Buttery, soft, and made completely from scratch, this easy homemade biscuit recipe deserves a permanent place in your recipe repertoire. This recipe is made with all butter, no shortening!
With just 6 ingredients that I bet you already have on hand, these homemade biscuits are so simple to make and I’ve included plenty of tips (and a video!) to make sure you end up with perfect biscuits every single time.
Two reasons I’m super excited to share this homemade biscuit recipe with you today:
One: because homemade biscuits are delicious (obviously) and they’re so easy to make. So many people buy the canned version without realizing that they already have all of the ingredients to make them from scratch in their pantry.
The taste of a pre-made biscuit doesn’t hold a candle to a homemade biscuit. Not. even. close. Preservatives and artificial flavors, you aren’t welcome here.
Two: because ever since I started working on this biscuit recipe a few weeks ago, “Mind Your Own Biscuits” by Kacey Musgraves has been stuck in my head and I’ve been singing it off-key relentlessly.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Kacey Musgraves and her music, but every time I start singing my dog starts actually crying. It’s sad and hilarious, and if I wasn’t so embarrassed by my terrible singing voice I would have shared a video of it by now. Hopefully, by publishing this recipe I’ll release myself from the endless refrain and the animal abuse will finally stop.
But let’s talk more about the first reason.
Homemade biscuits call for just six ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, butter, and milk. And then more butter once they’re finished baking because of course we need more butter.
I mentioned that these biscuits are easy so do not be alarmed by all the tips that I have for you below. These biscuits are easy, but technique matters and I want to arm you with all the information that you need so that you can make these easily and have them come out perfectly the very first time.
The tips are simple but important, and while some more seasoned bakers already know them, I want to give everyone an even playing field.
Tips for Making Homemade Biscuits
- The butter and milk for this recipe need to be as cold as possible for fluffy and soft biscuits. I freeze my butter before using it and recommend keeping the milk in the refrigerator right up until it’s time to add it to the dry ingredients.
- Don’t overwork the dough! Keep in mind that you want your butter to stay as cold as possible when making these biscuits, and the more you have your hands on the dough the softer the butter will become. Definitely don’t use an electric mixer for this recipe.
- We’re going to do a little bit of laminating. This means folding the dough over itself multiple times (5-6 times here) to encourage flaky layers in our biscuits. You can watch the video below to see exactly how this is done.
- Don’t use a rolling pin, use your hands to gently work the dough into a flat rectangle before cutting out your biscuits.
- Don’t be afraid to add flour to the dough if it’s too sticky while you are handling it (and make sure to work on a lightly floured surface).
Visual clue: If you look at the pre-baked biscuit below, you’ll see that you can actually see the butter pieces in the dough. This is what you want, the ingredients won’t be well-combined like with a cookie dough and seeing bits of butter means you’ve actually done everything right here. Hooray!
A Few Notes on Butter in Homemade Biscuits
The butter is possibly the most important part of this recipe, and the way you handle it can make or break your homemade biscuits.
While you can certainly use a pastry cutter to cut your butter into the dry ingredients, I recommend freezing your butter for about 30 minutes before beginning. Then, use a box grater to grate the butter before combining this in with your dry ingredients.
I use this technique in my scone recipes and highly recommend it with these biscuits, too. Not only is it much easier than using a pastry cutter, but it does a great job of finely shredding and distributing the butter throughout the mixture without overworking the butter (remember, you want to manage the butter as little as possible so that it’s as cold as possible when going into the oven).
Alternatively you could also use a food processor (like I do with my pie crust recipe), but it’s just so easy to grate in the butter that I always use this method instead.
And yes, I do recommend using unsalted butter in this recipe and then adding salt. If you want to know more about why I write my recipes this way, you can read all about it (and an easy substitution if you only have salted butter on hand) in this post that I wrote about salted vs unsalted butter.
I know I’ve mentioned to you guys a few times that I’ve been working on a baking contest/challenge/I’m really not sure what to call it, but I’m planning a post where I encourage all of you to bake along with me. The goal is to get people baking recipes they may have not tried before, and I’m encouraging everyone to share their results for a chance to win a small prize.
Well, today’s homemade biscuit recipe is essentially the base for the baking challenge that I’ll be sharing in exactly one week, so take this as a hint that making today’s recipe is a great way to get a jump start for the challenge!
To make sure you’re among the first to be notified of all new recipes and baking challenges, make sure you’re subscribed to my e-mail list. It’s free, and you get a free e-book of 8 of my favorite cookie recipes.
Treat yourself to a FREE E-BOOK!
Enjoy!
How to Make Homemade Biscuits
I know I talked a lot in this video, but I really feel that the tips are so important, and will help ensure your biscuits come out perfectly!
Homemade Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter very cold (85g), unsalted European butter is ideal, but not required
- ¾ cup whole milk¹ (177ml) buttermilk or 2% milk will also work
Recommended Equipment
- Biscuit cutter
Instructions
- For best results, chill your butter in the freezer for 10-20 minutes before beginning this recipe. It's ideal that the butter is very cold for light, flaky, buttery biscuits.
- Preheat oven to 425F and line a cookie sheet with nonstick parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Set aside.
- Remove your butter from the refrigerator and either cut it into your flour mixture using a pastry cutter or (preferred) use a box grater to shred the butter into small pieces and then add to the flour mixture and stir.
- Cut the butter or combine the grated butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add milk, use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir until combined (don't over-work the dough).
- Transfer your biscuit dough to a well-floured surface and use your hands to gently work the dough together. If the dough is too sticky, add flour until it is manageable.
- Once the dough is cohesive, fold in half over itself and use your hands to gently flatten layers together. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and fold in half again, repeating this step 5-6 times but taking care to not overwork the dough.
- Use your hands (do not use a rolling pin) to flatten the dough to 1" thick and lightly dust a 2 ¾" round biscuit cutter with flour.
- Making close cuts, press the biscuit cutter straight down into the dough and drop the biscuit onto your prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat until you have gotten as many biscuits as possible and place less than ½" apart on baking sheet.
- Once you have gotten as many biscuits as possible out of the dough, gently re-work the dough to get out another biscuit or two until you have at least 6 biscuits.
- Bake on 425F for 12 minutes or until tops are beginning to just turn lightly golden brown.
- If desired, brush with melted salted butter immediately after removing from oven. Serve warm and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Penny likes to supervise the photography process. Fortunately, this setup got her vote of approval.
Judy Lewis
Can you make them the night before and put in oven in the morning right out of the frig?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Judy! Yes, that will be fine. I reccomend keeping them covered/wrapped so they stay fresh. I hope that you enjoy them! 🙂
Bridget
These are really good and my husband loved them which makes them a definite keeper. It’s nice to have an alternative to potatoes rice pasta. These are pretty sweet so if you are using them for a dessert the recipe is perfect. I like salty biscuits so I did put a little A little sea salt on top with. I used 2% milk, (all I had) and they came out perfect, not dry at all.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that they were a hit, Bridget! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Ellen
Is a non dairy milk acceptable? I have some black currants and I’m looking for a good bread/biscuit option to use them for!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Ellen! I have not tried this recipe using non-dairy milk so I am not certain how it will do. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out. 🙂
Ellen
I made them today with almond milk and they were a hit! I’m excited to continue making them!
Shelby
Hi! I just made these with oat milk. Still used dairy butter, but they turned out amazing!!
Sharon
Great recipe they were moist, flaky and delicious! I was low on all purpose flour and whole milk so I substituted with self-rising flour and buttermilk. The recipe was easy to follow and now I have a go to for really good biscuit dough. Homemade biscuits were a big hit at dinner.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that your family enjoyed them, Sharon! Thank you for trying my recipe. 🙂
Sarah
I made this with my daughter today and they were flaky and delicious! I liked how the recipe was easy to follow and that there was a video to help guide the way!! My family loved them for dinner and now wants them for breakfast!! Thanks again! I will definitely check out the rest of your recipes as well!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that your family enjoyed them, Sarah! I am happy your found the instructions easy to follow and the video helpful. Thank you for commenting. I can’t wait to hear what recipe you try next! 🙂
Kendra
I only have regular butter. Will that work?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Kendra! Yes, salted butter will work fine. You will just want to omit the additional salt listed. Happy Baking! 🙂
Taylor
hello, just wondering since i wanted to make these with dinner tonight, if it was ok to make the dough and then chill it in the fridge for a few hours so it is easier to make dinner faster without stress? Thank you.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Taylor! Yes, absolutely! I would just keep them well wrapped or covered. 🙂
Nicola
Made a glutenous batch and a GF batch. I didn’t taste the regular batch but the kids and my husband tore through them. The GF ones were absolutely scrumptious! (GF Alternations: I used Bobs Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking flour, 1 cup of milk and baked for 13 mins).
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for trying my recipe, Nicola! I am glad that both batches were a hit and happy that the gluten-free flour worked perfectly for you. I appreciate your feedback and for sharing your GF baking tips. 🙂
Caroline
Couldn’t find my grandma’s recipe so looked it up and found yours – perfect! Thank you – comfort food in these times – going to make your no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies next! It popped up while I was making the cookies another comfort cookie- learned to make in Girl Scouts so long ago!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you came across my site and enjoyed the biscuits, Caroline! I can’t wait to hear what you think of the no-bake cookies next. Thanks for commenting. Enjoy and happy baking. 🙂
Sage
Made these this morning! I’m always trying different biscuit recipes. My husband told me to only use this one from now on. I think that’s a sign they were good. ☺️
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that they were “husband approved”, Sage, and were enjoyed. Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂
Sheila
Family absolutely loved these! I only had 2% milk and it worked beautifully! But I will have to try this again with whole milk. Grating the frozen butter with a box grater worked like a charm. This will become part of our family rotation. Thank you for this great recipe.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that this recipe has become a family favorite, Sheila! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Ammara Alvi
I made them yesterday, used whole wheat all purpose flour. Turned out so soft & delicious ❤ thanx!!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Ammara! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
John
Not a baker, tried these this morning & they worked out perfectly. Excellent recipe. Very easy. Thx
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that they turned out perfectly for you, John and you found the recipe easy to follow. Thank you so much for commenting. 🙂
Karen Festerman
Looks like something I can get done without to much trouble. I dont bake generally but I feel the need to start. I think I will try these tonight.. I will let you know how they turn out.. Thx for the easy directions…
Sugar Spun Run
I am excited to see what you think of this recipe, Karen! I hope that they turn out perfectly for you! 🙂
April Johns
Great, thank you for sharing!
Sugar Spun Run
Enjoy, April! 🙂
Stacey Estornel
These were so delicious!! Made them with my 4 year old who was so excited, and both my boys are eating them up as I’m writing! We live in Gran Canaria, an island south of Spain, and during these difficult times it’s an opportunity to cook with our children and it’s great to find simple, to the point recipes that bring joy to our families! Will be looking at your vanilla cake recipe, cookie recipes etc as well! Thank you and best wishes!
Sugar Spun Run
I love that you have chosen this time to bake with your children, Stacey and that you all had fun doing it together. Thank you for trying my recipe. I am glad they were such a hit. I can’t wait to see what you bake next. 🙂