This recipe makes 8-12 buttermilk biscuits, depending on how thick the dough is patted out. Cake flour is a finely textured flour that has a consistency similar to powdered sugar. Cake flour has a tendency to get a bit lumpy, so it needs to be sifted before being added to recipes.
Breakfast Biscuits
Left over biscuits can be used to make breakfast sandwiches. Cut a biscuit in half, toast it in the toaster, then add a fried egg, a couple of slices of bacon and a slice of cheese between the two halves. Southern-style buttermilk biscuits can also be served smothered with sausage gravy, for a hearty breakfast meal.
Ingredients for Buttermilk Biscuits
- 1 1/4 cups cake flour
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter - cold
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- Extra flour for work surface
Directions for Buttermilk Biscuits
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
- Prepare an area to cut out the biscuits in advance. A large cutting board, with a bit of flour sprinkled on top, works well.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture, using a pastry blender or two knives, until the dough has the consistency of coarse cornmeal.
- Stir in the buttermilk, until just blended, adding a bit more buttermilk if necessary. Don't be alarmed if the dough looks a bit crumbly at this point.
- Turn the dough out onto the prepared work surface.
- Gently knead the dough a few times, until it comes together. Add a bit more flour to the dough or the work surface if necessary.
- Pat the dough out into a 3/4 to 1 inch thickness.
- Use a biscuit cutter, or large circular cookie cutter to cut out the biscuits.
- Place the biscuits on a baking pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
- Make sure the biscuits are placed next to each other, they should just be touching one another.
- Brush the biscuits with some of the melted butter.
- Place the biscuits in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove the biscuits from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for a minute or two before serving.
Recipe Tips and Variations
1. When cutting out the biscuits, use the biscuit or cookie cutter to cut straight down through the dough. Twisting the cookie cutter will not allow the biscuits to rise properly while baking in the oven.
2. A substitute for buttermilk can be made by mixing 2 teaspoons of lemon juice with 3/4 cup milk. Stir the mixture together, and set aside for a few minutes, until it thickens, before adding it to the recipe.
3. Don't use a rolling pin to roll out the dough, or the biscuits may become overly dense and/or tough. Lightly tap the dough out, on a floured work surface, by hand.
4. A cheese and herb biscuit can be made by stirring in 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup chopped chives into the biscuit mix, before stirring in the buttermilk.
5. A meat and cheese biscuit can be made by stirring in 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup crumbled bacon into the biscuit mixture, prior to adding the buttermilk.
6. Keep the 1/4 cup of butter in the refrigerator until ready to cut into the biscuit mixture.
Additional Biscuit and Muffin Recipes
Learn how to make a quick and easy biscuit, which uses only five ingredients, in the recipe for four varieties of rolled biscuits.
The zucchini nut muffin article contains a recipe for a classic breakfast treat which features zucchini, walnuts and golden raisins.
Pumpkin spice muffins, use canned pumpkin pie filling, and pumpkin pie spices to create a moist and delicious muffin.
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