. If it seems too wet, sprinkle a tablespoon of flour and fold gently.

Turn out and fold

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently pat the dough into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Fold the dough in thirds like a letter (fold one short side over the center, then the other), rotate 90 degrees, and pat again to 1-inch thickness. Repeat the fold-and-press 1–2 more times to build layers, taking care not to overwork the dough.

Cut biscuits

Using a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter (or 2.75–3 inch for larger biscuits) dipped in flour, press straight down into the dough without twisting to preserve layers. Re-form scraps gently (do not overwork) and repeat until you have approximately 8–10 biscuits. Place cut biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet so sides touch for taller biscuits or spaced apart for slightly crisper edges.

Bake

Brush the tops very lightly with a little of the reserved cold buttermilk (or milk) to encourage browning, if desired. Bake in the preheated 425°F (220°C) oven on the middle rack for 12–16 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Rotate the pan halfway through baking for even color if your oven has hot spots.

Brush with butter and rest

Remove biscuits from the oven and immediately brush the tops with the melted unsalted butter. Let the biscuits rest on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for 5–10 minutes before serving so they finish setting but remain warm.