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Tall and Flaky Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

A stack of four tall, flaky buttermilk biscuits with golden brown tops resting on a white plate.
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Learn the simple method to make tall, fluffy, and flaky Southern buttermilk biscuits from scratch. These buttery biscuits melt in your mouth and are perfect for any meal.

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
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. This is your dry mix.
  2. Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender or your fingertips to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. These pieces create the flakes.
  3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the cold buttermilk all at once.
  4. Use a fork to gently mix the ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix; the dough will look shaggy.
  5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat the dough into a rough rectangle about 1 inch thick.
  6. Fold the dough into thirds, like a letter. Turn the dough 90 degrees and gently pat it down again to about 1 inch thick. This folding process builds layers for tall biscuits. Repeat this fold and pat process one more time.
  7. Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter to cut straight down through the dough. Do not twist the cutter, as twisting seals the edges and prevents rising.
  8. Place the cut biscuits close together on an ungreased baking sheet for softer sides, or slightly apart for crispier sides.
  9. Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
  10. Immediately brush the tops of the hot biscuits with the 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Serve warm.

Notes

  • Keep all your ingredients, especially the butter and buttermilk, very cold. Cold fat creates steam in the oven, which results in flaky layers.
  • For the tallest biscuits, dip your biscuit cutter in flour before each cut. Press straight down without twisting.
  • If you want extra buttery biscuits, you can brush the tops with melted butter halfway through baking as well.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookerycourier.com/buttermilk-biscuits-tall-flaky-southern-recipe/