Biscuits

Traditional baking powder biscuits are a staple in American cuisine, commonly served at breakfast or as a side dish. The recipe typically consists of flour, baking powder, salt, milk, and shredded frozen butter. The technique involves cutting the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, then adding the liquid ingredients and kneading the dough lightly before cutting it into circles and baking.

The use of frozen butter and careful handling of the dough are crucial to achieving the desired flaky texture. These biscuits are often enjoyed with butter, jam, or honey or used as a base for dishes like chicken and biscuits or biscuits and gravy. The simplicity of the ingredients and the versatility of the dish have made it a beloved classic in American kitchens for generations.

BakingBreakfastSouthern

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Total Time: 35 min

Yield: 10 servings

A batch of baking soda biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Ingredients

Small Batch

  • 2 cups (240g) flour
  • ¾ cup milk, cold
  • 6 oz. frozen butter (preferably unsalted)

Large Batch

  • 3 cups (360g) flour
  • 1 cup milk, cold
  • 8 oz. frozen butter (preferably unsalted)

Common

  • 1 Tbsp. baking powder
  • 1 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt

Equipment

  • Parchment Paper
  • Baking Sheet

Instructions

Setup

  1. 1.
    Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Mix

  1. 2.
    Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a large bowl.
  2. 3.
    Grate frozen butter and mix into dry ingredients until a crumb is formed.
  3. 4.
    Add cold milk and mix until the dough forms.
  4. 5.
    Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and work it into a 1-inch thick square.
  5. 6.
    Fold the dough evenly into thirds to form layers and roll it out to ¾ to 1-inch thickness.
  6. 7.
    Cut 2 ½-inch biscuits.
  7. 8.
    Turn the biscuit over and brush the flat side with milk to help them brown.
  8. 9.
    Place the biscuits with the flat, brushed side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a cast iron skillet.

Bake

  1. 10.
    Bake until the tops of the biscuits are browned, 15-18 minutes.
  2. 11.
    When the biscuits come out of the oven, use the remaining piece of frozen butter to rub across the top of the hot biscuits. Hold the butter on top of each biscuit and let it start to melt before rubbing.