Best Homemade Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe

I'm from the South, where the quality of your homemade biscuits is a sign of character. It's not enough to simply crack open a roll of refrigerated dough and toss it into a pan - Southern biscuits have to be made with love. And buttermilk.

The best biscuits are soft inside, with a distinct buttery flavor and that little bit of buttermilk tang to them. They can't be crumbly or flaky - that style just doesn't work well with sausage gravy poured on top or as a sausage biscuit with grape jelly.

Over the last couple of months, I have tested out every single biscuit recipe I could find. I asked my mom how she makes hers, I tried following the recipe that my mother-in-law makes... I even tried my stepdad's Granny's recipe. No luck. I came close a few times but never could make that perfect fluffy soft biscuit that I wanted.

That's when I decided to take matters into my own hands. The basic biscuit recipe always calls for flour, butter, and milk. There are all kinds of different variations - self-rising flour vs. all-purpose with baking powder and salt, butter vs. margarine vs. shortening vs. lard, whole milk vs. buttermilk... Every method was tried and tested and tweaked until I came up with this one: My Perfect Biscuit Recipe.

Only problem? No buttermilk. I tried different variations of the acid in milk, trying different kinds of vinegar and citrus juices, but I found that approximately one tablespoon of lemon juice in a cup of whole milk works best. Just remember to let it sit for about 5 minutes before adding it to the flour and butter mixture.

Now the trick is to make sure you don't overwork the dough. It has to stay sticky and wet, so be sure to add a little extra flour as you fold and (gently) knead the dough.

Traditionally, you would use a round biscuit or cookie cutter to get the perfect size/shape for these. I had neither, so I used a glass cup with a little extra flour around the rim. This made larger than normal biscuits, but no one complained!

Bake them until they're just golden brown on top. You can add a little bit of butter here to make them even tastier.

Yield: 8 Biscuits         Author: Jamie Knupp

Perfect Buttermilk Biscuits

prep time: 10 MINS    cook time: 10 MINS    total time: 20 mins

Light, fluffy homemade buttermilk biscuits that are simple to make and taste amazing every time.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Cups Self-Rising Flour (I use White Lily)
• 6 Tablespoons Butter - cut into small cubes (Very cold)
• 3/4 Cups Whole Milk
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Extra flour for kneading

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine milk and lemon juice in a small bowl and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
2. Sift flour into large bowl and cut in butter cubes until they are about the size of peas. Use whisk or pastry blender, not hands. Heat from your hands will melt the butter.
3. Slowly add the milk, and gently mix only until all ingredients are combined.
4. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. The dough will be VERY sticky.
5. Lightly dust surface of dough with flour and gently knead, folding the dough and pressing down 4-5 times, dusting with more flour if it gets too sticky.
6. Cut out biscuit rounds using a cookie cutter or floured cup. Place on baking sheet with edges touching.
7. Bake 8-10 minutes at 400°F