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.
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
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.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon salt
- 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.6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 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).¾ cup whole milk¹
- 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
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Penny likes to supervise the photography process. Fortunately, this setup got her vote of approval.
Molly
Can you make the dough and cut out the biscuits the day before (store in fridge) and bake the next morning?
Also, if freezing them. How do you adjust the cooking time? Thanks!!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Molly! Yes, you can make the dough, cut it, wrap it well and store in the fridge to bake in the morning. As far as freezing it… You can freeze and bake the uncooked dough, or reheat the precooked biscuits. As far as timing, that I am not certain about it so I recommend just keeping an eye on it. I hope that you enjoy the biscuits. 🙂
Phyllis
Very good a little salty
Kaitlyn
If I want to add scallions and cheddar would
I need to increase the amount of milk? Can’t wait to try these out!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Kaitlyn! You shouldn’t have to, you should be fine to add. I also have a garlic cheese drop biscuit that you may also enjoy. 🙂
Carolina Quintero
Amazing recipe!!!! First time trying to make them and they came out delicious!!! Suuuuuper flaky!!! I love them!!! Will eat the whole batch!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you LOVED them, Carolina! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Lacey
First time making biscuits and they were fantastic. The recipe was easy and the end result was well received! Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that they were such a hit, Lacey! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Melinda Brenner
Awesome biscuits! I can’t believe I made them. Not only delicious but beautimous!! I wish I could post a photo. Thanks for the recipe.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that they turned out picture perfect and you enjoyed them, Melinda! If you wish to share photos you can do so on my Facebook Bakers Club or by tagging me on Instagram @sugarspun_sam. Thanks for trying my recipe. Enjoy! 🙂
Sea
I Always make this as is (delicious &simple) but I finally Made them vegan and use cold canned coconut milk W/ same portions came out delicious. A little less (usually get 11 small biscuit) but I got 9 Biscuits Slightly more dense but “flakier” might add a little almond milk next time to the coconut milk. I use the mouth of a small mason jar to cut out the biscuits. Emmy family likes them smaller as it’s very fluffy and bready. Reminds me of Lucilles biscuits
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you have enjoyed this recipe and it was easy to convert to a vegan, Sea! Thank you so much for sharing what worked well for you. 🙂
Lacey
Love these biscuits so much that I’ve stopped buying store bought ones! Wondering if I could make a large batch of the dry ingredients to store and then just add butter and milk to a certain amount of the dry mix?? Think that’d work?
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Lacey! I am so glad that you have enjoyed this recipe. I have never had anyone try storing dry ingredients and then adding wet ingredients later. If you properly portioned them out correctly, this could work. Having not tried it myself I don’t have any recommendations that I could share. You can make the biscuit dough in advance, cut them and store them in the freezer and bake them as needed. Others have also baked the biscuits and frozen those as well. 🙂
Mrs.R. Hancock
Did followed the steps they came out soft, flaky and family liked them. I will definitely make them again. Thank you for the easy to follow recipe. 🤗
Sugar Spun Run
I am happy to hear that your family enjoyed them. Thank you for trying my recipe. 🙂
Veronica
No more canned biscuits for me!!!!
Sugar Spun Run
Hooray!!! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe, Veronica! 🙂
Jon Cartus
Top notch biscuits! The family loved them.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear that everyone enjoyed them, Jon! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Jaritza Mejia
Eh, to much baking powder for me. I did enjoy the taste but they were easy to make, they looked good and felt amazing. Just the baking powder taste was overwhelming for me.
Sugar Spun Run
The biscuits should not have a strong baking powder taste, I wonder if your baking powder could be old or was not stored properly. Regardless, I am happy that you enjoyed them overall, Jaritza. Thanks for commenting. I appreciate the feedback. 🙂
Stephanie
Try aluminum-free baking powder next time! It truly does make a difference. Your biscuits won’t taste like a hubcap 😆
Jaritza Mejia
Lol I figured it out! I used baking soda! A whole tablespoon of it! Lol!
I fixed it and they came out great!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear that you found the mistake and the second batch turned out so much better. Thanks for sharing, Jaritza. Enjoy! 🙂
Lydia
Wow these were delicious! I’ve really gotten into baking with all this extra free time, and this was one of my favorite recipes so far! Simple yet so tasty, I know I’ll be making these again soon.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed them and they turned out perfectly for you, Lydia! Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. I am excited to see what recipe you try next! 🙂
Lori
These taste very bland. Family didn’t like
Sugar Spun Run
I am really sorry to hear that, Lori! Thanks for your feedback.
Jaritza Mejia
Add more salt
Joni D Purcell
Mine came out great! Thank you. In my next batch I put some vanilla, orange zest and squeezed the juice of the orange in it!
Very scone like! Yummy!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Joni. If you are a fan of scones, I have a recipe for that as well that you may want to try next. 🙂
Ms.Iris Tillie Sam-Laing
well little lady! This is going to be my very first attempt at baking these biscuits at the request of my boyfriend who is (I guess a little homesick) So here goes. I’m confident in my capabilities as long as you are a just as confident teacher in only as good as you teach me!
Sugar Spun Run
I hope that they turn out perfectly for you! 🙂
CJ
Best Biscuits Recipe Ever!
Perfect, just Perfect!!!!
Thanks for sharing
Going to make these for now on.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you now have a new go-to recipe, CJ, and that you loved them! Thanks for commenting. Enjoy! 🙂
Evita Lopez
I was really nervous about making these biscuits because I’ve never made homemade ones before but I gave a try and after following all the tips they came out perfect.
Sugar Spun Run
Congrats on your first attempt, Evita! I am so glad that they turned out perfectly and you enjoyed them! Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂