The Best Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits: A Complete Guide

Flaky buttermilk biscuits are a Southern classic known for their buttery layers, golden crust, and soft interior. The secret to making perfect flaky buttermilk biscuits lies in using the right techniques and ingredients—cold butter, buttermilk, and proper dough handling. Whether you’re serving them with jam, gravy, or as a breakfast sandwich, mastering the best buttermilk biscuit recipe will change your baking forever.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to make the best flaky buttermilk biscuits by covering the right ingredients, essential baking techniques, and common mistakes to avoid.

What Makes Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits So Light and Airy?

Flakiness in biscuits comes from the way fat is distributed in the dough and how the dough is handled before baking. When done correctly, biscuits bake up with visible layers that separate easily.

The Role of Fat in Flaky Biscuits

Fat is the most crucial ingredient when it comes to flakiness. Cold butter, shortening, or lard create layers in the dough as they melt in the oven. When solid fat melts, it releases steam, which pushes apart the dough layers, creating a light and flaky texture. For this reason, the fat must remain cold and in small chunks throughout the mixing process.

The Importance of Layering

The technique of lamination—folding and rolling the dough multiple times—creates distinct layers. This method, similar to making puff pastry, ensures that biscuits rise properly while staying soft on the inside. A simple folding technique, like patting out the dough, folding it over itself, and repeating, helps develop flakiness.

Minimal Handling for Maximum Flakiness

Overworking the dough can result in tough biscuits. Too much kneading develops gluten, which makes the biscuits chewy instead of light and airy. The best practice is to mix the dough just until it comes together and then use gentle folds rather than kneading.

Flaky biscuits are all about precision and care. The combination of cold fat, proper layering, and minimal handling ensures the biscuits bake up light, airy, and full of those signature buttery layers.

How Are Buttermilk Biscuits Different From Regular Biscuits?

Biscuits come in various styles, but the key distinction between buttermilk biscuits and regular biscuits lies in the ingredients and texture. While both types of biscuits are delicious, they serve different purposes in baking and cooking.

The Role of Buttermilk in Biscuits

The main difference in buttermilk biscuits is the use of buttermilk instead of regular milk or water. Buttermilk is slightly acidic, which reacts with baking soda or baking powder to create carbon dioxide bubbles. This reaction helps the biscuits rise higher and develop a softer, more tender crumb.

Buttermilk also adds a slight tanginess that enhances the biscuit’s flavor. Regular biscuits, made with plain milk or cream, have a milder taste and may not rise as much unless extra leavening agents are used.

Texture and Flakiness

Buttermilk biscuits tend to have a more delicate, flaky texture due to the acidity in buttermilk, which weakens gluten formation. This makes them softer and lighter than regular biscuits. Regular biscuits, especially those made with only milk or cream, might have a denser or more crumbly texture.

The flakiness also depends on the fat used. Some regular biscuits rely on shortening or lard, while buttermilk biscuits often use butter, which melts during baking and creates steam pockets that form layers.

Which One Should You Choose?

• If you want fluffy, tangy biscuits with a tender crumb, buttermilk biscuits are the best option.
• If you prefer a firmer, more neutral biscuit, a regular milk-based biscuit may be the right choice.
• Buttermilk biscuits are better suited for breakfast sandwiches, biscuits and gravy, or just served with butter and honey.
• Regular biscuits are often used in recipes where a firmer texture is needed, such as dumplings or shortcakes.

Both types of biscuits have their place in baking, but buttermilk biscuits stand out for their extra height, flavor, and buttery flakiness.

Two Key Techniques for Perfectly Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

Making flaky buttermilk biscuits requires more than just following a recipe. The technique and handling of the dough play a huge role in ensuring light, tender layers. Below are the two most important things to focus on for perfect biscuits.

1. Keep All Ingredients Cold

Temperature control is crucial when making biscuits. Cold ingredients help create flakiness, while warm ingredients can lead to dense, flat biscuits.

• Use cold butter: Butter should be as cold as possible, straight from the refrigerator or even the freezer. When cold butter melts in the oven, it releases steam, forming light, airy layers.
• Chill the flour: Keeping flour in the fridge before mixing helps maintain the dough’s cold temperature.
• Cold buttermilk is key: Using cold buttermilk prevents the butter from softening too early.
• Work quickly: The longer the dough sits at room temperature, the more the butter melts before baking. This reduces the flaky layers.

2. Use Proper Folding and Layering Techniques

How the dough is handled directly impacts the texture of your biscuits. Overworking the dough can develop too much gluten, making the biscuits tough instead of tender.

• Avoid overmixing: Stir the ingredients until just combined. It’s okay if the dough looks shaggy.
• Use a folding method: Pat the dough into a rectangle, fold it over itself, turn it, and repeat a few times. This creates multiple layers.
• Roll gently: Press the dough out lightly instead of rolling it too aggressively. A soft touch helps maintain structure.
• Cut biscuits properly: Use a sharp biscuit cutter and press straight down—do not twist. Twisting seals the edges and prevents a good rise.

By keeping ingredients cold and handling the dough gently, you’ll achieve the fluffiest, most tender biscuits with perfectly defined layers.

Butter vs. Shortening – Which Fat Creates the Best Flaky Biscuits?

When making flaky buttermilk biscuits, the type of fat you use significantly impacts texture, flavor, and flakiness. The two most common options are butter and shortening, and both have their advantages. Understanding their differences can help you decide which is best for your biscuits.

Butter: Rich Flavor and Flaky Layers

Butter is the classic choice for biscuits, mainly because of its rich, creamy taste. Since butter contains about 80% fat and 20% water, the water content turns into steam during baking, creating air pockets that form flaky layers.

Pros of Using Butter in Biscuits

• Superior flavor: The natural dairy richness of butter enhances the taste of biscuits.
• Golden, crispy edges: Butter melts beautifully, leading to a slightly crisp, golden-brown crust.
• Creates flaky layers: As butter melts, it releases steam, which separates the dough layers.

Cons of Using Butter

• Can melt too quickly: If the butter softens before baking, the biscuits may spread and lose their shape.
• More delicate dough: Butter-based doughs can be trickier to work with, especially in warm environments.

Shortening: Extra Tenderness and Structure

Shortening is 100% fat, meaning it does not contain water. Unlike butter, it doesn’t create steam pockets, so biscuits made with shortening tend to be softer and more tender rather than flaky.

Pros of Using Shortening in Biscuits

• More tender texture: Shortening prevents gluten development, leading to a softer, more delicate biscuit.
• Better shape retention: Since shortening has a higher melting point, biscuits hold their form better while baking.
• Longer shelf life: Shortening-based biscuits tend to stay fresh longer compared to butter-based ones.

Cons of Using Shortening

• Lacks rich flavor: Unlike butter, shortening does not add much taste to the biscuits.
• No flaky layers: Since shortening doesn’t contain water, it doesn’t create the steam needed for flakiness.

The Best of Both Worlds: A Butter-Shortening Combo

Many bakers use a combination of butter and shortening to achieve the best of both worlds—flavor and flakiness from butter, and tenderness and structure from shortening. A common ratio is 75% butter and 25% shortening, which provides a balanced texture and taste.

Ultimately, the choice between butter and shortening depends on personal preference. If you prioritize flavor and flakiness, butter is the best choice. If you prefer a softer, more structured biscuit, shortening might be better. Or, you can try using both to get the perfect balance.

Common Mistakes That Ruin Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

Even experienced bakers can run into problems when making flaky buttermilk biscuits. Small mistakes can lead to dense, dry, or flat biscuits. Here are the most common errors and how to avoid them.

1. Using Warm Ingredients

One of the biggest mistakes is using butter or buttermilk that isn’t cold. Warm butter won’t create the steam pockets needed for flakiness.

How to fix it:

• Use frozen or very cold butter and grate it for even distribution.
• Chill the flour and mixing bowl to keep everything as cold as possible.
• Use cold buttermilk to prevent butter from melting too soon.

2. Overmixing the Dough

Overworking the dough develops too much gluten, making biscuits tough instead of tender.

How to fix it:

• Mix until just combined. The dough should look shaggy, not smooth.
• Avoid kneading too much. Lightly fold the dough to create layers instead of aggressively mixing.

3. Rolling the Dough Too Thin

Biscuits that are rolled out too thin will bake up flat instead of tall and fluffy.

How to fix it:

• Keep the dough at least ¾ to 1 inch thick before cutting.
• Avoid pressing too hard with a rolling pin—gently pat the dough instead.

4. Twisting the Biscuit Cutter

Many people twist the cutter when cutting out biscuits, but this seals the edges, preventing proper rising.

How to fix it:

• Use a sharp biscuit cutter and press straight down without twisting.
• Dip the cutter in flour to prevent sticking.

5. Placing Biscuits Too Far Apart

Biscuits that are spaced too far apart on the baking sheet can spread out instead of rising upward.

How to fix it:

• Place biscuits close together, about ½ inch apart. This encourages them to push against each other and rise taller.

6. Baking at the Wrong Temperature

A low oven temperature can cause biscuits to spread rather than rise, while an oven that’s too hot can burn the bottoms before the inside is fully baked.

How to fix it:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C) for the perfect balance of rise and browning.
• Use an oven thermometer to ensure accuracy, as many ovens run hotter or cooler than their settings.

7. Not Using the Right Flour

Using the wrong flour can affect the texture of your biscuits.

How to fix it:

• Use all-purpose flour for a balance of tenderness and structure.
• For extra softness, try a combination of all-purpose and cake flour.

Avoiding these common mistakes will help you achieve tall, tender, flaky buttermilk biscuits every time.

Step-by-Step Guide to Baking Perfect Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

Baking flaky buttermilk biscuits is both an art and a science. While the ingredients and dough preparation are crucial, the baking process itself determines whether your biscuits rise properly and develop golden, crisp layers. Follow these steps to ensure your biscuits turn out perfect every time.

1. Preheat Your Oven Properly

Biscuits need a hot oven to rise correctly. A low temperature can cause them to spread and turn out dense instead of fluffy.

Best Practices:

• Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C). The high heat helps biscuits rise quickly, setting the layers.
• Use an oven thermometer. Many ovens run hotter or cooler than their settings, so checking the actual temperature is important.
• Preheat your baking pan. Placing biscuits on a hot baking sheet helps create a crisp, golden-brown bottom.

2. Use the Right Baking Pan

The type of pan you use affects how biscuits brown and bake.

Best Practices:

• Use a heavy-duty baking sheet. Thin pans can cause uneven baking.
• For soft biscuits, place them close together. Biscuits that touch each other will rise taller because they push against each other.
• For crisp edges, space them apart. If you prefer crispier biscuits, leave about an inch between them.

3. Brush with Buttermilk or Butter Before Baking

Brushing the tops of biscuits before baking enhances flavor and appearance.

Best Practices:

• For a golden crust, brush with buttermilk before baking.
• For extra flavor, brush with melted butter right after baking.

4. Bake on the Middle Rack

The middle rack provides the most even heat distribution, ensuring the biscuits bake uniformly.

Best Practices:

• Avoid baking on the lower rack, as the bottoms may burn before the tops are done.
• If using multiple racks, rotate the pans halfway through baking to ensure even browning.

5. Watch the Baking Time

Overbaking can dry out biscuits, while underbaking leaves them doughy inside.

Best Practices:

• Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
• Check doneness by gently lifting a biscuit. The bottom should be golden brown, and the center should be fully cooked.

By following these steps, you’ll bake light, airy, and perfectly golden buttermilk biscuits every time.

Delicious Ways to Serve Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

Flaky buttermilk biscuits are incredibly versatile and can be served in both sweet and savory ways. Whether you’re making a classic Southern breakfast or a comforting dinner side, biscuits are the perfect addition to any meal.

1. Classic Breakfast Pairings

Buttermilk biscuits shine as part of a hearty breakfast. Their buttery, flaky texture makes them perfect for spreading jams, honey, or butter.

Best ways to serve biscuits for breakfast:

• With butter and honey – A simple yet delicious way to enjoy warm biscuits.
• With homemade fruit preserves – Strawberry, raspberry, or peach preserves add a touch of sweetness.
• As a breakfast sandwich – Layer biscuits with scrambled eggs, cheese, and bacon or sausage for a filling morning meal.
• Biscuits and gravy – A Southern classic, pairing biscuits with rich sausage gravy creates a comforting breakfast.

2. Biscuits as a Side for Lunch or Dinner

Buttermilk biscuits aren’t just for breakfast—they also make a fantastic side for soups, stews, and hearty dinners.

Best ways to serve biscuits for lunch or dinner:

• With fried chicken – A staple in Southern cuisine, biscuits complement crispy, flavorful fried chicken.
• With soups and stews – Serve biscuits alongside a warm bowl of chicken soup, beef stew, or chili.
• As a side for barbecue – Smoked meats, pulled pork, or ribs pair well with biscuits.
• With pot pie filling – Instead of using pie crust, top a creamy chicken pot pie mixture with biscuits for a rustic meal.

3. Sweet Biscuit Desserts

Biscuits can also be used in desserts, offering a flaky alternative to cake or shortbread.

Best ways to turn biscuits into dessert:

• Strawberry shortcake – Layer biscuits with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.
• Cinnamon sugar biscuits – Brush biscuits with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar before baking.
• Chocolate chip biscuits – Add mini chocolate chips to the dough for a sweet twist.
• Biscuits with maple glaze – Drizzle warm biscuits with a simple maple syrup glaze for extra sweetness.

4. Creative Ways to Use Leftover Biscuits

If you have extra biscuits, don’t let them go to waste.

Ideas for using leftover biscuits:

• Make biscuit croutons – Cut biscuits into cubes, toast them, and use as croutons for salads or soups.
• Turn them into breadcrumbs – Crumble biscuits and use them as a coating for fried chicken or casseroles.
• Make biscuit bread pudding – Use leftover biscuits as the base for a custard-style dessert.

No matter how you serve them, flaky buttermilk biscuits add a delicious, comforting element to any meal.

Storing and Reheating Flaky Buttermilk BiscuitsFreshly baked flaky buttermilk biscuits are best enjoyed warm, but if you have leftovers, storing them properly ensures they stay soft and delicious. Below are the best methods for storing, freezing, and reheating biscuits while keeping their texture intact.

1. How to Store Biscuits at Room Temperature

Biscuits can be kept at room temperature for up to two days if stored correctly.

Best Practices:

• Cool completely before storing – Warm biscuits create condensation, making them soggy.
• Use an airtight container – A sealed container or resealable bag keeps biscuits from drying out.
• Line with parchment paper – This prevents moisture buildup inside the container.

Tip: If you want to keep the biscuits slightly crisp, store them in a paper bag instead of a sealed container.

2. How to Store Biscuits in the Refrigerator

For longer storage, biscuits can be kept in the refrigerator for up to one week. However, refrigeration can make them dry, so reheating them properly is key.

Best Practices:

• Wrap individually in plastic wrap or foil to prevent them from absorbing fridge odors.
• Place in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
• Reheat properly before serving to bring back the soft texture.

3. How to Freeze Biscuits

Freezing is the best way to store biscuits for a longer period. Properly frozen biscuits can last up to three months without losing quality.

Freezing Baked Biscuits

1. Let the biscuits cool completely after baking.
2. Wrap each biscuit in plastic wrap or foil to prevent freezer burn.
3. Place the wrapped biscuits in a ziplock freezer bag, removing as much air as possible.
4. Label with the date and store in the freezer.

Freezing Unbaked Biscuits

1. After cutting out the biscuit dough, place the unbaked biscuits on a baking sheet.
2. Freeze them until solid (about 1-2 hours).
3. Transfer frozen biscuits to a freezer bag and store.
4. When ready to bake, place the frozen biscuits directly in the oven at 425°F (218°C) and bake for a few extra minutes.

4. The Best Ways to Reheat Biscuits

Reheating biscuits properly helps restore their flaky, soft texture without making them dry.

Oven Method (Best for Texture)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Wrap biscuits in foil to prevent them from drying out.
3. Place on a baking sheet and heat for 10-12 minutes.
4. Brush with melted butter before serving for extra moisture.

Skillet Method (For a Crispier Exterior)

1. Heat a dry skillet over low heat.
2. Place biscuits in the skillet and cover with a lid.
3. Heat for 2-3 minutes per side until warm.

Microwave Method (Quick, But Can Make Them Soft)

1. Wrap the biscuit in a damp paper towel to keep it moist.
2. Microwave on low power for 15-20 seconds.
3. Avoid overheating, as biscuits can become tough.

By storing and reheating biscuits the right way, you can enjoy fresh, flaky buttermilk biscuits anytime.

FAQ – Everything You Need to Know About Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

Many home bakers have questions about making flaky buttermilk biscuits. Below are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions to help you perfect your biscuits.

1. What Makes Biscuits Flaky?

Flakiness comes from cold fat and proper layering techniques. When butter or shortening remains cold, it melts during baking, releasing steam that pushes the dough layers apart. Folding and stacking the dough also create visible layers, resulting in a light, airy texture.

2. What’s the Difference Between Buttermilk Biscuits and Regular Biscuits?

Buttermilk biscuits use buttermilk instead of regular milk, giving them a tangy flavor and softer texture. The acidity in buttermilk helps break down gluten, resulting in a tender, flaky crumb. Regular biscuits, made with plain milk, tend to be denser and less tangy.

3. What Are the Two Most Important Things to Do to Ensure a Flaky and Tender Biscuit?

1. Keep all ingredients cold – This prevents the butter from melting too soon, allowing it to create steam pockets during baking.
2. Handle the dough gently – Overmixing or kneading too much develops gluten, leading to tough biscuits instead of light, flaky layers.

4. Is It Better to Use Butter or Crisco for Biscuits?

• Butter: Creates rich flavor and flaky layers.
• Crisco (shortening): Produces a softer, more structured biscuit.
• Best option: A combination of both (75% butter, 25% shortening) gives the best balance of flavor, flakiness, and tenderness.

5. What Is the Difference Between Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix and Jiffy Cornbread Mix?

• Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix contains added sugar, making it sweeter and more cake-like.
• Jiffy Cornbread Mix has a more neutral, traditional cornbread flavor with less sweetness.

Understanding these differences ensures you choose the right mix based on your recipe.

Conclusion:

By following these expert tips, you can make flaky buttermilk biscuits that are light, buttery, and full of golden layers. Whether you enjoy them for breakfast, dinner, or as a comforting snack, mastering the perfect buttermilk biscuit recipe will elevate your baking skills.

The key to the best homemade buttermilk biscuits lies in keeping the ingredients cold, handling the dough gently, and baking at the right temperature. By following this guide, you’ll never have to settle for dry, dense biscuits again. Instead, you’ll enjoy soft, flaky buttermilk biscuits that are golden, delicious, and absolutely irresistible.