Easy Fluffy Biscuits
- PREP 15min
- COOK 15min
- TOTAL 30min
These are the most tender and fluffy biscuits from scratch we’ve ever made. These baking powder biscuits are big, tall, tender, and delicious. My preferred method is to get out my food processor. It’s an excellent tool for cutting the cold butter into our flour mixture since it’s quick. If you don’t feel like getting your food processor out, you can use your hands or a pastry cutter to work the butter into the flour (tips are provided in the notes section).
You Will Need
2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour, see notes for self-rising flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 tablespoons (85g) cold butter, see notes
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (207ml) whole milk or buttermilk
Directions
Heat the oven to 425°F (218°C) and set aside an oven-safe 10-inch or 12-inch skillet like a cast iron pan or, if you do not have one, set aside a baking sheet instead.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse three to four times so that it is mixed.
Cut the cold butter into cubes or thin slices, then scatter it over the flour in the food processor. Pulse 5 to 7 times or until the butter turns into tiny bits — see our photos and video for reference.
Empty the butter-flour mixture into a large bowl. Make a well in the middle, and then pour in the milk (or buttermilk). Stir until a shaggy dough forms.
Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle a little flour on top, and then bring the dough together with your hands. It might be a bit sticky, so add flour as needed.
Without working the dough too much, pat it down into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick. Fold the dough into thirds, like a letter — see our photos and video for reference. Rotate the rectangle 90 degrees, and then repeat this process two more times.
Pat the dough into a rectangle between 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch thick. Then use a biscuit cutter to cut out your biscuits — we use a 3-inch round cutter. Do not twist the cutter, as this will seal the edges of the biscuits and prevent them from rising.
Place the cut-out biscuits into the skillet (or onto a baking sheet). Keeping them close to each other helps them rise.
Gently press together the scraps and use them to make more biscuits, but be careful not to overwork the dough, or else they will be tough.
Bake the biscuits until golden brown and have risen, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- How to make buttermilk biscuits: Use the same amount of buttermilk as milk called for in our biscuits recipe. Buttermilk adds a tangy flavor to the biscuits and makes them slightly more tender.
- Butter: We use salted European butter in this recipe. It will work with unsalted or salted butter. I like the extra saltiness of salted butter, but you can reduce the salt to 3/4 teaspoon if you prefer.
- Self-rising flour: If you use self-rising flour, there won’t be enough baking powder added to the biscuit dough. So, whisk in 2 extra teaspoons of baking powder. Use 1/2 teaspoon salt instead.
- Baking soda: In the video, I say 1/2 tsp of baking soda. This is incorrect. Use 1/4 tsp.
- Recipe inspired and adapted from Sam Sifton’s All-Purpose Biscuits as well as our Buttermilk Biscuits
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.