These Easy Homemade Biscuits only have 3 simple ingredients and are the most fluffy, flaky, and deliciously buttery biscuits you will ever make from scratch! Pour my Country Cream Gravy on top for the perfect Southern breakfast!
2cupsself-rising flour(the flour must be labeled "self-rising"; all-purpose flour will not work for this recipe)
¾cupsalted butter(cubed and very cold; ¾ cup = 1 ½ sticks of butter)
1 ¼cupcold buttermilk(make sure you use buttermilk - it reacts with the baking powder in the self-rising flour allowing the biscuits to rise; no other type of milk will work for this recipe)
Add flour and cubed butter to a food processor. Pulse just until butter is pea-size and incorporated (about 10 quick pulses). (If you don't have a food processor, you can cut the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or a fork.)
Pour the flour mixture into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour the buttermilk into the well. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the buttermilk until the dough comes together but is still crumbly. (Don't overmix.)
Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface. With floured hands, bring the dough together and gently flatten out into a ¾-inch thick rectangle. Trifold the dough in over itself, using a bench scraper as needed. Pat the dough back down to a ¾-inch thick rectangle and trifold one more time. Gently pat the dough back down to ¾-inch thickness.
Dip a 2 ¾-inch biscuit cutter or glass jar into flour and then press straight down into the dough. (Don't twist the cutter or it will seal off the edges of the biscuits and prevent them from fully rising.) Place biscuits in a greased cast-iron skillet (or baking sheet lined with parchment paper) side-by-side touching each other (this will allow the biscuits to climb up each other and fully rise). Bring leftover dough together and flatten back down to ¾-inch thickness. Continue to cut out biscuits, redipping the cutter in flour each time, until all the dough has been used. I usually end up with 12 to 15 biscuits.
Bake at 450°F for 13 to 16 minutes, until lightly golden brown on top.
Brush the tops with melted salted butter immediately when they come out of the oven.
Storage: Store leftover biscuits at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheat: Once biscuits cool off, they start to harden. Reheat the biscuits by wrapping them in a damp paper towel and microwaving for 20 seconds.
Freezing: These biscuits can be made ahead of time by placing raw biscuits in an airtight container and then freezing them for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, bake from frozen at 400°F for 25-30 minutes, until tops are lightly browned.
Buttermilk: Only use buttermilk for this recipe. It reacts with the baking powder in the self-rising flour allowing the biscuits to rise. No other type of milk will work for this recipe.
Butter: Make sure your butter is very cold before using. If your kitchen is warm, it's best to freeze the cubed butter for 20 minutes ahead of time. Cold butter releases steam while baking and forms air pockets within the biscuits that produce a light and fluffy texture.
Flour: Only use "self-rising flour" for this recipe. It contains baking powder that reacts with the buttermilk and makes the biscuits rise.
Don't overwork the dough or your biscuits could turn out tough and the butter could start to melt.
Cutting: When cutting the biscuits out of the dough with a biscuit cutter, make sure you press straight down and don't twist. Twisting the cutter will seal off the edges of the biscuits preventing them from fully rising.
Placement: Whether baking in a cast-iron skillet or baking sheet, make sure you place the biscuits side-by-side touching each other. This allows them to climb each other and rise higher.