A no-fail Southern buttermilk biscuit recipe that will have them thinking you are a pro, even if this is your first time ever making biscuits.
All images and text ©Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average, LLC
3 Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits
FIRST AND FOREMOST, here are some items around the kitchen you can use if you do NOT own a biscuit cutter...
Grab for an upside down glass, dip the mouth of the glass into a couple of inches of flour, and presto! Instant biscuits cutter.
Find a high-sided cookie cutter. This gets interesting because the shape of your cookie cutter equals the unique baked shape of your soon-to-be biscuits. Cookie cutters that are not terribly intricate work the best!
Not married to a rounded biscuit? Opt for square biscuits (VERY common here in the South) by using a knife or a pizza cutter. This one's easy, though you will need to flour your blade or your wheel here and there.
To that end, and getting back to discussing an actual biscuit cutter, what size biscuit cutter do you use for a biscuit? The answer depends on how you plan to serve the biscuits. The most common size cutter is 2 3/8-inch which will yield a very pretty breakfast or sandwich biscuit large enough for eggs and gravy, slices of country ham, a scoop of pimento cheese, or plain old butter and honey. The cutter I grab for the most is my grandmother's cutter from the Depression and it is 2 1/2-inches around.
Alternatively, when I serve biscuits for a Brunch crowd, I want my dough to go a long way. I might work some bits of chopped country ham or cheddar cheese directly into my dough and opt for dental floss to make clean and accurate square cuts that are 1-inch by 1-inch. I gain a whole bunch of mini biscuits for serving this way!
Oh, how I do love a hot buttered biscuit with a spoonful of homemade Pimento cheese...
Weekend hot breakfasts don't get any simpler or more delicious than luscious 3 Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, brushed to perfection with sweet cream butter. Feed your crowd with pleasing and belly-filling homemade buttermilk biscuits in just about 30 minutes.
When I wake Saturday mornings, the typical routine is to get in a cup or two of coffee, then jump in the truck with the family and hit some garage sales. Y'all know how I love my Junkin'. Breakfast generally happens after we make our way to all of the sales, either at home or stopping out somewhere.
If I am peppy and manage to peel myself out of bed before everybody else, biscuit dough is easy enough to whip up in 15 minutes. Biscuit making ingredients are few as you can see, and aside from some melted butter at the end for brushing on the tops, It won't be long until I am enjoying flaky layers.
Once I have them cut and placed 'sides touching' on a lined baking sheet or in a big cast iron skillet, they are refrigerated up to the bake step. It sure makes for a fast and hot breakfast upon returning home.
Do You Have What's Needed To Make 3 Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits? Check The List!
ice cold butter
self-rising flour
cold buttermilk
How This Biscuit Recipe Came About...
This one was a personal challenge to myself. When my friend Tom turned 50, his wife Leslie threw him a HUGE party. Knowing I was heading to a pig roast, I offered to bake up some biscuits for somewhere around 200 people. My attempt was a disaster.
I brought biscuits to the party alright. But I was late to arrive and I did not have nearly the delicious biscuits I'd hoped for for my friend. In reality, I should not have dreamed of attempting biscuits before mastering this method. Biscuits are a 'Southern thing' and something I definitely did not grow up eating or baking homemade.
Every American kitchen needs one...or both. Biscuit flour sack tea towels, made in the USA. Click images for pricing.
Can I Add Additional Ingredients To 3 Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits?
Thing is though, with these 3 ingredient biscuits, YOU control what goes in and what goes on. Choose to make additions such as fresh chives, cracked black pepper, bits of chopped country ham, shreds of cheddar cheese, finely chopped sundried tomatoes, or hunks of roasted garlic. Oh yeah, upscale event? Bake up some roasted garlic mini biscuits and watch 'em go. That by itself is a nourishing thought.
Are 3 Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits Expensive To Make?
I am here to attest to the fact that not only is this 3 ingredient buttermilk biscuit recipe not difficult, but is also super economical if you want to be that Mom who fakes Chic-Fil-A or McDonalds bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits for your kids. Throw in some crispy homefried potatoes, and they'll believe anything you tell them.
If You Like This Recipe...
...you might also like:
- Homemade Buttermilk Bread
- Sweet Buttermilk Cornbread
- Strawberry or Peach Shortcake Biscuits
- The Best Cheesy Garlic Biscuits For Every Meal
The Best Cheesy Garlic Biscuits For Every Meal
So, the bit about only stirring the dough 15 times, well I really do mean it. That is, unless you are partial to tough biscuits...
So yeah…THIS. Breakfast in versus breakfast out is much more fun and frankly much more appealing to me. Easy buttermilk biscuits are hard to argue against. This recipe yields 9 to 10 2 1/2" biscuits, or 7 to 8 3 1/2" biscuits.
When rolling out the dough, don’t press down too hard or overwork the dough. It's scary how easy layer upon buttery layer of biscuit perfection really is to achieve.
The biscuits re-heat well, either in the oven or in the microwave, without compromising the texture. I also add no salt, instead allowing both the flavor and any salt to come from the butter alone, so choose a quality salted sweet cream butter right out of the gate. Any additional salty fix comes from whatever you choose to 'dress your biscuit' with. Pimento cheese or ham gravy are great for salty, savory hot biscuit toppings.
You will almost always hear me sing the praises of cast iron, from a quality Dutch oven to a well made skillet. Smithey Ironware skillet #12, the best you can buy, made right here in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. Click images for pricing.
Pro Tips For How To Make 3 Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits?
A tip or two I had to learn the hard way…I specify frozen butter. That is for a reason. What I have learned is that the butter cannot be cold enough. Grate the frozen butter into the bowl, mix with the flour, and then re-freeze for 10 to 12 minutes right in the bowl.
And speaking of flour…self-rising. For THIS recipe, use self rising flour and work on a lightly floured surface of self rising flour. Other biscuit recipes calling for all-purpose flour also follow a different method. This method will not work the same using all purpose flour with baking powder added. It just won't.
And the buttermilk…WELL CHILLED! And, a bonus tip. I mean, when have you ever known me not to interject more…? HONEY. If you like your biscuits to have some sweetness, not real sweet, rather just something, add 3 tablespoons of honey at the step you stir in the buttermilk.
A 4 piece stainless steel biscuit cutter set with pretty fluted edges, made in USA. I have gifted this set twice now alongside a rolling pin and sack towels as housewarming gifts. Click image for pricing.
Want a bigger or smaller serving size? Hover over the serving size and move the bar until you get the number of servings you want. Easy.
Equipment
- baking sheet or cast iron skillet
Ingredients
Did you know that it’s super easy to print out a version of a half recipe or even a double recipe on Not Entirely Average? Hover over the serving size (highlighted in blue, it says 24 on this recipe) and then slide the the white line to the left to make less or to the right to make more. This "calculator" allows you to play until you get the number of servings you want. Easy.
Ingredients for 3 Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits
- 1/2 cup butter, 1 stick, frozen re-freeze for 10 minutes after grating/mixing with flour
- 2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
- 1 cup well chilled fresh buttermilk leave in refrigerator until ready to use
Optional
- 3 tablespoons honey, absolutely optional just lends the smallest amount of sweetness and elevates the butter - think sweet and salty
Instructions
The Method
- Preheat oven to 475°.
- Prepare a cast iron skillet with butter and set aside.
- Using the largest holes on a box grater, grate frozen butter into a medium bowl. Toss together grated butter and flour and re-freeze for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Make a well in center of mixture. IF using honey, add it to the bowl now but wait to stir. Add buttermilk. NOW stir 15 times but NO MORE. Dough will be very sticky and somewhat stringy.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Lightly sprinkle flour over top of dough. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle (about 9 x 5 inches). Fold dough in half so short ends meet. Repeat rolling and folding process 4 more times.
- Roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with a 2 1/2-inch floured round cutter, reshaping scraps and flouring as needed.
- Place dough rounds into cast iron skillet, making sure their sides just touch. Bake at 475° for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Brush with melted butter or with honey or both straight out of the oven. Refrigerate leftovers for re-heating.
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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It's been a long time I actually pulled out a piece of paper to take notes on a blog post. Thanks for this. You've earned yourself a new reader!
Hi, I know these biscuits will taste great because I learned to make biscuits just like this when the shelter in place order for NYC started. I will try your honey tip when next I make biscuits.
Definitely going to make these! One question is I am out of self-raising flour and have not been able to find it. How much baking powder / baking soda would you add to all purpose flour in this recipe? Thanks for sharing!
Fino, yes, yes DO make these! If you are unable to get hold of self rising flour, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt. SIFT all together 3 times so the baking powder is very well distributed. And remember that once you make your well to add your buttermilk, ONLY stir 15 times. I know it sounds crazy but the 'coming together' of this dough does affect the integrity of the finished biscuits. I'd love to know how these turn out for you, so check back and give an update or rate the recipe using the stars 🙂
Ohh my goodness! Totally going to make these!!! I do have a question tho. In the past, I've made buttermilk biscuits with buttermilk I've made. 1 cup of(2% milk) or cream+ 2 tablespoons of white vinegar) in a pinch it works. (Sometimes the store I go to doesn't have it) would this work?!?
Donna, yes please, DO make these! I also make my own buttermilk when a recipe say calls for only a cup and I do not want leftovers sitting in my fridge. Here is how my Grandmother taught me, and it's much like what you have outlined; 1 tablespoon white vinegar in a 1 cup glass measurer. Then, fill milk to the 1 cup mark, so it's kind of a scant cup of milk I guess. Stir and then allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes. The time sitting gives the milk the opportunity to curdle slightly and then the liquid takes on both buttermilk-like texture and taste. Donna, should you make these, please send me a photo and rate how you liked the recipe using the stars. Your feedback would mean a lot for other readers and for me!
What is selfrising flour?
Faye, self rising flour is flour that has a leavening agent already added. I am not brand-loyal per se, but have had great results with White Lilly brand. I like it because it is available in small bags. If you wanted to make your own, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt. SIFT all together 3 times so the baking powder is very well distributed.
These were great!
These look amazing, thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
https://michielskitchen.com/
Michiel, thank you so much for the compliment and for dropping by Not Entirely Average. I am afraid the recipe was a 'necessary solution' when the quarantining began and readers were writing and asking for adaptable recipes. I hope you do not mind, but I checked out Michiel's Kitchen...I think I need to immediately make your recipe for cacio e pepe. Your recipes all look divine and your photography is immaculate. Well done. Well done.
So, I made these to eat alongside stew tonight. They are outstanding. I froze the butter flour mix and then followed as directed. The results were perfect, flakey biscuits. Thanks so much for your good guidance!
Maive, so HAPPY to hear that you enjoyed these! I receive emails from folks indicating their biscuits were too hard or did not cook in the middle. That butter/flour mix MUST be frozen for this to work. Results won't look or taste as they should if this step is omitted, so thanks for reinforcing this!