These Easy Homemade Biscuits made with all-purpose flour are flaky, fluffy, and wonderfully buttery. They’re made from scratch in about 30 minutes — perfect for brunch or breakfast.
If you want an even simpler version, try a no-roll, no-milk drop biscuit recipe that skips cutting and chilling.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How to Make Homemade Biscuits
- Serving Suggestions
- Expert Tips & Variations
- Recipe FAQs
- More Breakfast & Brunch Recipes
- Easy Homemade Biscuits Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Buttery: European-style butter gives the best flavor and tender texture.
- Soft: Plenty of fat in the dough keeps these biscuits tender and melt-in-your-mouth.
- Tall & flaky: Cutting and stacking the dough creates layers and height.
- Simple: Only a few pantry staples are required — no self-rising flour or shortening.
- Freezable: Freeze the shaped dough or the baked biscuits for easy make-ahead breakfasts.
- Versatile: Great for brunch, breakfast, or serving with savory or sweet toppings.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Granulated sugar: Can be used instead of brown sugar if needed.
- Kosher salt: Recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt. If using table salt, reduce the amount because it’s finer and saltier by volume.
- Buttermilk: Substitute whole milk plus 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice for each cup of buttermilk; the acid helps activate the leavening and adds tang.
Complete ingredient amounts are provided in the recipe card below.
How to Make Homemade Biscuits
Quick Overview
- Make the dough.
- Shape and cut the dough.
- Chill briefly.
- Bake until golden and enjoy warm.
Step-by-Step Instructions
There should be lots of butter chunks throughout the dough.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
Step 2: Cut 10 tablespoons cold, cubed European-style butter into the dry ingredients until pea-sized pieces remain. Use a pastry cutter, box grater, or pulse briefly in a food processor.
Step 3: Stir to distribute the butter evenly and make a well in the center of the mixture.
Step 4: Pour 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cold buttermilk into the well and gently fold until the dough just comes together. Avoid overmixing.
Step 5: Turn the dough out onto a clean, cold, lightly floured surface.
Step 6: Gently form into a rough rectangle.
The shape doesn’t have to be perfect — work quickly to keep the butter cold.
Step 7: Roll or press gently into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 5–6 pieces without pressing too hard.
Step 8: Stack the pieces and press the stack into a rectangle about 1.25 inches thick (this laminates the dough and creates layers).
Step 9: Cut into 8 rustic biscuits of similar size.
Step 10: Place the shaped biscuits on a plate or small baking sheet lined with parchment and freeze for 10–15 minutes.
Step 11: Transfer to a large baking sheet lined with parchment. Brush the tops with buttermilk and sprinkle flaky salt, if desired.
Step 12: Bake for 18–22 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these biscuits fresh from the oven with salted butter and jam. They’re also excellent in these ways:
- Topped with strawberry jam or apple curd.
- As a breakfast sandwich with eggs and bacon.
- Alongside an egg and sausage casserole for brunch.
- With soups or stews for lunch, such as lentil soup or chili.
Expert Tips & Variations
- Keep ingredients cold: Chill the butter and keep buttermilk cold until use.
- Flour the surface and hands: Prevents sticking and overworking the dough.
- Lamination: Cutting and stacking creates flaky layers.
- Be gentle: Use minimal pressure when shaping and cutting to avoid sealing edges.
- Avoid overworking: Warm hands will melt the butter and reduce rise; chill briefly if the dough gets warm.
- Cut into squares: Cutting the slab into squares reduces scraps compared with a round cutter.
- Freezing: Freeze shaped or baked biscuits. Par-freeze shaped biscuits on a sheet for 4–6 hours before bagging; bake from frozen, adding about 5 minutes to the bake time.
Recipe FAQs
Use cold butter and buttermilk, avoid overworking the dough, and create layers by cutting and stacking.
Butter gives superior flavor and a better texture for these biscuits.
Common types include rolled biscuits (this recipe), drop biscuits, scones, and shortcakes.
No—traditional biscuits typically do not include eggs.
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If you try this recipe, please leave a rating and comment in the recipe card below — feedback is appreciated.
Easy Homemade Biscuits
Equipment
- Baking sheets
- Mixing bowls
- Pastry cutter (or box grater/food processor)
- Rolling pin (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (325 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 Tablespoons (142 g) unsalted European-style butter, cubed and chilled
- 3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon cold buttermilk, plus more for brushing
- Flaky salt for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Cut chilled butter into the dry ingredients until pea-sized pieces remain. Alternatively, grate the butter or pulse in a food processor.
- Stir to distribute the butter, then make a well in the center.
- Pour cold buttermilk into the well and fold gently until the dough comes together. Do not overmix.
- Turn the dough onto a cold, lightly floured surface and shape into a rough rectangle.
- Roll or press the dough to about 1/4 inch thick and cut into 5–6 pieces. Don’t press down hard when cutting.
- Stack the pieces and press the stack to about 1.25 inches thick, then cut into 8 biscuits.
- Place biscuits on a parchment-lined plate or small sheet and freeze for 10–15 minutes.
- Transfer to a large parchment-lined baking sheet, brush tops with buttermilk, and sprinkle with flaky salt if desired.
- Bake 18–22 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm.
Notes
- Granulated sugar: Works as a substitute for brown sugar.
- Kosher salt: Recipes are tested with Morton; reduce if using table salt.
- Buttermilk substitute: Use whole milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice per cup.
- Cold ingredients: Keep butter and buttermilk chilled to maximize flakiness.
- Do not overwork: Overhandling warms the butter and reduces rise; chill if needed.
- Freeze: Par-freeze shaped biscuits before bagging; bake from frozen, adding about 5 minutes.