Homemade Flaky Biscuit Recipe Recipe - The Carefree Kitchen (2024)

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Homemade Flaky Biscuit Recipe or sometimes called Baking Powder Biscuits, are soft, fluffy, buttery, and so quick to make. With just a few easy steps, you’ll have delicious homemade biscuits to rival anything from the can or restaurant in no time at all.

Homemade Flaky Biscuit Recipe Recipe - The Carefree Kitchen (1)
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  • Homemade Flaky Biscuit Video Tutorial
  • Soft and Tender Baking Powder Biscuit
  • Butter vs. Shortening in Biscuits
  • Toppings For Baking Powder Biscuits
  • Ingredients in Baking Powder Biscuits
  • How to Make Easy Homemade Baking Powder Biscuits From Scratch
  • Tips for Making Baking Powder Biscuit Recipe
  • Baking Powder Biscuits Recipe

Homemade Flaky Biscuit Video Tutorial

Soft and Tender Baking Powder Biscuit

Once you make this Baking Powder Biscuits Recipe, you may never go back to the canned version again! At the very least, you will realize how simple it is to make your own. In fact, you probably have all of the ingredients that you need to make them right at this very minute.

We’ve provided you with step-by-step instructions, as well as tips and tricks, on how to make these biscuits perfectly soft, tender and delicious every single time. While they taste yummy on their own for breakfast, this is also a great flaky biscuits recipe to use for biscuits and gravy, as the topping for pot pie or even as a replacement for regular dinner rolls. And for a little flavor variation, be sure to try our Cheddar Biscuits too.

Homemade Flaky Biscuit Recipe Recipe - The Carefree Kitchen (2)

Butter vs. Shortening in Biscuits

We prefer butter over shortening because we’ve found it helps give them a little extra boost, thanks to the water content in butter. It also adds an undeniably delicious flavor that you just can't compete with.

This Fluffy Biscuit Recipe without shortening is made using room temperature butter instead of cold butter, which produces light, soft and tender biscuits, instead of flaky layers. If you prefer yours a little flakier, you can substitute cold butter. Just freeze your butter, then grate it using a box grater directly into the bowl with the dry ingredients.

Toppings For Baking Powder Biscuits

There are so many great ways to eat biscuits! Yes, a biscuit is delicious all on its own (especially with plenty of butter). But why not make it a party? Here are a few of our favorite toppings for Baking Powder Biscuits:

  • Honey, or The Most Amazing Honey Butter
  • Jams and jellies
  • Gravy of all kinds
  • Sausage Gravy- an amazing and easy homemade sausage gravy recipe.

You can also use this biscuit recipe as the topping for pot pie, cobbler or even dipped into your favorite soup (Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup comes to mind).

Homemade Flaky Biscuit Recipe Recipe - The Carefree Kitchen (3)

Ingredients in Baking Powder Biscuits

  • Flour - we use all-purpose flour for these biscuits.
  • Baking Powder - any brand will work.
  • Salt - we like to use sea salt.
  • Butter - you can use either salted or unsalted butter, however you may need to reduce the salt in the recipe slightly if you go with salted.
  • Milk - we suggest using whole milk for this recipe, or even substituting heavy cream or buttermilk.
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How to Make Easy Homemade Baking Powder Biscuits From Scratch

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Add room temperature butter and use a fork or pastry blender to mix. The mixture should resemble coarse crumbs.
  4. Make a well in the center of the butter and flour mixture, then add milk all at once and mix just until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl (dough will be sticky and a little lumpy). Let the dough rest for 2-3 minutes.
  5. On a floured surface, lightly knead dough by hand until smooth (about 30 seconds), then roll dough out with a rolling pin until the dough is even and about ¾" thick.
  6. Cut dough with a 3-4" round biscuit cutter or the bottom of a cup/jar (you can also cut into squares using a sharp knife) and place about ½” - 1” apart on a lightly greased baking dish.
  7. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 12-14 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
  8. Remove from the oven, then brush the tops with melted butter. Serve warm, and enjoy!
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Tips for Making Baking Powder Biscuit Recipe

  • When cutting your biscuit dough recipe, do not twist the cutter! Cutting straight up and down will help the biscuits rise straight up, rather than lopsided.
  • Another way to achieve flaky layers is by folding the dough in half and rolling it back down to about 1 ½” thick. Repeat up to 4 times before rolling out to the final thickness of ¾”.
  • It’s a good idea to keep the milk cold, particularly if you are using room temperature butter. It helps keep everything nice and cool even while you are working the biscuit dough with your warm hands.
  • For even more golden brown biscuits, you can brush them with a little milk just before baking.
  • If you have the time, it doesn’t hurt to chill your biscuit dough once it is rolled out and just before cutting.

Can I Freeze Baking Powder Biscuits?

Yes, the unbaked biscuit dough freezes very well. We recommend cutting your biscuits and freezing them flat on a baking sheet before storing them in a freezer bag or airtight container. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months!
To bake, remove the frozen biscuit rounds from the freezer and transfer to a baking sheet. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight, or else bake from frozen and add a few extra minutes to the baking time.

What to Make with Homemade Flaky Biscuits:

  • Biscuits and Gravy:A classic Southern breakfast dish, top your warm biscuits with a rich and creamy sausage gravy.
  • Fried Chicken Biscuit Sandwich:Use your homemade biscuits as the bun for a crispy fried chicken sandwich, topped with pickles, lettuce, and your favorite sauce.
  • Strawberry Shortcake:Add and a little sugar to your dough and use the biscuits for an easy dessert. Cut your biscuits in half and layer with fresh strawberries and whipped cream for a delicious and easy dessert.
  • Buttermilk Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich:Fill your biscuits with scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheese for a hearty breakfast sandwich.
  • Biscuit-Topped Chicken Pot Pie:Use your biscuits as the crust for a comforting and delicious chicken pot pie.
  • Ham and Cheese Biscuits:Layer your biscuits with thinly sliced ham and your favorite cheese for a quick and easy lunch.
  • Biscuit-Topped Beef Stew:Use your biscuits as a topping for a hearty and comforting beef stew.
  • Spreads- Or just enjoy your homemade biscuits with Homemade Strawberry Jam, Honey Cinnamon Butter or Garlic Butter!

These are just a few ideas for what you can make with your homemade buttermilk biscuits. Get creative and experiment with different flavors and ingredients to create your own unique dishes.

Homemade Flaky Biscuit Recipe Recipe - The Carefree Kitchen (6)

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Baking Powder Biscuits Recipe

These Baking Powder Biscuits are soft, fluffy, buttery and so quick to make. With just a few easy steps, you’ll have delicious homemade biscuits to rival anything from the can in no time.

Course Bread, Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes minutes

Total Time 34 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Calories 210kcal

Author The Carefree Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons Baking Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • cup Butter room tempreture
  • ¾ cup Milk
  • 1 Tablespoon Butter melted, to brush on after baking

Egg Wash

  • 1 large Egg
  • 1 Tablespoon Milk

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

  • In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt.

  • Add room temperature butter and use a fork or pastry blender to mix. The mixture should resemble coarse crumbs.

  • Make a well in the center of the butter and flour mixture, then add milk all at once and mix just until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl (dough will be sticky and a little lumpy). Let the dough rest for 2-3 minutes.

  • On a floured surface, lightly knead dough by hand until smooth (about 30 seconds), then roll dough out with a rolling pin until the dough is even and about ¾" thick.

  • Cut dough with a 3-4" round biscuit cutter or the bottom of a cup/jar (you can also cut into squares using a sharp knife) and place 1-2" apart on a lightly greased baking dish.

  • Use your thumb and make a small indent on the top of the biscuit. (This will help them rise straigh on all sides)

  • Beat egg in a small bowl with the milk. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the biscuits.

  • Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 12-14 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.

  • Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter if desired. Serve warm, and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 238mg | Potassium: 291mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 317IU | Calcium: 130mg | Iron: 2mg

Here are some more recipes that we love!

  • Cinnamon Twist Bread
  • Homemade Crescent Rolls
  • Easy Homemade Cornbread
  • Homemade Soft Pretzels
  • Homemade White Bread
  • More Bread Recipes
  • More Breakfast Recipes
  • Best Brunch Recipes
  • Blueberry Breakfast Cake
  • Banana Muffins

If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment on this post. I love hearing feedback from you that helps me and other readers too! If you love Pinterest, feel free to leave a comment and photo there too. Also, if you like to share, use the hashtag #thecarefreekitchen on Instagram and tag me @thecarefreekitchen so I can find you and give your post some love. You can also find me on Facebook at The Carefree Kitchen. Thank you!!

Homemade Flaky Biscuit Recipe Recipe - The Carefree Kitchen (7)

These homemade flakey biscuit recipe, Baking Powder Biscuits are soft, fluffy, and made with real butter. Using only 5 simple ingredients, they are a cinch to make and quick to throw together.This homemade biscuit recipe is perfect for breakfast, alongside your favorite gravy, or made into a great sandwich.

This recipe for baking powder biscuits is a soft biscuit recipe and makes the most amazing flakey biscuits.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Joey

    The recipe called for 1.5 Tablespoons of baking soda, all they tasted like was straight baking soda. Was there a miss representation of baking soda, because they did not turn out good.

    Reply

  2. Julie

    Best Biscuit Recipe EVER! I rarely make biscuits, they just seem time consuming and difficult. Your recipe was so easy to follow. 10 minutes to make the dough, 14 to bake the biscuits. And they turned out FANTASTIC! Flakey, buttery perfection. No more biscuits-in-a-can for me. These are 100 times better than the premade ones. Excellent recipe.

    Reply

  3. Kim

    These were very good and soooo very easy!

    Reply

    • Donna Zulock

      I am a well seasoned cook who has been cooking for 60 years. The one thing I couldn't make were biscuits. This recipe came out so good, my husband loved them. I used cold butter and mixed the dry ingredients with the butter in a food processor. This recipe is a keeper.

      Reply

    • Lisa

      Very easy and came out perfect! So good! I made a double batch and froze half. Thank you for the recipe!

      Reply

  4. Linda Grundman

    Eating them as we speak soooooooo goooooood, thankyou.

    Reply

    • Jill Baird

      So glad you enjoyed them!!

      Reply

  5. Colleen

    We don't get refrigerator biscuit dough in South Africa. Would your biscuits recipe be able to be used in all the recipe ideas for eg inside casseroles and not just as a topping?

    Reply

    • Jill Baird

      you bet!

      Reply

  6. Virginia

    These were so easy to make and they froze and baked well from frozen. Defiantly a recipe to keep!!

    Reply

    • Jill Baird

      Thanks for letting me know! I'm so glad you love them too.

      Reply

      • Debbie Jolley

        These are the best biscuits. I make them and freeze them on a cookie sheet then put them in gallon bags. Great recipe!!

        Reply

Leave a Reply

Homemade Flaky Biscuit Recipe Recipe - The Carefree Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What are the two most important things to do to ensure a flaky and tender biscuit? ›

The two keys to success in making the best biscuits are handling the dough as little as possible as well as using very cold solid fat (butter, shortening, or lard) and cold liquid. When the biscuits hit the oven, the cold liquid will start to evaporate creating steam which will help our biscuits get very tall.

What is the secret to an excellent biscuit? ›

Use Cold Butter for Biscuits

For flaky layers, use cold butter. When you cut in the butter, you have coarse crumbs of butter coated with flour. When the biscuit bakes, the butter will melt, releasing steam and creating pockets of air. This makes the biscuits airy and flaky on the inside.

What makes biscuits rise and fluffy? ›

Fully incorporating the butter and flour guarantees tender, airy biscuits every time. Low-protein flours keep biscuits fluffy and light, never tough. Yogurt provides both hydration and structure, for biscuits that bake up straight and tall but moist.

What type of fat must be used to result in flaky biscuits? ›

The key to flaky biscuits is in the fat. Fat—butter and shortening in this recipe—creates the tender texture of biscuits and helps form the flaky layers. Butter delivers rich flavor. But because shortening contains no water, it creates more-distinct layers, which is why our Test Kitchen uses a combination of the two.

What flour is best for homemade biscuits? ›

White wheat in general is around 9-12% protein, while the hard reds are 11-15%. As far as brands of flour, White Lily “all-purpose” flour has been my go-to for biscuit making. It's a soft red winter wheat, and the low protein and low gluten content keep biscuits from becoming too dense.

Which is better for biscuits, all-purpose flour or bread flour? ›

all-purpose flour – this flour has plenty of gluten developing protein (10-12%), but not as much as bread flour, which makes it more suitable for many cakes, cookies, biscuits and pie dough.

What does adding an egg to biscuits do? ›

Eggs act as a binder for biscuits, without them the mixture will be far too crumbly. They also add flavour and texture, as well as extending shelf life.

Should you chill biscuit dough before baking? ›

But if you chill your pan of biscuits in the fridge before baking, not only will the gluten relax (yielding more tender biscuits), the butter will harden up. And the longer it takes the butter to melt as the biscuits bake, the more chance they have to rise high and maintain their shape. So, chill... and chill.

What is the king of biscuit? ›

Pillai became known in India as the 'Biscuit King' or 'Biscuit Baron'. He took over Nabisco's other Asian subsidiaries. Pillai then established links with Boussois-Souchon-Neuvesel (BSN), the French food company, and by 1989 controlled six Asian companies worth over US$400 million.

Are biscuits better with butter or shortening? ›

Crisco may be beneficial for other baking applications, but for biscuit making, butter is the ultimate champion!

What is the secret to high rising biscuits? ›

A sharp cutter leaves clean edges

Why is this important? A biscuit whose edges are squashed together has a harder time rising than one with cleanly cut edges.

Why are my biscuits not flaky? ›

To create flaky layers in your biscuits, it's important that you fold the dough a few times. When cutting the butter into your dough, the fat forms small pockets coated by flour. By folding the dough you create layers of those fat pockets and flour.

Is it better to make biscuits with butter or oil? ›

In a pinch, substitute butter with another semi-solid fat

Without undergoing the Maillard reaction, biscuits made with oil also lack the richness and allure of butter-baked biscuits.

What happens if you add too much butter to biscuits? ›

in this case, it appears that the biscuit structure is just a lot more stable (structurally speaking) when there's less butter. When you get a lot of butter, you're kind of filling your biscuit with holes, which makes it unable to bear its own weight to rise very far.

What kind of liquid is best for making biscuits? ›

Buttermilk also adds a pleasant tanginess to baked biscuits, and its relatively low levels of fat make it work in recipes that call for any kind of fat, from butter to shortening, and even cream. (Yes, cream can be used as both a liquid and a fat.

What 2 ingredients affect both flakiness and tenderness of a plain pastry? ›

Its combination of two fats – butter and shortening. Shortening gives the crust structure, keeping those pretty crimps in shape and preventing the crust from sagging. And butter adds its signature flavor. Both fats contribute to flakiness.

How do you achieve a tender and flaky pastry? ›

7 pie crust tips for tender, flaky results every time
  1. 1Keep the dough ingredients cool.
  2. 2Use a light touch.
  3. 3Hydrate the dough (but not too much)
  4. 4Chill the dough.
  5. 5Keep the dough from sticking.
  6. 6Roll the dough out evenly.
  7. 7Relax.
Nov 4, 2022

What makes baked products tender and flaky? ›

Rubbing the fat in causes the baked product to have a flaky texture, as the dough is separated into layers. When fat is whisked with sugar, a process called creaming, the texture will be more like a cake, and be soft and springy. The type of fat used will also affect the colour of the product.

What is the most important step in biscuit making? ›

Mixing. The multi-stage mixing method is preferred for its ability to produce consistent doughs which are not fully developed. Blending all dry ingredients to rub or cut the shortening into the flour until fat is fully distributed and pea-sized lumps are visible.

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