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
- 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
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.
Cookie B.
These biscuits were absolutely amazing!!!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed, Cookie! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Jasmine
I make these all the time now. Super fast, and delicious. I just made them today (they’re in the oven) in fact. And I forgot to cut in the butter before I added the milk (rushing). Everything came together just fine though. I dig that the recipe is so forgiving. Thanks for a great recipe.
Sam
I’m so happy to hear the biscuits turned out so well, Jasmine! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Joy
I FINALLY have biscuits that RISE and are fluffy! This will be my Go To recipe from now on!!!!
Sam
Yay! So glad you enjoyed, Joy! 🙂
Candace Hisert
My husband thinks you are a genius. I made drop biscuits. My spouse ate two. I had one large one. No butter was necessary.
I will never buy regrigerator biscuits or use a mix again.
Question: couldn’t I cut in the butter in a food processor? I make pie crust that way.
Sam
Hi Candace! So glad you enjoyed the biscuits!! Yes, you can definitely use a food processor (I make my pie crust this way, too!). Enjoy 🙂
Joyce
Hi, first time attempting to make biscuits, not an experienced baker. If using the food processor to cut the butter, can I also add the milk, mix with food processor and transfer directly there to my floured work surface? I see a lot of food network chefs making biscuit dough from start to finish in a food processor and wanted to make sure your recipe would work the same. I’m wanting to make them tonight with fried chicken. Thanks!
Sam
Hi Joyce! If you use your food processor to grate the butter, you can certainly add the milk and flour right in with the other ingredients in the food processor. Just make sure that butter doesn’t get over-worked and stays nice and cold. It’s vital here. 🙂
PS
Could I substitute in buttermilk for the milk? Any change in amount?
Sam
Yes you can, and no change. Enjoy!
Terry
Your biscuit recipe was a wet mess. 3/4 cup was far too much liquid for just 2 cups of flour. I will not be using this recipe again. Just to be clear, I am under no high altitude or weather conditions that would affect the dough, it is sadly just a poor recipe. Unfortunately, I did not search other recipes before selecting yours. No bueno!
Sam
Hi Terry, my recipe has hundreds of five star ratings and has even been picked up and used by professional chefs in their restaurants because it’s been so well-loved. I actually think you might be the first ever one star rating here. I would love to help troubleshoot if possible and I hate to sound defensive, but if I’m being honest I think something must’ve gone wrong in the kitchen (we all have those days so I completely get it!). I encourage you to give it another shot, and best wishes!
Josh
The ratio of wet to dry ingredients is close to perfect. Sounds like operator error to me, Terry.
Nissi Peters
Bro I understand that the recipe didn’t work out for you but you don’t have to be so rude.☹️
Cheyenne
I only have self rising flour on hand can I use that?
Sam
I’m sorry but I don’t recommend it, the outcome would not be the same.
Charmaine
I’ve made these biscuits several times. They are delicious! I’ve made other recipes in the past, but did not get the results I wanted. Your tips really helped me. Thank you.
Sam
I’m so glad to hear the tips were helpful and the biscuits were such a success, Charmaine! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Aria
These are in the oven now!! First time making biscuits… will update!!!
Sam
I hope you loved them, Aria! 🙂
Savannah
I only have fat free milk. Is there anything I can do to sub the whole milk for fat free milk? Like add another ingredient or something? Or will the fat free milk be okay to sub in without any additions?
Savannah
I used the skim milk based on what I read on another site and it seemed to turn out well. Thanks for sharing this recipe! Demonstrating the laminating technique in the video made it especially easy to execute the recipe so that the layers turned out beautifully. I look forward to trying out some other recipes of yours.
Sam
I am so glad it turned out for you. Thank you so much for your feedback. I hope you love everything you try. 🙂
Sam
Hi Savannah! I haven’t tried it with fat free milk. I have had others reporting that they have done it with success. I would worry about them being a little more dry than they are supposed to be. 🙂
Joselle
Amazing
Lora
How well would this recipe work with a whole grain flour mixture?
Sam
Hi Lora! It might make them a little tough. If you try it, let me know how it goes. 🙂
Kim W.
Awesome recipe-watch the video for important steps. My oven needed to bake 13-14 minutes, so check after 12 min.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the biscuits, Kim! 🙂
Patty
My husband and I really enjoyed these biscuits. Yum, yum, yum! The recipe was easy to follow and the video is very helpful. It is now my go-to recipe to share with guests. Thanks again!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed the biscuits, Patty! 🙂
LakitaM
Made these biscuits this morning just added butter and honey on top to glaze for my family they loved them will keep this recipe saved to my phone ..
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed the biscuits. 🙂