Big Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits
Published: October 16, 2022 · Modified June 30, 2024 by Cindy Gibbs
These Big and Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits will literally melt in your mouth and they are super easy to make. They don’t have flaky layers, they’re simply soft, fluffy, and delicious!
I can’t think of anything better than a batch of hot buttermilk biscuits right out of the oven. Can you? These biscuits are so easy and melt in your mouth good… you’ll be making them often!
Are you a fan of biscuits with flaky layers or big soft and fluffy biscuits with no layers? Or both? I personally love all biscuits, but the reason I especially love these big fluffy buttermilk biscuits is because they’re so versatile. If I’m pouring gravy over my biscuit I really don’t want flaky layers…I want a big fluffy biscuit. On the other hand if I’m wanting to slather my biscuit with butter and jam, then I can go for fluffy or flaky layers. If I’m sandwiching a big piece of country ham between two halves…well…I want a big fluffy biscuit.
If you’re a fan of flaky layers you might check out my recipe for Tender & Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits. They are yummy too. Oh, and just in case your mouth is watering right now, check out my recipe for Country Fried Apples. They are SO good on these biscuits!
This recipe starts with both butter and buttermilk
Butter & buttermilk – This recipe starts with butter & buttermilk, and they aren’t used in the way you would expect. Most biscuit recipes will call for cold butter, but not this one. You will start by melting 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter and adding it to one cup + 1 tablespoon of cold full-fat buttermilk. Then you will place the mixture in the freezer for 15 minutes or so while you preheat the oven. The mixture will look like clabbered or curdled milk and that’s what you want.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a small iron skillet and set aside. You can also use a round cake pan.
How to make big fluffy buttermilk biscuits
Prepping the dough
- Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix well. Make a well in the center of the flour. Pour the buttermilk/butter mixture into the center.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently mix the flour and buttermilk until combined and shaggy looking. The dough should be slightly wet, and it should pull away from the sides of the bowl when mixing.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface.
- Lightly knead the dough about 3 to 4 times.
- Using your hands, pat the dough out to a thickness of 3/4 to 1-inch. Using a a 2.5 inch biscuit cutter, cut out the biscuits, making sure to not twist the cutter. Cut straight down and straight up.
- You want thick biscuits. Don’t make them 1/2-inch in thickness. They won’t rise as much and you’ll be disappointed. Make sure they are at least 3/4 inch in thickness and up to 1-inch.
- Place the biscuits, sides touching, in the greased iron skillet or cake pan. If you use a 2 1/2-inch cutter and make them 3/4-inch thick, you should get 7 biscuits.
Pro tips for making these biscuits
- Measure your flour correctly: Use the spoon and level method. Flour gets compacted in a container or in the bag. Use a fork to lightly aerate the flour, then use a spoon to scoop up the flour and transfer it to your measuring cup. Then use a knife edge to level it off.
- Don’t over brown the bottoms of your biscuits: If you don’t want your biscuits to over brown on the bottom, then don’t use butter to grease your pan or skillet. Use solid Crisco shortening. If you don’t have solid shortening then use liquid canola or vegetable oil. Butter over browns the bottoms before the tops get done.
- Place biscuits with sides touching: If you want tall biscuits and biscuits that are soft on all sides, then place them touching in the skillet. I recommend using an iron skillet or round cake pan for this recipe. If you use a cookie sheet there will be lots of extra room left on the cookie sheet and that last row of biscuits won’t be snuggled up against other biscuits to help them rise tall and be soft on the one side.
- Don’t over work the dough: Lightly knead the dough by picking up one end and folding it over onto the other half. Use lightly floured hands. Do this 3 to 4 times making sure the dough is not too wet. I use just enough flour on my hands to keep the dough from being too wet to handle, but you don’t want dry either. After you knead it lightly, simply use a floured hand to pat the dough out to the thickness you want. I like fat biscuits, so I pat my dough out to 3/4 – 1-inch in thickness. See the pictures above.
- Don’t use expired flour, baking powder or baking soda: When using self-rising flour, check the expiration date on the bag. SR flour contains baking powder and baking soda. Neither of them have a very long shelf life. If you don’t bake often, chances are your BP & BS are expired. Click here to see how to test BP & BS for freshness.
Once the biscuits come out of the oven brush the tops with melted butter and serve.
What if I don’t have buttermilk?
If you don’t have buttermilk readily available you can make a buttermilk substitute by combining 2 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice with 1 cup of milk. Allow it to set for 5 minutes or until it looks curdled.
More recipes you might like…
Soft & Fluffy Cream Cheese Biscuits
Buttermilk Butter Dip Biscuits
Soft & Tender Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
Sweet Blueberry Biscuits with Lemon Glaze
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Big Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 to 25 minutes
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 7 biscuits 1x
- Category: bread/breakfast
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
These big fluffy buttermilk biscuits will simply melt in your mouth and they’re so versatile, whether you’re slathering them with jam or pouring gravy over them. They are delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon full-fat buttermilk, cold
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 cups self-rising flour, spoon & leveled
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons sugar, (optional)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Melt the butter. Add the butter to the cold buttermilk and mix the two together. The buttermilk will look sort of clabbered but that’s okay. Place the buttermilk mixture in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Meantime, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease an iron skillet and set aside.
- Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix well. Make a well in the center of the flour. Pour the buttermilk/butter mixture into the center. Using a rubber spatula, gently mix the flour and buttermilk until combined and shaggy looking. The dough should be slightly wet, and it should pull away from the sides of the bowl when mixing.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Lightly knead the dough about 3 to 4 times
- Using your hands, pat the dough out to a thickness of about 3/4 to 1-inch. Using a a 2.5 inch biscuit cutter, cut out the biscuits, making sure to not twist the cutter. Cut straight down back up.
- Place the biscuits sides touching in the greased skillet. Bake until the biscuits are golden brown on top, about 22 to 25 minutes and remove from oven.
- Brush melted butter on the tops.
Notes
- If you don’t have self-rising flour you can substitute 2 cups of AP flour, plus 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
This is the biscuit recipe I have been looking for years! Thank you so much! I made them this morning for biscuits and gravy for breakfast and they were absolutely the best biscuits I’ve ever made. And I’ve been making biscuits for 45 years!
Hi Mary, Yay…I’m so glad you liked them. 🙂
What might you use if you don’t have an iron skillet?
I would think a fool-lined baking tray (with a nonstick element added like oil or spray) would produce similar results for the bottom of the biscuits. Because of the way the biscuits will grow as they’re cooking, they won’t look like these photos (every side touching something). Instead, where the biscuits are touching each other, if placed together in the middle of the baking tray, they will produce a taller result than the biscuits around the perimeter. Another option is to arrange them in a circle/wreath pattern (what I’ve done when I’m too lazy to clean a cast iron pan afterwards).
*foil-lined
I literally make these weekly and tell everyone I know that they’re the best biscuits I’ve ever had. My husband says they’re better than KFC . I was tired of all the crap ingredients I. The canned biscuits and I’m SO glad I found this recipe!!
My kids looooove them for breakfast.
Hi Lori, I’m so glad your family loves them. I make them at least once a week. I’m with you on the canned biscuits. Happy Baking! 🙂
Have you ever tried to freeze these? I’m thinking about making a double batch for a quick breakfast with school starting back this week. Thanks!
Hi Lori, No I haven’t. Are talking about baking them and then freezing them? You can freeze the unbaked ones. If you freeze the baked ones, I suggest warming them in the oven, not the microwave.
Either way! Sounds like you think it would be best to freeze them unbaked so I’ll give it a try. We absolutely LOVE these.
is the extra 2 tablespoons of butter for brushing on top or to add to the buttermilk?
Hi Pat, Yes, it is. It’s in the last step of the instructions. I hope you love these biscuits! 🙂
Hello Cindy! My name is Marquis. My daughter found your recipe and asked me to make them. I have been making biscuits for a number of years and these are by far the best I have ever made and will continue to make! Thank you for posting this! We loved them. My daughter is pregnant and she said this was the best biscuit she has ever had!
Hi Marquis, I’m thrilled that your daughter loved them. Since she’s pregnant, she needs many more. Ha!
Thank you for this recipe. These biscuits turned out perfect. I like fluffy biscuits and wanted to make them for sausage. Gravy. I did not change anything to the recipe. It worked out perfectly!
Hi Ruth, I’m so glad you liked them. Yes…they are my favorite for gravy.
My name is Patricia,
I live in Northern California. I cannot find full fat buttermilk here. What can be added to low fat buttermilk to make it full fat?
You can use low fat. It just won’t be as buttery. I suggest melting a small amount of real butter and adding it to the buttermilk.
Hi Cindy – Does this method have a name? I have never seen this method for making biscuits before, I am only familiar with more traditional lamination.
Been making these for my boys for weeks! They are the best biscuits I’ve ever made!
Hi Kelsey, I guess you would call this method non-laminated. I wanted a big fluffy biscuit without layers for this particular recipe, so the dough does not get folded over/laminated. I’m glad your boys like them. I’d love it if you would rate the recipe! Happy baking! 🙂
I have looked for and tried so many different biscuit recipes that was fluffy and didn’t require cutting in butter. When I made these, my husband and I said this was the one to use forever. We can’t stand a dry, dense biscuit. This one had a wonderful crust top and the pillowy inside that melts in your mouth and was the perfect biscuit ever. I changed nothing in your recipe. I didn’t have a cast iron pan though, so used a ceramic baking dish and it came out perfect with a nice brown crust on top and bottom. I just now made another batch, but am freezing the unbaked biscuits. My question is do I cook from frozen or do I thaw first?
Hi Kay, You can place them straight from the freezer to the oven. However, they will probably be a little fluffier if you allow them to thaw a few minutes.