Some mornings you want a biscuit with golden, buttery tops, soft layers, and a little salty tang. This recipe gets you there with six pantry staples and no special skills. The trick is cold fat, a light hand, and butter on both sides of the oven.
Make them for breakfast, for a fried chicken dinner, or for a cookout bread basket. They’re best warm, and they come together in about 30 minutes. Plus its tailgate season – this is a must have for any successful event.
What You’ll Need (makes 8 to 10 biscuits):
- 3 cups self-rising flour, plus more for dusting (White Lily gives the lightest texture)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons powdered sugar
- ½ cup cold vegetable shortening
- 1¼ to 1½ cups cold buttermilk
- ¼ cup melted butter, divided
How to Make It:
- Preheat. Heat the oven to 450°F. Use 475°F if your oven runs cool.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and powdered sugar in a large bowl.
- Cut in the shortening. Work the cold shortening in with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mix looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces.
- Add the buttermilk. Pour in 1¼ cups. Stir with a fork just until the dough comes together. It should be shaggy and a little sticky. Add more buttermilk a tablespoon at a time only if there are dry patches.
- Fold for layers. Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Gently fold it over itself 3 to 4 times, patting it down between folds.
- Cut. Pat the dough to ¾ to 1 inch thick. Press a floured round cutter straight down and lift it straight up. Don’t twist, because twisting seals the edges and stops the rise. Gather the scraps once and cut again.
- Bake. Place the biscuits touching each other on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush the tops with half the melted butter. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.
- Finish. Brush with the remaining butter as soon as they come out of the oven. Serve warm.
Pro Tips:
- Keep everything cold. Chill the shortening and buttermilk. Cold fat melts in the oven and makes the flaky pockets.
- Don’t overmix. A sticky, shaggy dough makes a tender biscuit. A smooth dough makes a tough one.
- Pack them tight. Biscuits that touch rise taller because they support each other.
- Use a sharp cutter. A dull glass rim pinches the edges. Dip the cutter in flour between cuts.
- Use fresh leavening. Check that your self-rising flour and baking powder are less than six months old, or the biscuits won’t rise.
- Freeze before baking. Freeze the cut biscuits on a tray, then bag them. Bake straight from frozen at 450°F for 18 to 20 minutes.
Outdoor Version: Bake in a preheated 10- or 12-inch cast iron skillet in a covered grill holding 425°F to 450°F indirect heat. Set the biscuits in the skillet touching, and check at 12 minutes.
Serve It With: Fried chicken, sausage gravy, honey butter, or peach preserves.
Food Safety Note: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes to bring back the crisp tops.
