Homemade Biscuits

These homemade biscuits are buttery, flaky, and made from scratch in just about 30 minutes. Perfect to serve for breakfast with butter and jam, and absolutely perfect with soups, stews, or slow cooked meals in winter.

Table of Content

• Why make these biscuits
• Ingredients and substitutes
• Step by step instructions
• Tips for making biscuits
• More breakfast recipes
• Frequently asked questions
• You may also like
• Printable Recipe
• Join the conversation

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In winter, almost every bowl of soup in our home goes with biscuits. These are classic biscuits, made with milk. But you can also make buttermilk biscuits, as well as with rosemary and cheddar cheese biscuits.

As kids, my mom often made scones for breakfast and I often make savory biscuits. The big difference is, biscuits use more butter so they are more buttery and flaky. While scones use other ingredients such as cream and eggs along with the butter. Scones are still buttery and rich but more like pastry rather than crumbly biscuits.

Why make these biscuits

• These are just as biscuits are supposed to be, buttery, flaky, and super crumbly that melt in your mouth.
• Plus, they are surprisingly simple and easy to make.
• This is a very forgiving recipe! In fact, the more crumbly the dough the flakier the biscuits will be.
• Also, you don't need any special equipment to make these. I am using a pastry blender but a fork would work just as well.
• And, they are really quick too. The dough itself takes just 10 minutes to prep and the biscuits take another 15 minutes to bake.

Ingredients and substitutes

• Flour - Although we add baking powder to the flour it is better to use all-purpose flour, not self-raising flour.
• Baking powder - It is important to use more baking powder and less baking soda. Since too much soda will give a dry aftertaste when eating. You can read more about baking powder vs baking soda.
• Butter - I prefer unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt. And, if salted butter is all you have, use it and omit salt in the recipe.
• Egg - Biscuits don't usually have eggs. But, I highly recommend an egg in this one. Having said that, you can omit the egg and use a little more milk instead.
• Sugar - Adds a mild sweetness to the biscuits. You can omit the sugar you can also use 1 tablespoon honey or agave syrup.

Step by step instructions

• Preheat the oven at 450°F / 230°C Gas Mark 8
• In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Then, add the chilled, cubed butter.
  Pro tip - It is very important that the butter is chilled thoroughly. If necessary, place the butter in the freeze for 10 minutes.

• Using a pastry blender or a fork, cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse bread crumb consistency.
  Pro tip - You can also grate the butter with a box grater. Alternatively, you can also use a food processor. Use short pulses and not too long instead transfer to the counter.
• Add the egg and combine but do not overmix. Then, add the milk and combine well with a spoon or spatula. The mixture will still appear dry and crumbly and that's ok. Bring the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly floured surface.
  Pro tip - Do not overmix mix as we do not want to activate the gluten in our dough.

• Using a rolling pin, lightly roll the dough. Fold the dough onto thirds, bringing the two sides over the center. Then, fold the top and bottom sides into the middle as well (see video). Just like closing a box!! Repeat this once more or twice more to create more folds.
  Pro tip - The butter must be cold at all times for the biscuits to be flaky. If necessary place it in the fridge for a few minutes.
• Finally, roll the dough again to about a ½ to ¾-inch thickness, and using a 3-inch cookie cutter cut about 6 to 8 biscuits.
  Pro tip - Gather the remaining dough, stack, and make more biscuits until you have used up all the dough.

• Place the biscuits on a parchment or silicone-lined baking tray. Brush the tops of each biscuit with milk.
• Bake for about 15 minutes until the top is lightly golden. Thicker biscuits may take up to 17 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool on the tray for 5 minutes.
• Serve warm.

Tips for making biscuits

• Make sure everything is cold. I like to use a cold stainless bowl to work in so my ingredients stay cold. I even place the ingredients in the fridge for a while 
• Make sure the butter is chilled. If necessary freeze the butter for 10 minutes.
• Similarly use cold milk - this will keep the butter cold as well
• Sifting the dry ingredients will make a lighter more airy biscuit.
• Make sure the baking powder and baking soda are fresh and not expired as these are very essential ingredients in this recipe
• If you have warm hands, use a pastry blender or fork. Try to use your hands less if possible. 
• If you find the butter is getting warm, stop and let it chill in the fridge for a while so it is cold at all times. 
• If you don't have buttermilk, make it yourself. Take one cup of milk and add ½ teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes. Then use as much as requested in the recipe. 
• Do not knead the dough. Gently press together to make a ball 
• The crumblier the mixture the flakier the biscuits will be. 
• When cutting the biscuits, use the cookie cutter in the top-down motion. Try not to twist the cutter. This will keep the layers open.
• Dust the cookie cutter with flour before each cut this will prevent the dough from sticking to the cutter.
• Dont' knead the leftover dough. Stack and cut. These may bake denser than the first batch.
• Bake in the hot oven. This will help the biscuits rise tall with wonderfully light and airy layers

More breakfast recipes

• Homemade Buttermilk in Five Minutes
• Buttermilk Pancakes
• Recipe for Pumpkin Waffles
• Brioche French Toast
• Easiest Homemade French Toast
• Heart French Toast

Frequently asked questions

You may also like

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