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These tall, flaky, Ridiculously Easy Buttermilk Biscuits take less than 10 minutes to throw together. They're also ridiculously delicious!
"Brilliant, simply brilliant!" That’s what I said, right out loud, when I read the unbelievably easy directions for preparing these buttermilk biscuits.
The technique was created by the super-smart folks over at Cook's Illustrated. When I read their method for making drop biscuits, I figured it was too good to be true. But being a curious cat when it comes to all things culinary, I couldn't resist giving it a try.
You would have probably laughed if you saw me just after I read the article. I ran to the kitchen, turned on the oven and pulled out a bowl, along with measuring tools and the necessary ingredients. All super basic ingredients that I had in my pantry and fridge (you probably do too!). The simple cast of characters includes flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, buttermilk and butter, that's it!
Classic Technique
Why did this sound too good to be true? Well, buttermilk biscuits can be a bit tricky. The technique usually calls for combining the dry ingredients, then “cutting” in cold butter with a knife, a pastry cutter or between your fingers. The liquid is then added and everything is gently combined.
If done correctly, the tiny pieces of butter, evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture, are what give classic buttermilk biscuits their lightness, flakiness and layers of peelable, buttery deliciousness. It’s not a difficult technique, just a bit time-consuming, and the results are not always consistent. The Cook's Illustrated technique is totally different... and ridiculously easy!
Ridiculously Easy Technique
How does it work? Well, I'm glad you asked... start by placing a cup of buttermilk in the freezer for a few minutes while you melt the butter in the microwave. Let the melted butter sit while you prep the other ingredients. Then, it's just a matter of combining all the dry ingredients in a bowl and giving them a good stir. The melted butter is then combined with the super-cold buttermilk. And this, my people, is when the magic begins!
When the warm butter hits the cold liquid, small, buttery globules form as you can see in the picture below.
Do you see where this is going? When this buttermilk mixture is added to the dry flour mixture and it's all stirred together, you'll notice tiny pieces of pale yellow butter dotting the simple dough. Yep, it will look just as if you spent the time to cut them in!
Would this technique work for traditional, rolled biscuits?
The Cook's Illustrated recipe is for simple drop biscuits, meaning you just drop spoonfuls onto a sheet pan, then bake. Would this technique work for a more classic, cut-out style biscuit, I wondered? You never know until you try, so I decided to give it a whirl!
I turned out the dough onto a floured work surface, kneaded it a few times, then patted it into a small, square. Dipping a round biscuit cutter in flour, I cut four circles, then rerolled the scraps and cut two more for a total of six. (Since then, I've also used a smaller cutter, yielding 8 biscuits.)
It was easy enough; actually ridiculously easy! The biscuits rolled out of the oven tall and golden brown with a heavenly aroma. But you're probably wondering how this version tastes and how they stack up to traditional buttermilk biscuits, right?
The results?
When Scott and I took the first bite, we looked at each other incredulously. The biscuits were light, tender, buttery, flaky and crazy-delicious. "Wow, these are amazing!" Scott said. I agreed.
In fact, we ate far too many that day, smothered with melted butter and strawberry jam. You'd probably frown on us if I told you these biscuits also ended up being dinner that night, so I won't share that bit of information. I guess I'll just say, it wouldn't have been a good day for counting calories!
I've had quite a few happy taste-testers since then, and everyone is shocked when they hear how easy these wonderful buttermilk biscuits are to make. In fact check out the video below, to see for yourself!
Try it! You'll be shocked (and delighted) too... you might even have the inclination to exclaim "Brilliant, simply brilliant!"
Bon Appétit!
Café Tips for making Buttermilk Biscuits
- If you don't have buttermilk, make your own. Place 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or vinegar in a measuring cup. Fill to 1 cup level with milk and stir well. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes or until slightly thickened. The mixture may curdle a bit, that's okay! Use in recipes in lieu of buttermilk.
- Don't skip chilling the buttermilk (step 2). It will definitely make a difference. If the buttermilk isn't really cold, the little butter globules won't form.
- I made these biscuits when I was in London visiting my daughter. I learned that all-purpose flour (Plain flour) is a bit different there and it seemed like I needed more, probably closer to 2 ¼ cups.
- These biscuits freeze well, both unbaked and baked. To freeze them unbaked or baked, place biscuits on a sheet pan or a plate spaced at least a half-inch from each other. Freeze till frozen, then transfer biscuits to a ziplock bag or air-tight storage container. If you've frozen them unbaked, bake them as directed in the recipe right from the freezer. Give them a couple extra minutes in the oven to compensate for the fact that they were frozen.
- If you freeze these buttermilk biscuits after baking, allow them to thaw when you're ready to use them and then warm in the oven for 5-8 minutes at 300˚F.
- If I'm feeling a bit pinched for time or just lazy, I'll pat the dough into a 6-inch circle and use a bench scraper to cut the dough into wedges. I either put these wedges on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or in a 9-inch cake pan lined with parchment.
- Another shortcut is to simply scoop up the dough, right from the bowl onto a sheet pan and bake as directed.
- We love to serve these biscuits with our Easy Strawberry Freezer Jam or this Overnight Raspberry Freezer Jam.
Love these biscuits? Then you'll also go crazy over these Ridiculously Easy Cheddar Chive Biscuits, made with the same easy technique!
Thought for the day:
Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
Psalm 25:4&5
What we're listening to for inspiration:
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 9 tablespoons butter divided
- 2 cups all purpose flour more for counter
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
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Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or spray a sheet pan with cooking spray.
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Measure 1 cup of buttermilk and place in the freezer for 10 minutes while prepping other ingredients.
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Place butter in a microwave-safe bowl, cover and heat on high for 30 seconds. If not completely melted, return to microwave for 10-second intervals till melted. Set aside while prepping other ingredients.
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Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar,and salt in large bowl.
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After buttermilk has been chilled in the freezer for 10 minutes, combine it with 8 tablespoons of the melted butter. (Reserve the last tablespoon for brushing on the baked biscuits.) Stir with a fork until butter forms small clumps or globules. (See picture in the post.)
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Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula just until all flour is incorporated and batter pulls away from sides of the bowl. The dough should be stiff and not super wet. If the dough is wet, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring to combine, until fairly stiff.
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Generously flour a work surface. Dump biscuit dough from bowl onto prepared work surface and turn to coat all surfaces with flour. Knead on counter 5-6 times (about 30 seconds). Flip over on the work surface to coat with flour then pat into a 6-inch square. It should be a 1½-2-inches in height.
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Cut four biscuits with a 2 ½-inch biscuit cutter. Place biscuits on the prepared sheet pan. Knead scraps a few times till they hold together, then pat into a small rectangle and cut two more biscuits. Transfer last two biscuits to the sheet pan, spacing about 1 ½ inches apart. (See Café Tips in the post for an even easier cutting technique).
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Place in oven and bake until tops are golden brown and crisp, 8 to 18 minutes. (start checking them after 8 minutes as ovens vary. You want them to be a nice golden brown, but not too brown - check the pictures above for correct color.)
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Re-melt remaining tablespoon of butter in the microwave, if necessary and brush tops of hot biscuits with melted butter. Serve and enjoy!
Chad says
Do these really bake at 475 degrees or was that a typo? Also, any guesses on cooking temperature/time for frozen, prebaked version?
Chris Scheuer says
That is correct Chad, just watch them carefully.
Katherine says
They turned out perfect! Thank you for sharing this recipe with us!
Chris Scheuer says
We love these Katherine, and so do our kids and grands!
Katherine says
We keep making them and they are delicious! I am wondering if this recipe could be adapted to make blueberry scones...do you have any thoughts on this? I love scones but making them can be a challenge...I am thinking the buttermilk and melted butter technique could be the way to go. It really does work for the biscuits.
Patty Moreno says
Just made these tonight and oh my they are delicious. I had made biscuits once and you are right, a lot of work and they really didn't turn out that good. These are soft and flaky and oh so delicious. And I can't forget to mention that yes, they are very easy and quick to make. The freezer is a great option but I do not believe there will be any left overs to freeze....thank you for a great recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
So glad the recipe worked well for you Patty! There's always been a mystery about making really good buttermilk biscuits and these seem to solve it!
Sandra says
The Mr is the resident biscuit maker but I can't wait to make these. Maybe we'll have a Mr and Mrs biscuit cook-off. At the very least we'll probably have biscuits for dinner more often!
Beverley says
Chris thank you for sharing this easy recipe to try and I'm glad you had another fab visit with your family here in England xoxo
Monique says
Mine were not as pretty..but I didmake 1/2 recipe today and yum:)
Chris Scheuer says
So glad you enjoyed them Monique!
Jenna says
THANK YOU Chris! This is a magic recipe, I can't wait to try this!! I've enjoyed your trip abroad, so much fun to travel with you!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Jenna! We love having you come along with us!
Karen C says
Chris, I was wondering why you took the extra step to flour a board, and cut out biscuits, when the CI recipe just drops them on the cooking sheet? Curious minds, you know!
Thanks for this recipe, can't wait to make it.
Chris Scheuer says
I just like the classic look of a round biscuit, Karen! You can just as easily do drop biscuits with this recipe as CI does.
Robyn @ Simply Fresh Dinners says
Having a bit of bake-o-phobia, I think this recipe was made for me, lol. I'm not very good with the patient precision required to develop good baking skills so I generally avoid it but I would love to make these on a Saturday morning! I can imagine the wonderful aromas through the house.
Thanks for a great recipe, Chris! And welcome home. Looks like a fabulous time 🙂
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
They look scrumptious...just what I would love for my breakfast!
Chris Scheuer says
They are hard to beat Angie!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert says
We are such a biscuit loving family. There is nothing like a wonderful breakfast with flaky, soft, buttery biscuits! I am a huge fan of Cooks Illustrated recipes - sounds like a good one! Thank you and welcome back!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Tricia! It's so funny, when we lived in Wisconsin for the first 30 years of our lives, we hardly ever had buttermilk biscuits. Then, when we moved to the South 35 years ago, that all changed!
Lin says
That's what I love about the South.
Chris Scheuer says
Indeed!!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
Well my mind is officially blown. That is a brilliant technique! Can't wait to try it 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Enjoy, Jennifer!
sue|theviewfromgreatisland says
Those photos are so great I feel like I just ate 5 biscuits --- in a good way!! I love biscuits this time of year, and these look nice and tall, just the way I like 'em 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Sue! They were an easy subject because, from almost any angle, they looked delicious! Scott and I love photo shoots like that!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Gorgeous biscuits, these look just divine!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Laura!
Vicki Bensinger says
Chris I love biscuits but never make them. I think it's because we've tried to limit eating breads, muffins, biscuits, cookies, etc. now that we're getting older and it hits the waistline quicker than we'd like. That said, there's a time and place for biscuits and this recipe looks perfect and easy. So I'm going to print it and save it so the next time I want to make a batch I'll have this one to refer to. Thanks for sharing it. My mouth is salivating just dreaming about eating one!
Chris Scheuer says
Mine too Vicki! Just thinking about these makes me hungry for them!
Charlotte Moore says
These sure look yummy that is for sure.
Chris Scheuer says
Hard to have around the house, Charlotte - VERY tempting!
Madonna says
Chris when I re-read the recipe you have buttermilk listed twice, is this a typo?
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Madonna! We've corrected that.
Madonna says
I love a recipe that begins with RIDICULOUSLY EASY. And, I can't wait to make more of your freezer jam. It seems to disappear all to soon around here. 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Ha Ha Madonna! We have the same "jam" dilemma around our house!
Marigene says
There is nothing more tasty than a biscuit fresh from the oven with a little dollop of jam! This recipe is a little different than my tried and true, but I am going to try it next time I have the urge for biscuits.
Chris Scheuer says
Give it a whirl Marigene! It's so simple and yet, so full of flavor!
Susan says
This is pure genius. Must try. I keep powdered buttermilk in my pantry (Saco brand). Do you suppose this would work as well?
Chris Scheuer says
I'm not sure about that Susan. I haven't tried that and, with the whole process involved, I'm not confident that it would work. Better to stick with regular buttermilk.
Carol says
I tried this recipe today with Hoosier Hill Farms Powdered Buttermilk and it worked out fine.
3 Tblsp. powder to 1 cup of water. Remove 1 Tblsp. of water from the cup and then mix.
In case anybody wondered. Hubby said they were amazing and the tip about the butter was outstanding.
Thanks for that.
Chris Scheuer says
So glad to hear the powdered buttermilk worked for you Carol! Enjoy!
Karen says
This is the only blog post recipe I've ever read (6:30 am) and went straight to the kitchen and made! They were a big hit with everyone and just as described. Delish!!!
Chris Scheuer says
I love it Karen! Come back and visit us anytime! We're about 800 recipes deep, so there's lots to try!
Anne Marie says
Brilliant! I can't wait to try these!
Chris Scheuer says
They will become your "go-to" biscuit recipe Anne Marie - they're that good!
Julie says
When you freeze the biscuits, are they baked or pre-baked? I would love to make biscuits and freeze them before I bake them so that I could just pull what I need out of the freezer and then bake them to have warm biscuits. I wondered which way you freeze them.
Chris Scheuer says
I froze them baked Julie, but you could probably also freeze them pre-baked. I just haven't tried them that way.
Katelyn Streicher says
How do you recommend heating up the biscuits after being frozen?
Chris Scheuer says
I just let them thaw, then warm them briefly in the oven at 325˚F or sometimes even for a short time in the microwave on a low power if I'm in a big hurry.
Deb says
Genius! I made a recipe for something else a short while ago where I accidentally added melted butter to cold milk and ended up with unwanted butter globules. Great to know I can harness it for good.
Chris Scheuer says
It's such an easy thing to do and, as you can see, turns out wonderful biscuits (or scones for that matter!)
Monique says
How can I NOT want to make these?
Wow Scott..your photos are fab..and Chris' exepertise in la cuisine are a match made in heaven.
Do you shoot w/ a full frame camera?Curious minds want to know..we have no power at the moment ..since last night..but the generator keeps the fridge..and internet etc working.
Chris Scheuer says
He does shoot "full frame" Monique. He's got a Canon 6D - what he calls his "big boy" camera!
Monique says
:):)