Full Proof Old Fashioned Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

These fluffy, Southern biscuits are perfect if you’re craving classic comfort food. With foolproof instructions, these buttery biscuits are made with buttermilk and self-rising flour, ensuring a mouthwatering experience. These are the best biscuits you’ll ever make, you’ll want to enjoy over and again!

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Pair these fluffy biscuits with maple candied bacon, grits and greens breakfast bowl or this chorizo breakfast bowl.

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• MY LOVE FOR SOUTHERN STYLE BISCUITS
• RECIPE VIDEO
• WHY THIS IS THE BEST SOUTHERN BISCUIT RECIPE
• INGREDIENTS FOR SOUTHERN STYLE BISCUITS
• EQUIPMENT NEDED
• HOW TO MAKE SOUTHERN BISCUITS
• TIPS FOR SOUTHERN BUTTERMILK BISCUITS
• HELPFUL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
• WHAT CAN YOU SERVE SOUTHERN BISCUITS WITH?
• I HOPE YOU ENJOY MAKING THESE SOUTHERN BUTTERMILK BISCUITS!
• Full Proof Old Fashioned Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

MY LOVE FOR SOUTHERN STYLE BISCUITS

Born and raised in the south, it's a sin not to know how to prepare biscuits from scratch. In fact, you are not considered a home cook without your own staple biscuit recipe.

This recipe is a family staple, shared from my grandmothers and uncle, consider it your treasure now. With just six ingredients and a few helpful tips, makes this one of the best biscuit recipes. Southern style biscuits present slightly larger and dense, similar to scones and enjoyed mostly for breakfast and brunch but certainly can be enjoyed at any time.

After preparing this southern biscuit recipe more than a dozen times, knowing helpful tips yields the best biscuits. Get ready for pillowy, buttery and hearty classic southern style biscuits.

RECIPE VIDEO

WHY THIS IS THE BEST SOUTHERN BISCUIT RECIPE

1. Full proof. This recipe is tried and true. I've made these biscuits for years. Follow the steps and enjoy, this recipe is extremely beginner friendly.
2. Traditional Southern Recipe. I can fully stamp this recipe as "traditional southern". I was raised in the south, the techniques and tips shared ring true to this classic recipe.
3. Self Rising Flour. With using self rising flour in this recipe, yields fluffy and somewhat dense biscuits, these biscuits will rise every time.
4. Beginner Friendly. It is easy to assume that if making biscuits from scratch can be "hard". This recipe is going to prove just how beginner friendly making biscuits really is.
5. Versatile Base Recipe. This southern biscuit recipe is a base recipe for making biscuits. Meaning, once you prepare these biscuits, you can customize this recipe fit your needs. These biscuits can be used to make mini strawberry shortcakes to covering in sausage or seafood gravy!

INGREDIENTS FOR SOUTHERN STYLE BISCUITS

These biscuits lack no depth and are very dense. To further emphasize, this recipe is not "light" by any means. Southern style biscuits require butter so don't be shy. Here's what you will need.

1. Self Rising Flour. Self rising flour is a key ingredient in this southern biscuit recipe. This yields fluffy biscuits that will appear "tall" in height. If you like those types of biscuits, you will love this recipe.
2. Baking Powder. Important ingredient when preparing biscuits. Baking powder ensures the biscuit recipe stays consistent, and aids in the "perfect" shape for the biscuits to rise and not spread out.
3. Salt.Fine salt works better, this will help to distribute the light seasoning of the biscuits through each biscuit.
4. Sugar. Adding sugar helps to balance the flavors from the buttermilk, retains moisture and adds a hint of sweetness.
5. Frozen Butter. Unsalted works best to control the level of salt. The butter has to be frozen for best results as it will not melt and affect the integrity of the dough when kneading.
6. Buttermilk. Provides a tangy flavor to biscuits. Also helps with overall moisture and also aides to biscuits rising during baking.
7. Egg. An egg wash will be created to add on top of the biscuit dough to help with the browning process.

EQUIPMENT NEDED

1. Clean and Flat Surface. It may seem obvious but designating a biscuit station is important. To explain, use a flat and clean surface such as your kitchen counter or a large cutting board works best. You will need space to place flour on when kneading the dough.
2. Measuring Cup. When baking, ingredients have to be exact so a measuring cup will work best to measure the buttermilk.
3. Measuring spoons. As mentioned above, ingredients need to be exact, you will need measuring spoons for the salt, sugar and baking powder.
4. Fine Grater or Pastry Cutter. This recipe calls for the frozen butter to be grated, similar to cheese. This helps with even distribution of the butter throughout the dough so it doesn't present large pockets of butter. A pastry cutter works as well but for this recipe, I do prefer a fine hand grater.
5. Flour Sifter. Sifting the flour will help to reduce lumps in the dough.
6. Mixing Bowl. Used for mixing the biscuit dough ingredients.
7. Whisk. Used to mix the dry ingredients before preparing the dough.
8. Wooden Spoon. This secret tool aides in perfect biscuits every time.
9. Biscuit Cutter. This tool is use to cut the biscuits into rounds.
10. Cast Iron. Classic southern biscuits are mostly prepared in a cast iron skillet. Now is the time to pull out grandmas heirloom!
11. Kitchen Brush. Used to brush the egg wash on top of the biscuits before baking.

HOW TO MAKE SOUTHERN BISCUITS

Prep and Measure Ingredients

Prep. As mentioned, it is important to read through the ingredient list above to properly prepare. Make sure to designate your clean workspace, measure the wet and dry ingredients and find the tools needed. Also, prep the oven and cast iron by heating the oven to 375 degrees and place the cast iron skillet into the oven while it preheats.

Measure Ingredients & Prep Dry Ingredients. With the measuring cup and spoons, begin measuring the dry ingredients. Using the sifter, sift the measured self rising flour, salt, sugar and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Using the whisk, blend the dry ingredients together, about 3-4 turns (with the whisk).

Combine Ingredients and Mix the Dough

Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients. In the same bowl with the dry ingredients, begin grating the frozen butter into the dry ingredients. Be mindful to reserve one teaspoon of the butter to grease the pan with at a later step. Then, pour the buttermilk into the mixture of dry ingredients and grated (frozen) butter.

Mix the Dough. With the wooden spoon, carefully stir the ingredients together being careful not to over mix until a lumpy dough begins to form. Only stir about 5-7 times.

Knead the Dough and Form Biscuits

Transition to Floured Surface. Now, transition to the designated clean surface area and sprinkle about ¼ cup worth of flour on the flat surface. This helps the dough not to stick. With the wooden spoon, scoop the biscuit dough mixture onto the floured surface area.

Knead the Dough. Take a little more flour (about 1 tablespoon worth) and place in your hands. Begin to knead the dough by pushing the dough out and pulling it back in towards you. There's a slight push and pull technique that helps to form the dough. You will fold the dough in half, turn the dough and fold again. Be careful not to over mix and over flouring the dough.

Cut the Biscuits. With any leftover flour on the surface, take the biscuit cutter and dip it in to the flour first. Then, with the biscuit dough, begin cutting biscuits into rounds and set aside. As the dough "runs out" knead a bit more to form enough dough to cut biscuits. This recipe yields about 5-6 biscuits.

Prep & Bake Biscuits

Grease the Cast Iron Skillet. By this time, the oven should have preheated and the cast iron will be hot and ready for baking. Carefully remove the cast iron from the oven and add the reserved butter to the pan. The butter will sizzle a bit and this is perfectly fine.

Prepare Biscuits for Baking. Now that the butter has melted, carefully place the raw biscuits into the cast iron skillet. It is ok for the biscuits to touch.

Brush with Egg Wash. Now that the biscuits are ready to bake. Using a small bowl, whisk the egg and about 1 tablespoon of water. Using the kitchen brush, brush each biscuit with the egg wash.

Bake. Place the warm cast iron skillet back into the oven and bake the biscuits for 25-25 minutes until golden brown. Once the southern biscuits are baked, remove from the heat and additional butter on top before serving.

TIPS FOR SOUTHERN BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

• Frozen Butter. In this case, it helps the butter to spread evenly throughout the batter and will produce little pockets of butter throughout the biscuit. The butter has to be frozen for best results as it will not melt and affect the integrity of the dough when kneading.
• Buttermilk Substitute. One cup of milk plus one tablespoon of white vinegar (or lemon juice). Stir the mixture, let sit for five minutes and the result is in fact like real buttermilk!
• Do not omit the Egg Wash Topping. This helps the biscuits so that they are not dry and aids with browning.
• Place Biscuits Close Together in Skillet. In this case, this helps the biscuits to rise and stay fluffy.
• Never Bake with Cold Bakeware! In general, this helps with evenly baking the biscuits.
• Don't Over Mix the Dough. Be careful not to over mix the dough. This will cause the biscuits to become tough in texture.
• Omit the Baking Powder. The ingredient is optional, there's already baking powder in self-rising flour. However, if you prefer big, fluffy biscuits it only adds to the height more!

HELPFUL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1. What if I don't have self-rising flour? If you don't have self rising flour, this recipe works with all purpose flour. Simply keep the salt and baking powder in the written recipe.
2. Can I use milk instead of buttermilk? You can use milk but buttermilk works best. If you only have milk, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar.
3. Can I use shortening instead of butter? Sure. Shortening has less flavor than butter so keep that in mind.
4. My biscuits didn't rise properly. Remember, the butter needs to be frozen. Don't over mix and make sure your dry ingredients are fresh.
5. My biscuits are dry. As mentioned, when kneading the dough, make sure to not add too much loose flour when kneading. Also, make sure to not over bake the biscuits.
6. What if I don't have a biscuit cutter? Not to worry! I haven't had this tool either. Simply use the top of a glass to cut the biscuits, be sure to flour the rim first.
7. Can you freeze this biscuit dough? Sure. Simply wrap the the biscuit dough in clear wrap. This will have to thaw before baking. It's best to cut he biscuits first, freeze and then place in a freezer safe bag. Be mindful to add extra baking time if baking frozen.
8. Storage and leftovers? While I don't think you'll have leftover, if you do, these biscuits will last roughly 2-3 days stored properly and placed in the fridge.

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WHAT CAN YOU SERVE SOUTHERN BISCUITS WITH?

These biscuits are universal! I've used them as a light dessert topping with homemade whipped cream and fresh strawberries. However, they can be used with savory dishes as well. I'm working on a quick chicken pot pie topping therefore, to use with these biscuits!

I HOPE YOU ENJOY MAKING THESE SOUTHERN BUTTERMILK BISCUITS!

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