Here’s a classic recipe for freshly baked Southern drop buttermilk biscuits—soft, flaky, and perfect for breakfast or as a side:
Ingredients (makes ~12 biscuits)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 3/4 to 1 cup cold buttermilk
Instructions
1. Preheat Oven
- Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix Dry Ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Cut in Butter
- Add the cold cubed butter to the flour mixture.
- Use a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers to work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
4. Add Buttermilk
- Make a well in the center and pour in 3/4 cup cold buttermilk.
- Stir gently with a spoon until the dough just comes together. If too dry, add more buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time. Avoid overmixing.
5. Drop the Biscuits
- Using a spoon or ice cream scoop, drop mounds of dough (about 2–3 tablespoons each) onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Leave a little space between each for spreading.
6. Bake
- Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
7. Serve
- Let cool slightly, then serve warm with butter, honey, or jam.
Tips for extra-fluffy biscuits:
- Keep the butter and buttermilk cold.
- Don’t overmix the dough; little lumps of butter create flakiness.
- For extra flavor, brush the tops with melted butter right after baking.
If you like, I can also give a shortcut one-bowl version that’s just as soft and flaky but cuts prep time in half.
Do you want me to do that?
