Ingredients (~18 biscuits)
- 5 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp white sugar
- 1 Tbsp + 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1 1/2 cups cold buttermilk
- 3 Tbsp melted unsalted butter for brushing
- Salt for sprinkling
Making the Dough
Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; whisk to combine.
Add in cold butter cubes and work the butter into flour with your hands or a pastry cutter. Work the butter until it’s crumbly and about the size of peas.
The butter pieces don’t need to be perfect – some larger chunks are fine and actually help with flakiness.
Slowly drizzle in buttermilk while simultaneously tossing with a fork to combine. After all the buttermilk has been added, knead the dough a few times inside the bowl until a shaggy dough forms.
Don’t overwork it – the dough should look rough and barely hold together.
Shaping, Stacking, and Rolling the Dough
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and pat into a 1-inch thick square. Try to make the edges as clean and even as possible.
A bench scraper helps with this but you can use a knife.
Using a knife or bench scraper, cut the square into 4 equal pieces, then stack each of the pieces on top of each other – forming a sort of dough tower.
This is the key step that creates all those layers.
Press down on the tower to flatten it, then roll dough into a 1-inch thick rectangle.
The dough will want to spring back – just keep rolling until it stays put.
Cutting and Baking the Biscuits
Cut the biscuits out using a cookie cutter or round glass. Press straight down without twisting – twisting seals the edges and prevents rise.
Transfer the biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet and place into the fridge for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425F.
Remove biscuits from the fridge, brush the tops with melted butter, and sprinkle the tops with salt.
Place into the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 400F. Bake for ~20-25 minutes, or until the tops begin to turn golden brown.
The sides should feel firm when you tap them lightly.
Super Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
Ingredients (~18 biscuits)
- 5 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp white sugar
- 1 Tbsp + 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups cold unsalted butter cut into cubes
- 1 1/2 cups cold buttermilk
- 3 Tbsp melted unsalted butter for brushing
- Salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together 5 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 3 Tbsp white sugar, 1 Tbsp plus 3/4 tsp baking powder, 1 Tbsp salt, and 1/2 tsp baking soda in a large bowl.
- Add 1 1/2 cups cold unsalted butter cubes and work into flour with hands or pastry cutter until crumbly and pea-sized.
- Drizzle in 1 1/2 cups cold buttermilk while tossing with a fork, then knead a few times until shaggy dough forms.
- Turn dough onto floured surface and pat into a 1-inch thick square.
- Cut square into 4 equal pieces and stack them on top of each other.
- Press down to flatten, then roll into a 1-inch thick rectangle.
- Cut biscuits with a cookie cutter, pressing straight down without twisting.
- Transfer biscuits to prepared baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Brush biscuit tops with 3 Tbsp melted unsalted butter and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake at 425F, immediately reducing temperature to 400F, for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
