Flaky Homemade Biscuits
On February 26, 2024 (Updated September 24, 2024)
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My Flaky Homemade Biscuits are layers and layers of warm, fluffy, buttery goodness. With just 7 ingredients, and a little dough folding, you can serve this comfort food side in style.
Flaky Homemade Biscuits
When you want a delicious, buttery bread you can serve with anything, my Flaky Homemade Biscuits are an awesome choice. You can serve them fresh and warm as a side with butter, or even smother them in gravy for a hearty breakfast. They can stand on their own as a light and fulfilling treat, or be a costar in a BBQ feast. These flaky biscuits are versatile, and they’re way easier to make than you might think.
I’ll give you all the tools and tips you need to make these salty, warm delights. From which ingredients work best, to a step-by-step guide on folding your dough for those flaky, butter layers, you’ll be confident in your biscuit abilities. Let’s Get started.
Best Flour for Flaky Biscuits
Getting perfectly flaky, homemade buttermilk biscuits all starts with using the right ingredients, and none is more important than the flour you choose. I like to use King Arthur high gluten flour because its high protein content helps the biscuits rise evenly and give them those awesome layers. You can go with an all-purpose flour and your biscuits will still taste great, but may be crumbly. If you want your guests to enjoy pull-apart biscuits, go with a high protein flour.
Folding Biscuit Dough
Folding biscuit dough doesn’t have to be intimidating, and I make it easy with just 2 simple steps. Once you have your frozen butter grated, cold buttermilk, and the rest of your ingredients combined well into a loosely formed dough, you’re ready to start the folding process.
- Roll a rectangle. On a well floured surface, form your loose dough into a 7 inch square. Once you’ve got it there, use a rolling pin to press in out into a rectangle that’s 9 inches wide and 12 inches long. You’re going to be doing this a few times, and that’s why starting with cold butter is so important. You want your dough to roll into nice, flat layers.
- Fold in thirds. Fold your dough in thirds the long way and then press it down gently. Once it’s settled, roll it into a 9×12 inch rectangle again. This is going to create layers and layers of warm, flaky goodness to rise when you bake. I like to fold my dough 5 times so it’s extra flaky. You don’t want to overwork or your butter will start to get warm.
Cutting Biscuits for Flakiness
Cutting your biscuit dough into individual biscuits is one of the most important parts of the process. To ensure your biscuits rise evenly, you want to make sure you have a well-floured cutting tool. You can cut your biscuits into squares with a sharp knife like I do for this recipe, or use a biscuit cutter to make round biscuits. Either way, be sure to add some flour to your cutting tool to avoid pulling or pinching your dough.
If you’re cutting squares, be sure to cut the rolled ends off before starting to avoid the pinching as well. Whether you have these scraps, or the scraps you end up with using a biscuit cutter, don’t worry. You can coat them in butter and cinnamon-sugar, roll them up, and bake for some scrap cinnamon rolls. You only get a few though, so it can be your yummy little secret.
Tips for Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
The secret to getting all those soft, buttery layers upon layers inside your biscuits is in the folding process. You have to get nice, flat, even layers when folding, and that requires your dough to have cold butter. Here are a few tips I use to ensure my dough comes out just right every time:
- Frozen butter. I grate frozen butter with the grating blade on my food processor so I have cold butter to work with throughout the process. You can also use a cheese grater to shred your frozen butter if you don’t have a food processor.
- Cold buttermilk. To get that soft, buttery taste in every layer, you want to use a cold buttermilk in your dough. If you don’t have buttermilk, it’s easy to make your own at home. Simply add 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar for every cup of milk. For this recipe, you’d add 1 1/4 Tablespoons to your milk to make your own.
- Cool before cutting. I can’t stress enough how important it is to keep your butter cool while working with your dough. After the folding process, I like to let my dough cool in the fridge for 30 minutes before cutting it into biscuits. That way I have an extra defense against any potential pinching.
How to Make Flaky Homemade Biscuits
- Make dry mixture. In a large mixing bowl, combine your dry ingredients and whisk together well. Grate 2 sticks frozen unsalted butter and set 2 Tablespoons aside. Then add remaining butter to your flour mixture and combine gently with your hands until all your butter is slightly soft, and coated in your flour mixture.
- Add buttermilk. Pour cold buttermilk into your flour mixture in your large bowl. Stir it gently with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until loosely combined. You don’t want it fully incorporated because you still have to fold the dough.
- Fold dough. Place your dough on a lightly floured surface and work it into a 7 inch square, then press the dough into a 9×12 rectangle with a rolling pin. Fold in thirds, and roll into a 9×12 rectangle again. Repeat this process to create those flaky layers. Then, roll your dough into an 8.5 inch square and transfer it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Cut biscuits. Return your biscuit dough to a well-floured surface and cut them to your desired style. Remember not to twist or slide when cutting so they rise nice and even. Return to your baking sheet. Melt the remaining butter and brush your biscuits before sprinkling with coarse salt.
- Bake and enjoy. Bake your biscuits on the middle rack of your oven at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes in your oven, or until your homemade butter biscuits have risen and a nice, golden brown crust develops on top. This can take up to 20 minutes, depending on your oven.
More Baked Side Dish Recipes
Top these homemade biscuits with some honey butter for a sweet treat, or try some more of my tasty breads recipes at your next family cookout:
Recipe for Flaky Homemade Biscuit
Make this Flaky Homemade Biscuit recipe and then smother it in some rich sausage gravy for biscuits and gravy from scratch, or enjoy them all on their own. Download the Hey Grill Hey app where you can save all your favorite BBQ recipes, as well as create shopping lists and meal plans in seconds.
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Flaky Homemade Biscuits
Ingredients
- 3 cups high-protein flour
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter frozen and grated
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk cold
Instructions
- Make dry mixture. In a large mixing bowl, combine your dry ingredients and whisk together well. Grate frozen butter and set 2 Tablespoons aside. Add 14 Tablespoons butter to flour mixture and combine gently by hand until all butter is coated in flour mixture.3 cups high-protein flour, 2 Tablespoons sugar, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 cup unsalted butter
- Add buttermilk. Pour cold buttermilk into flour mixture and stir gently with rubber spatula until loosely combined.1 1/4 cups buttermilk
- Fold dough. Place dough on floured surface and work it into 7 inch square, then press the dough into a 9x12 rectangle with a rolling pin. Fold in thirds, and roll into a 9x12 rectangle again. Repeat this process 3-5 times, then roll into 8.5 inch square. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet and cool in fridge for 30 minutes.
- Cut biscuits. Cut round or square biscuits with a well-floured cutting tool and return to baking sheet. Melt remaining butter and brush melted butter onto biscuits, and sprinkle with flaky salt.
- Bake and enjoy. Place baking sheet on middle rack of oven and cook at Bake your biscuits on the middle rack of your oven at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes, or until the tops are a golden brown. Remove and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The best recipe for flaky biscuits. Enjoy.
Are you referring to ‘Bread Flour’ as high protein flour. Would like to try this.
Bread flour is a high protein flour, yes.