The Food Lab's Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

The Food Lab

Unraveling the mysteries of home cooking through science.

Yield:Makes 8 large biscuits
Active time:30 minutes
Total time:50 minutes
Rated: 4.0

Extra-flaky buttermilk biscuits. These ones are stuffed with cheddar and scallions. [Photographs: J. Kenji López-Alt]

I've been getting requests for my take on buttermilk biscuits for years, so I decided to spend a few weeks perfecting my recipe for the book. My version comes out tender and crisp, with tons of extra-flaky layers. The recipe is also designed so you can add whatever flavoring you like directly into the biscuits, whether it's cheese, scallions, bacon, black pepper, or honey.

Why It Works

Extra-flaky layers with buttery flavor. Read the Whole Story

Cutting the butter into the flour with a food processor ensures that it is incorporated rapidly before it has time to soften or smear.
Using a rubber spatula to bring the dough together builds in extra-flaky layers before you even roll.
Laminating the dough by folding it over itself a few times delivers even more flaky layers.

Ingredients

1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
10 ounces (2 cups) all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pats, plus 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter for brushing

Directions

1.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 425°F. Whisk together the buttermilk and sour cream in a small bowl.
2.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and process until blended, about 2 seconds. Scatter the cold butter evenly over the flour and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal and the largest butter pieces are about 1/4 inch at their widest. Transfer to a large bowl.
3.

Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until just combined. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead until it just comes together, adding extra flour as necessary.
4.

With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12-inch square. Using a bench scraper, fold the right third of the dough over the center, then fold the left third over so you end up with a 12-by-4-inch rectangle. Fold the top third down over the center, then fold the bottom third up so the whole thing is reduced to a 4-inch square. Press the square down and roll it out again into a 12-inch square. Repeat the folding process once more. (See note above for Cheddar Cheese and Scallion variation.)
5.

Roll the dough again into a 12-inch square. Cut six 4-inch rounds out of the dough with a floured biscuit cutter. Transfer the rounds to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Form the dough scraps into a ball and knead gently 2 or 3 times, until smooth. Roll the dough out until it’s large enough to cut out 2 more 4-inch rounds, and transfer to the baking sheet.
6.

Brush the tops of the biscuits with the melted butter and bake until golden brown and well risen, about 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and serve.