Homemade Butter Biscuit Recipe (Fluffy and Easy) - A Quaint Life (2024)

This homemade butter biscuit recipe makes the most delicious flaky biscuits you’ve ever tasted and is perfect for dishes like biscuits with gravy or to top a skillet chicken pot pie.

We used to frequent this very small and very old breakfast restaurant near our home. We’d go on the weekends and the lines were always spilling out the front door. One of us would have to make our way past the crowds of people to find the hostess stand and put our name on the list. The wait was always long but it was always worth it. They had and I cannot emphasize this enough, the PERFECT biscuits. Buttery, flaky layers in the shape of a thick rectangle to where you knew these were homemade.

Fresh and with a high rise. These biscuits had it all. With a fluffy texture and a crisp buttery top, it was clear the baker had their recipe down. Paired with a cup of gravy, it was the most indulgent and delicious breakfast to date.

Funny enough one of the very first items I learned to make straight out of the pantry and completely from scratch were these homemade butter biscuits that dare I say, are equally as delicious. I remember standing in my cramped kitchen, in what looked like a flour explosion, admiring the fresh warm golden biscuits hot from the oven.

I could not believe I had made anything so delicious and completely homemade. So much so that I figured I wouldn’t be able to repeat it. As if the first time was some sort of a happy accident. It was the starting point for me. From that point on, I began feeling much more confident in the kitchen. And I have to say, that this remains the best biscuit recipe to make for timeswhen nothing but a good biscuit will do.

Homemade Butter Biscuits Are…

• The absolute best biscuits to make and an easy recipe.
• Made with basic ingredients that create fluffy biscuits with flakey layers.
• A great recipe that works well every single time.
• My go-to biscuit recipe that bake up golden brown.
• An easy quick bread that doesn’t require fancy equipment to make.

Ingredients

Flour- for best results use all-purpose flour. I use King Arthur unbleached all-purpose. You can also use bread flour or pastry flour which will yield similar results.

Baking Powder- added to help give these biscuits a nice lift.

Milk- Use whole milk or 2% milk for these biscuits.

Butter- I use salted butter for my biscuits, but you can also use unsalted butter if you’d like. I suggest adding about 1 tsp of sea salt to the dough if using unsalted butter.

Tools

Pastry cutter or Food processor

Baking sheet

Round biscuit cutter (or the lid of a jam size mason jar works great too)

Directions

Begin by adding the butter, flour, and baking powder into the bowl of a food processor. Blend until a dough ball forms. If mixing by hand use a dough cutter to combine the butter and flour. Add the milk once the butter is in pea-sized bits. Mix with your hands to form a dough ball.

Note: Whether using a food processor or a pastry cutter to combine the flour and cold butter, make sure to cut the butter down before beginning. The butter should be broken down into small pieces and mixed into the dough, not large visible chunks.

​Note: Sprinkle flour across the sticky dough and onto the rolling pin to help make rolling it out easier.

Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface and roll it out to about ½ inch thick.

Cut the dough into 8 biscuits. Place them on a lined baking sheet or inside a cast iron skillet.

Note: You can use a jam size mason jar lid as a biscuit cutter or use a sharp knife to cut the biscuits into squares.

Make sure to brush the tops of the biscuits with milk before putting them in the oven.

Bake at 450F for about 10-12 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden.

Baking Notes

• Be sure to use salted butter otherwise, you will need to add a tsp of salt to this recipe when using unsalted butter.
• I like using my food processor to whip these up easily or you can use a pastry cutter to make these.
• I use organic, unbleached all-purpose flour for this recipe.
• If you don’t have a biscuit cutter, use a mason jar lid or opening to a jam jar. You can even cut them with a knife.
• Whether using a food processor or a pastry cutter to combine the flour and cold butter, make sure to cut the butter down before beginning. The butter should be broken down into small pieces and mixed into the dough, not large visible chunks.

Serving Suggestions

• Make a country gravy or sausage gravy to top these delicious homemade biscuits for a cozy breakfast.
• Serve alongside a bowl of soup. Be sure to check out this Homemade Creamy Mushroom Soup as well as this Creamy Tomato Pesto Soup. Both make the perfect soup for dunking these buttery biscuits into.
• Use them to top a skillet like this Skillet Chicken Pot Pie. The texture of these buttery homemade biscuits absorbs the gravy and stands up to baking over any dish well.

How To Store

Store leftover biscuits at room temperature. An airtight container, plastic bag, or even wrapped in a piece of parchment paper will do. These homemade butter biscuits will last up to 3 days. To reheat, use a microwave or toaster oven. Biscuit dough should be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and baked within 1-2 days of making. Store the dough in the fridge.

FAQ

What other flour can I use for these biscuits?

You can use pastry flour or bread flour for your biscuits. For bread flour, I love to use King Arthur unbleached bread flour.Both of these types of flourswill yield nice tall results and a flaky biscuit.

Do I need a food processor to make them?

No, you can use a pastry cutter to work the cold butter into the flour or even a fork. If doing so, it’s a good idea to cut the butter down with a sharp knife before mixing it in.

Can I use a cast iron skillet to bake these?

Yes, I use one if I am not using a baking sheet. The 10-inch cast iron skillet works best for the amount of biscuits in this recipe.

Can I use heavy cream in place of the milk?

You can. I have also used evaporated milk which I keep in my pantry for times when I run out of cream or regular milk. Heavy cream, milk, or evaporated milk all work nicely.

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Wooden Measuring Spoons

Cuisinart Food Processor

Baking Sheet Set of 2

Rolling Pin

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