Fluffy Biscuits with plenty of buttery layers are possible with just a few helpful tips and about ten minutes of hands-on effort.
I have included a whole lot of photos with this recipe to illustrate the steps below and show you how simple it can be to make perfectly fully homemade biscuits.
I’m telling a bit of a story today, so feel free to hit that “Jump To Recipe” button at the top of the page if you’re uninterested in my biscuit-making lesson.
22 years ago, I was a newlywed when I made my first batch of biscuits. They will never be forgotten.
I was feeling domestic and happy as I kneaded and kneaded and kneaded the dough. I quite literally kneaded that dough for at least 30 minutes.
Little did I know that I was absolutely killing those biscuits. While they baked, I noticed that they weren’t really rising, but I figured that I’d just made them thinner than I should have.
Ha! Little did I know at the time. The biscuits were inedible.
My sweet husband attempted to eat them, but oh my. They were horrid. We declared them hockey pucks and I was scared away from biscuit making for a couple years following that attempt.
When I finally decided to attempt making biscuits again, I was thrilled to find a recipe that worked reliably after a few more failed attempts.
Fluffy Biscuits
I’ve now been making this biscuit recipe for over 20 years and they are fluffy, delicious, melt in your mouth awesomeness. They are versatile enough to use for biscuits and gravy or with butter and peach jam.
These days, I make this recipe with real butter and I love these biscuits even more than the original. (The original recipe I’ve adapted this from was made with shortening. While those were delicious, I don’t hesitate to tell you these are even better.)
The butter flavor in these biscuits comes through beautifully. They rise light and fluffy while remaining melt in your mouth tender with all those pretty layers.
These biscuits, they are perfection. I shared this recipe here on the website just a few weeks after I started this blog so many years ago.
It was way past time for a photo update and I’m excited to share the recipe with you again today – complete with step-by-step directions and photos to go with each step.
And I’m including this very old video of my five year old making a batch of biscuits – because this will never ever fail to make me grin.
Flaky Biscuit Recipe
Want to know the secret to making all those buttery layers in your biscuits? It’s surprisingly easy – once you stop kneading the ever-loving daylights out of the dough.
Fold the dough. That’s it. Read through the steps and photos below and you’ll see what I am talking about. You absolutely don’t need to beat the heck out of the biscuit dough.
Basically, just smush it together until it holds together and then fold it over on itself several times. That’s all there is to it.
Do not twist the biscuit cutter! Press straight down and pull straight back up after cutting the biscuits.
If you twist the cutter, you’ll seal the edges of the biscuits and they won’t rise nearly so high.
Bonus tip, if you find that your biscuits are rising tall and starting to fall over, pressing a light thumbprint into the top of the biscuit prior to baking can help prevent that.
How To Make Fluffy Homemade Biscuits
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
Grate the butter and dump it into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
Use a fork (or pastry blender, if you prefer that) to cut in the cold butter pieces until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with little pea size or smaller lumps throughout.
Gradually stir in milk – seriously, don’t dump all the milk in at once!
Add just enough milk until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. It should still look very dry.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. I like to use a silicone mat that has been lightly floured. It makes for very easy clean up.
Knead just a few times, folding the dough over onto itself to create those flaky layers. This isn’t the same as kneading bread dough.
Seriously, just trust me on this – knead the dough no more than 15-20 times MAX, learn from me here. Once the dough has “smushed” together, fold it over on itself a few times to finish “kneading it.”
Pat the dough out to about 1 inch thick. Cut into circles with a biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter.
Repeat until all the dough is used. Press any remaining pieces together (don’t knead again) and cut biscuits again.
Place the biscuits on a baking sheet or in a baking pan. It’s okay if the edges touch.
Bake for 14-16 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges begin to brown.
Mom Sanity Tip
I spent a lot of years cooking with little ones underfoot. If you want to enjoy a few moments of peace and quiet, give the kids a few extra edge pieces of dough to play with at the table.
Just be sure to discreetly toss that particular dough ball in the trash when it is time to put everything on the baking sheet. If your kids are a little older and paying attention, let them bake it for themselves.
I made impromptu biscuits for many meals over the years, just to give the toddlers something to occupy themselves with during that half hour before dinner.
Fluffy Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/3 cup cold butter, grated
- 3/4 cup milk, plus 1-2 tablespoons only as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Grate the butter and dump it into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
- Use a fork (or pastry blender, if you prefer that) to cut in the cold butter pieces until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with little pea size or smaller lumps throughout.
- Gradually stir in milk – seriously, don't dump all the milk in at once! Add just enough milk until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. It should still look very dry.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. I like to use a silicone mat that has been lightly floured. Knead just a few times by folding the dough over onto itself. (Seriously, just trust me on this – knead the dough no more than 15-20 times MAX, learn from me here).
- Pat the dough out to about 1 inch thick. Cut into circles. Repeat until all the dough is used. Press any remaining pieces together (don't knead again) and cut biscuits again.
- Place the biscuits on a baking sheet or in a baking pan. It's okay if the edges touch. Bake for 14-16 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges begin to brown.
Nutrition
{originally published 6/15/11 – recipe notes and photos updated 10/2/20}
Vee says
Hi there, just wanted to tell you that we love these biscuits.
Mary says
I’m thrilled to hear that, Vee.
Tracey says
I tried many recipes for biscuits and this one seems to be the only one I can get to work! I use the food processor method of mixing it.
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad that you like the biscuits, Tracey!
Leila says
I just had to make these for breakfast after I saw your photo on Instagram. They turned out PERFECTLY. Oh my gosh, so easy and the flavor is divine.
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad that you like the biscuits, Leila!
L says
Hello
How can these be stored?
In fridge?
Will they stay fresh for a couple of days?
Still flaky?
Thanks
Mary Younkin says
I store them on the counter for a day or two. Or, I freeze them and reheat in the microwave when ready to eat. Enjoy!
marie says
You make your biscuits like I have for many years. I was taught by my mother, who made the best biscuits I have ever tasted. But my favorite story about making biscuits is the story my mother told ma about her first try. She made them like she thought they should be made but when it got to the ingredients she put baking powder and baking soda and when they came out of the oven they were blue. I loved that story, she was 15 years old. Needless to say they were not edible.
Mary Younkin says
What a fun story! I’ve heard that can happen with powder and soda together, but I’ve never seen it. I loved hearing that this matches your mother’s recipe and you love the biscuits.
Larry says
Those are some fantastic looking biscuits and would be even better when split and topped with some good sausage gravy – makes my mouth water just thinking about it.
Mary Younkin says
Hi Larry! Sausage gravy is never a bad idea. I’m thinking it is time to make some more biscuits and thaw some sausage too.
Henriette Hall says
Perfect un-complicated recipe.
Hot Oven and as Mary states==DO NOT OVER-KNEAD.
My only addition is: when you cut the biscuit out–go straight down with your cutter–
do not twist it–straight down and pull cutter straight up. If you twist, the edges
will seal and your beautiful biscuits will not rise as high.
Mary Younkin says
Hi Henny! Yes! I actually noted that tip about cutting straight down as well. It makes such a big difference. And over kneading has killed many a biscuit recipe!
Henriette says
See what me–miss smarty pants gets for jumping straight to recipe ? The No Twist and
No Knead forever–are 2 of the most important Biscuit Rules.
Bobbie Milam says
great
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad you liked the biscuits, Bobbie!
Gabriella says
Theses are great light and fluffy and delicious
Mary Younkin says
I’m glad you like the biscuits, Gabriella!
Patti V Gardner says
Can self rising flour be substituted?
Mary Younkin says
I’m guessing yes, if you eliminate the leaveners in this recipe. However, I haven’t tried that myself.
Jeanne Rapone says
Question! Can I make the biscuits a day or 2 ahead and bake them on thanksgiving day?
Thank you in advance!
Mary Younkin says
I’ve never tried that and I suspect it would affect the rise. However, you can bake them in advance and then warm them when ready to serve.
Patty says
Just made these for the first time and they are delicious. It brings back memories of watching my grandmother make her biscuits. I sure wish I could had gotten her biscuit bowl after she passed . Thank you for posting this recipe.
Mary Younkin says
I love how certain bowls have so much nostalgia tied to them. I love that this was such a sweet memory for you, Patty.
Morgan says
My husband loves biscuits, but is VERY picky about them. His favorite has always been the Grand’s flaky layer biscuits and, until this recipe, I could never make anything to compete. Not only are these biscuits just as good as the Grand’s, he actually likes them BETTER. We have now made them twice and he says they are the best biscuits he has ever eaten. They are easy and reliable and DELICIOUS. Don’t miss out on these!!
Margaret Coleman says
That is awesome, Morgan! Fluffy, delicious biscuits are a must.