Easy Homemade Biscuits

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

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin

Course: Bread, Breakfast, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: biscuits, flaky biscuits, homemade biscuits

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: Biscuits

Calories: 292kcal

Author: Veena Azmanov

Cost: $10

Equipment

Ingredients

2 cups All-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp Baking powder
½ tsp Baking soda
½ tsp Salt
1 tbsp Sugar
6 tbsp Butter (3 oz) unsalted, chilled, cubed
1 Egg
¾ cup Milk

Metric - US customary

Instructions

Preheat the oven at 420 F / 220 C
In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar
Then add the chilled, cubed butter.
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 fork cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse bread crumb consistency.
Tip - you can also grate the butter with a box grater. Alternatively, you can also use a food processor. Use short pulses and don't do too much in the processor. Finish it on the countertop.
Add the egg and combine well.
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.
Using a rolling pin, lightly roll the dough. Fold the dough onto itself bringing the two sides over the center, then the top and bottom sides into the middle as well. (see video)
Do this once more or twice more to create more folds.
Then 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.
Place the biscuits on a parchment or silicone-lined baking tray. Brush the tops of each biscuit with milk
Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes until the top is lightly golden. The thicker ones may take up to 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven, cool on the tray for 5 minutes.
Serve warm

Video

Notes

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.
Sifting the dry ingredients will make a lighter more airy biscuit.
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.
Use only enough liquid to bring all the dough into a ball.
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.
Dont' knead the leftover dough. Stack and cut. These may bake denser than the first batch.

Freeze or Make-Ahead biscuits

These baked biscuits can be frozen for up to 3 months if well wrapped in freeze safe bags. Thaw in the fridge (not counter) for best results.
Biscuit dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days.
The dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months as well. Prepare the dough as above. Shape into a disc, then wrap well in plastic wrap.

Nutrition