How to Make the Best Biscuits

Biscuits, a cornerstone of Southern cuisine, evoke comfort and good times shared around the table. But, achieving biscuit perfection can be a challenge. Sometimes, they turn out tough, and sometimes, they’re flat. With the right recipe and key tips, you can bake fluffy, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits that would make any Southern grandma proud.

Types of biscuits

Old-fashioned buttermilk biscuits are ubiquitous and lend themselves to endless possibilities for creative cooks. One of our favorite local bakeries produces a to-die-for Jalapeno Bacon Cheddar Cathead Biscuit. Mix-ins are popular, but there are also different methods for making the biscuits. 

Drop Biscuits

These are made with a wetter dough that is dropped by spoonfuls onto the baking sheet. They won’t achieve the fluffy rise of classic buttermilk biscuits, but they taste good and are quick and easy to make. 

Angel Biscuits

These delicate biscuits use yeast and an additional leavening agent (or two) for a high rise and a light and airy texture.

Shortcake Biscuits

Slightly sweetened and often made with cream, these biscuits are the perfect base for a classic strawberry shortcake.

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

25 minutes

Strawberry shortcakes recipe with easy, homemade biscuits using cream and brown sugar. You can have this beautiful dessert ready in a jiffy!

Classic Buttermilk Biscuits

Old-fashioned buttermilk biscuits are a Southern staple, and for good reason! Soft, buttery, flaky, and full of flavor, they’re the perfect addition to any meal. Made with simple ingredients, they’re easy to make at home.

Old-fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits (Cathead Style)

25 minutes

Old-fashioned buttermilk biscuits made the cathead way. Hand-rolled with White Lily flour and cold butter, ready in 25 minutes.

Ingredients You Need

The beauty of making biscuits is the inherent simplicity. You need flour, baking powder, salt, butter, and buttermilk. That’s it!

Tips

Cold is key

Keep that butter and buttermilk COLD. This will help with flakiness and texture.

Don’t Overwork the Dough

If your biscuits are turning out like hockey pucks, then you’re handling the dough too much. Use a lighter touch, and don’t feel like you have to roll out the dough and cut it. Use our method instead to make the best cathead biscuits!

Scoop and ball

Grab a large handful of dough and lightly roll it into a ball shape. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Lay the dough balls on a baking sheet about half an inch apart, then slightly flatten each one and make sure the sides are touching.

Freeze for quicker biscuits

Pop the baking sheet into the freezer if you want to save the biscuits. Once the biscuits are frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container. Then, you can bake as many as you want. You’ll need to add a little time to the baking time and reduce the temperature slightly.

How to serve biscuits

There’s no right or wrong way to serve biscuits. If you’re having breakfast, add some sausage gravy or just butter and homemade strawberry preserves or local honey. If you’re having dinner, you might make some brown gravy. And, of course, there’s the favorite way to serve biscuits: make a biscuit sandwich filled with bacon, egg, and cheese. 

Easy Strawberry Freezer Jam

30 minutes

This Sure-Jell strawberry freezer jam is quick, easy, and full of fresh berry flavor with no canning needed and less than an hour of prep.