Tried and True Buttermilk Biscuits

To hear anyone in my family tell it, my great grandmother made the world’s best biscuits. Grandma Spencer, known to me simply as “grandma” was always in the kitchen, whipping up a meal for anyone that happened to step foot into her house. By the time I came along she was well into her nineties and still making sure nobody went hungry for even a minute.

Over the years my mom and I have talked about this often, how grandma inspired a love for cooking in both of us. My mom says grandma could whip meringue by hand like it was nothing, and I remember visiting her as a child where practically every meal she served was accompanied by a big white fluffy biscuit. And apple butter, don’t forget the apple butter!

About four years ago, I decided to take on the task of learning to bake the perfect biscuit myself, once and for all. I tried just about every recipe known to man – featuring ingredients like sour cream, crisco, cake flour, and even seltzer water.

It was ultimately the most simple combination of ingredients that won belle of the ball. Although I never got the chance to learn my great grandmother’s actual recipe (something tells me she knew her biscuits so well she didn’t have to measure anyway), I do know she used White Lily flour, a brand known far and wide in the south as the best, if not the only flour for making biscuits.

I’m not positive if White Lily is sold everywhere but do take a look at your grocery store and you might just find it! I have seen it online if you can’t find it in stock near you. You can also get away with using regular self-rising flour, I won’t tattle on you!

Now let’s get to the recipe!

Tried and True Buttermilk Biscuits

DifficultyEasy

Servingsabout 15 biscuits

Prep time30 minutes

Cook time15 minutes

Quick and easy buttermilk biscuits. Make these, and no matter where you’re from, you’ll be making a southern granny proud! Serve smothered with butter, jam, or sausage gravy.

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Ingredients

• 2 cups self-rising flour, preferably White Lily
• ½ cup salted butter, frozen
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 pinch salt

Instructions

• 1

  Preheat your oven to 425°F and add flour to a large mixing bowl, mix in the sugar (or honey) and salt. Carefully grate butter with a cheese grater or chop into small cubes.

• 2

  Stir butter into your flour mixture until butter is well coated in flour. Add in the buttermilk and stir until just combined, no more than 15 times. This sounds like an arbitrary number, but it keeps you honest and prevents you from over mixing. The dough will appear sticky and lumpy.

• 3

  To form the biscuits, flour a clean surface and pat or roll out the dough into a rectangle. Fold the dough in on itself about 5 times, alternating folds length and widthwise, patting or rolling flat in between. This folding will create flaky layers and help the biscuits rise. You will likely need to sprinkle more flour onto the dough or your hands throughout this process since the dough tends to be very sticky.

• 4

  Using a biscuit cutter, bench scraper, or jar, cut your biscuits into the desired size and shape. Apply a light layer of cooking spray to a sheet tray or cast iron skillet, and add the biscuits gently. The biscuits should be touching each other slightly as this helps them rise.

• 5

  Bake for 12-15 mins or until golden.

Notes

Grating the butter onto wax paper prevents it from sticking to a plate, or which ever surface you’re grating onto.

For extra flavor, lightly brush the tops of the biscuits with buttermilk before baking. You could also add melted butter and a sprinkle of salt or sugar.