Breakfast is a staple in southern homes. You can just about bet that on a Saturday morning, the smell of bacon frying will fill the house and having everyone waking up with a growling belly. Nothing really gets you going better than a plate of fried bacon, sausage, grits, eggs, and a tall fluffy biscuit. Who would think that a batch of flour and milk would come together to round off the perfect southern breakfast!
I don’t know about you guys, but I find a great biscuit can be the perfect vessel for devouring some of the best options breakfast has to offer. I mean honestly, the combinations are virtually endless! They can be enjoyed in a savory fashion with meat, cheese, and eggs. In the mood for something sweet, spread some mayhaw jelly, blackberry jam, blueberry syrup or even honey on that sucker and there you go! There’s mornings I’m in a hurry and just slapping some butter on a hot biscuit is all I need.
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One thing you want to remember when making these fluffy gems is to handle the dough as little as possible. If you have the butter ice cold and in pieces rather than completely incorporated, create several layers while pressing out, then you are guaranteed to end up with some of the best biscuits you can imagine.
Another thing, when you’re making a roux or even a gravy it doesn’t matter to have an exact measurement of flour but with baking, that’s a different story. Baking is more of a science which is probably why I don’t do a whole lot of baking …. So when you’re measuring out the ingredients for these biscuits, use a butter knife to scrape off excess amounts.
Jump to Recipe
First things first, cut up your stick of butter into little cubes. Normally I have them in tablespoons and cut them into 4 pieces. What I do is cut them up then place them in the freezer for about 5-8 minutes. You want them very cold but not ‘frozen’. You’ll add your dry ingredients then whisk together pretty good. The baking powder and salt needs to be well mixed throughout the flour. Then add the butter and cut in with a pastry cutter. You could use your hands to crumble the butter into the flour but remember that your hands will bring the temperature of the butter down quickly, so if you do it this way, you better be quick!
Next, add very cold milk to the dough and start mixing it with a baking spatula. These are pliable and will help get the flour incorporated instead of left behind. Now, once all the milk is mixed through, you’re going to think it looks dry but it’s not! Trust me, you have enough milk! Turn the dough out to a well floured baking mat.
Now remember, I told you not to mess with the dough with your hands too much but you have to at this stage. You’ll want to press all the dough together but just so that it all stays together for the most part. If you’re needing to do a big batch for company I’d suggest doing it in 2 or 3 batches. I would not recommend doubling the dough and trying to do it at one time.
Once the dough is mostly together, dust your hands with flour and start pressing it outward then flipping it onto itself while turning a 1/2 turn. This technique will help create the layers. And don’t be alarmed that you see bits of butter, you want that!! After you’ve pressed, flipped, and turned the dough a couple of times, press it out to no less than 1″ thick.
With a large biscuit cutter, you should be able to get 6 the first cut, then press together the remaining dough and cut 2 more. I spray a cast iron skillet with non-stick spray and place the biscuits not touching. There’s no problem with them touching, it will actually make them climb taller but I like a little texture along the sides. That’s just me though.
Can you see those bits of butter??
When I put them in the oven, I start out on the bottom rack for the first 10 minutes of cooking. This keeps the tops from getting too brown and not cooking evenly. After 10 minutes, move them to the top rack for the remaining 5 minutes and BAM! Perfectly brown homemade biscuits!
Fluffy Buttery Homemade Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cup Flour all purpose
- 2 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 8 Tbsp real butter
- 1 ¼ cup 2% milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°
- In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and whisk.
- Cut butter into cubes and place in freezer for about 5 minutes.
- Add butter to dry ingredients with pastry cutter until incorporated. You want to see little bits of butter in the flour.
- Pour in very cold milk and stir until you see no more 'wet'. It will look like there isn't enough liquid, there is!
- Turn the dough out onto a well floured pastry mat and press into a round shape. Do not flatten thin!
- Fold the dough in ½ and gently press out again, again not thin.
- Turn 1/2 way and press out again. Repeat this 4-5 times.
- Finally, press out dough to 1" thick. Do not use a rolling pin!
- Cut dough using a biscuit cutter and place in a well sprayed cast iron skillet.
- Place in preheated oven on the bottom rack for 10 minutes.
- Move skillet to a top rack and cook for the remaining 5 minutes. Check to ensure tops aren't browning too much.