Easy Fluffy Homemade Biscuits
- PREP 15min
- COOK 15min
- TOTAL 30min
These are the most tender and fluffy biscuits from scratch we’ve ever made. These baking powder biscuits are big, tall, tender, and delicious. Our preferred method is to get out the food processor. It’s an excellent tool for cutting the cold butter into our flour mixture since it’s quick. If you don’t feel like getting your food processor out, you can use your hands or a pastry cutter to work the butter into the flour (tips are provided below). Our family loves these with homemade honey butter or this easy sausage gravy.
You Will Need
2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
5 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder, leveled
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 tablespoons (85 g) cold butter
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (210 ml) whole milk or well-shaken buttermilk
Directions
1Heat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Set aside an oven-safe 10-inch or 12-inch skillet, preferably a cast-iron skillet. If you do not have a skillet, a standard rimmed baking sheet will work.
2In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Pulse three to four times to mix.
3Cut the cold butter into small cubes or thin slices and scatter them evenly over the flour mixture. Pulse 5 to 7 times, just until the butter is broken down into tiny, distinct bits resembling coarse meal with a few pea-sized pieces remaining—see our photos and video for reference.
4Transfer to a large bowl. Make a well in the middle, then pour in the milk and stir gently with a fork or spatula just until a cohesive, shaggy dough forms and the flour is mostly hydrated.
5Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle a bit of additional flour over the top, and gently bring the dough together with your hands. If the dough feels overly sticky, dust it with an additional tablespoon of flour as needed.
6Without overworking the dough, gently pat it into a rough rectangle about ¾ inch thick. Fold the dough into thirds, bringing one short side over the center, then folding the opposite side over it like a letter. Rotate the dough 90 degrees. Repeat this patting and folding process two more times to create multiple flaky layers.
7Pat the dough down a final time into a rectangle between ½ and ¾ inch thick. Press a 3-inch round biscuit cutter straight down into the dough and lift it cleanly away. Do not twist the cutter (twisting pinches the edges of the dough together, sealing the pockets of fat and preventing the biscuits from rising properly).
8Place the biscuits in the prepared skillet (or on the baking sheet), arranging them close together to help them rise higher. Gently press the scraps together and use them to make more biscuits, but be careful not to overwork the dough, or the biscuits will be tough.
9Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the tops are deeply golden brown and the biscuits have risen tall. Serve warm from the oven.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- No Food Processor: Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl, and use your hands or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture is crumbly. If your butter is softening too much or your kitchen is warm, place the bowl with flour and butter into the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes before adding the milk.
- Measuring Flour: Too much flour makes these dense. Use a digital scale or the spoon-and-level method: fluff the flour in its container, gently spoon it into the measuring cup until slightly mounded, and sweep the top flat with a knife.
- Salt: We use salted European butter in this recipe and enjoy its extra saltiness, but you can reduce the salt to ¾ teaspoon if you prefer.
- Baking Powder: Choose an aluminum-free brand, such as Rumford or Bob’s Red Mill, to prevent a metallic aftertaste. Level the measuring spoon against a flat edge for the perfect amount.
- Self-Rising Flour: Use 1 ½ cups (195 g) of self-rising flour. Then reduce the baking powder to 2 teaspoons and the salt to ½ teaspoon.
- Baking Soda: In the video, I mistakenly say ½ tsp. This is incorrect. Use ¼ teaspoon.
- Buttermilk Biscuits: Use the same amount of buttermilk as milk called for in our biscuits recipe. Buttermilk adds a tangy flavor to the biscuits and makes them slightly more tender.
- Recipe inspired and adapted from Sam Sifton’s All-Purpose Biscuits as well as our Buttermilk Biscuits
- The nutrition data provided is an estimate.