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Tall and Flaky Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Three tall, flaky buttermilk biscuits stacked on a white plate, showing a golden-brown top.
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Learn the simple method to make tall, flaky, and tender buttermilk biscuits from scratch that melt in your mouth. This recipe delivers classic Southern style comfort food.

Ingredients

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  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 3/4 cup cold buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing

Instructions

  1. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk these dry ingredients together well.
  2. Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender or your fingertips to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. This step is key for flaky layers.
  3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the cold buttermilk. Mix gently with a fork just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat the dough into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick.
  5. Fold the dough into thirds, like a letter. Turn the dough 90 degrees and pat it down again to about 3/4 inch thickness. Repeat this folding and turning process one more time. This builds layers.
  6. Pat or roll the dough to a final thickness of about 1 inch. Use a sharp biscuit cutter (do not twist the cutter) to cut out rounds. Place the cut rounds close together on an ungreased baking sheet for softer sides, or further apart for crispier sides.
  7. Brush the tops of the biscuits lightly with melted butter.
  8. Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are tall and golden brown on top.
  9. Remove from the oven and brush the tops immediately with more melted butter for extra flavor. Serve warm.

Notes

  • Keep all your ingredients, especially the butter and buttermilk, very cold before mixing. Cold fat creates steam pockets, resulting in flaky layers.
  • When cutting the biscuits, press the cutter straight down without twisting. Twisting seals the edges and prevents the biscuits from rising tall.
  • For extra tall biscuits, you can stack the cut rounds on top of each other before baking, or use the ‘laminate’ folding technique described in the instructions multiple times.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookingbyjade.com/buttermilk-biscuits-tall-flaky-southern-style/