Flaky, tender Southern buttermilk biscuits are a cornerstone of American baking — tall layered sides, golden tops, and pillowy interiors begging for butter, honey, or a ladle of sausage gravy. Unlike yeasted breads, biscuits rely on cold butter and the quick lift of baking powder and soda, so they're ready in well under an hour. This is a no-yeast, no-proof recipe — a quick bake for when you want fresh bread without the wait.

Under 1 hour

Beginner friendly

8 biscuits

2½ cups all-purpose flour (315g)
2½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed (115g)
1 cup cold buttermilk (240ml), plus extra for brushing

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar until evenly combined.

Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour. Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some larger, pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. Those butter pockets are what make the biscuits flaky.

Pour in the cold buttermilk and stir gently with a fork or spatula just until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overmix — the dough should look rough.

Turn Out

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into a rough rectangle, about 1 inch thick.

Fold

Fold the dough in thirds like a letter, then pat down and fold again. Repeat one more time. These folds build the layers that make biscuits flaky.

Cut

Pat the dough into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Cut out biscuits with a sharp 2½-inch round cutter, pressing straight down without twisting. Re-pat scraps to cut the remaining biscuits.

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Place the biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet with the sides touching (for tall, soft biscuits). Brush the tops with buttermilk. Bake for 15–18 minutes, until the tops are deeply golden and the biscuits are baked through.

Serve biscuits warm with butter, honey, jam, or sausage gravy for a classic Southern breakfast. They're best the day they're baked.

Cold ingredients are the secret: cold butter, cold buttermilk, and a quick hand. If the dough warms up, pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes before cutting.

Press your cutter straight down — twisting seals the edges and prevents the biscuits from rising tall. Any scraps can be gathered and patted (not rolled) to cut a final few biscuits.

Rolls & Buns, biscuits, southern, quick bread