This is a Tried and True recipe for Buttermilk Biscuits!
Today, I’m updating this recipe with new photos since I photographed it in 2011, but I have to say–I never left this recipe. I’ve made it for years, and each time I pulled up the recipe on my own site, the overly yellow photos made me cringe. But, since I usually make this recipe in the early morning hours before my family wakes up, I never had enough natural light to re-photograph them. The stars aligned last week when I decided to make my white chicken chili with biscuits on the side. Over time, I changed one small technique in the way that I make small batch biscuits. Instead of crowding the biscuits together in a small pan and purposefully having the edges touch, I space them out on a baking sheet. In my experience, they rise higher this way, and you get more crusty edges, which is the best part of a biscuit, in my opinion. If you like those super soft biscuits for sopping up gravy, though, go ahead and place the biscuits close together on the sheet tray. This small batch biscuit recipe makes 6 biscuits. You’ll get 4 biscuits on the first roll out, and then gather the scraps to re-roll to get 2 more biscuits. It’s important to do it this way rather than roll out the dough bigger and cut out all 6 at once so that you get the correct depth of dough. The dough should be at least a ½" thick when you cut out each biscuit.
Buttermilk Biscuit Ingredients
Flour. All-purpose, regular white flour. Do not use self-raising flour, because we’re adding leaveners to it. Salt. Just a ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt. Baking Soda. One and a quarter teaspoons of baking soda. Make sure it’s fresh and not expired. If you put a small amount in a glass with vinegar, it should be fizzy! Baking Powder. Aluminum-free baking powder, please. Butter. Half a stick of unsalted butter that is still cold from the fridge. Buttermilk. We’ll start with a half-cup of low-fat buttermilk, but we might add an extra teaspoon or two, depending on how dry the mixture is in the bowl. I really recommend store-bought buttermilk, not making your own or using the powder.
How to make Buttermilk Biscuits
The other non-negotiable here is real buttermilk. I know I typically advise that it’s okay to make a faux buttermilk with whole milk and lemon juice. There are times when it’s okay, like in my small vanilla cake for two, and times when it’s not, like in my rye bread and these small batch biscuits. Sorry to be so nitpicky, but you can use the rest of the buttermilk to make my rye bread, small batch pancakes, my recipe for 4 red velvet cupcakes, or my super fun homemade ding dongs cupcakes! Buttermilk has so many uses in my kitchen. I’ve even heard of people successfully freezing it in ice cube trays to use at a later date, so you always have that option, too. I can’t think of any breakfast that wouldn’t be improved upon by some small batch biscuits, especially if sausage gravy is involved. If you have my second cookbook, Comfort & Joy: Cooking for Two, you’ll know that I have a recipe for biscuits and gravy in that book. That cookbook has 3 different recipes for biscuits, which is slightly ridiculous, but don’t forget: I’m a Texan. I love serving these with my small batch strawberry jam in the spring and summer months, or slow cooker apple butter in the Fall. They’re also very welcome for celebrating Thanksgiving for two. There’s hardly a time when biscuits aren’t welcome! Just look at that golden brown top and that mega-rise in the biscuits! They’re perfection! I use all butter when making biscuits because the flavor is best, but you can use half butter and half shortening in this recipe.
Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe Tips
What to serve with Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
We like biscuits with salted butter and honey, but jam and whipped cream are lovely, too. You can also make my Strawberry Shortcakes with them. Whatever you do, though, don’t forget to serve them with extra butter on the side. Salted butter is a revelation on biscuits instead of regular butter, even though this recipe is made with unsalted butter!
Storing Leftover Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits
Do Buttermilk Biscuits freeze well?
You can freeze unbaked biscuits or baked biscuits very well! Place unbaked biscuits on a flat sheet pan and freeze individually first. Then, move to a bag for easier storage once frozen. (We’re individually freezing them first so they don’t stick together in the freezer). You can freeze already baked biscuits in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Defrost in the microwave until warm throughout. If you like these small batch biscuits, you might like my small batch dinner rolls.
