What's the difference between regular biscuits and buttermilk biscuits?

What's the difference between this buttermilk biscuit recipe and our easy biscuit recipe ? The main difference is the type of milk. Buttermilk biscuits require buttermilk, which gives them an extra rise and a subtle tanginess that is just heavenly. Regular biscuits often use whole milk. Plus, we are using a different technique for these buttermilk biscuits to get high rising biscuits.

Is it better to make biscuits with buttermilk or whole milk?

The answer is based on personal preference. Both buttermilk and whole milk make great biscuits! Personally, I prefer buttermilk because the extra acid gives you a really fluffy texture, and the little bit of tanginess is really lovely.

Why aren't my buttermilk biscuits fluffy?

The key to fluffy biscuits is to use really cold butter and a hot oven. If your butter is not really cold and the oven is not fully preheated, you won't have a perfect biscuit. If you followed those steps and still had a problem, then check the age of your baking powder. It can go bad after a while and stop rising. Another option is that you overworked the dough. Unlike yeasted doughs, biscuits should not be kneaded at all; just mix enough to bring the dough together. You don't want to develop any gluten, which can cause a tough texture. If you suspect you overworked the dough, just pop the biscuit dough in the fridge to let it rest for about 30 minutes before baking.

Buttermilk Biscuits

Name: Buttermilk Biscuits
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder; ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon sugar; 6 tablespoons butter, very cold and diced into ½-inch cubes; 3/4 cup buttermilk, very cold; 1-2 tablespoons butter, melted (optional)

Description

Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits are the gold standard in biscuits. They're perfectly tender with a buttery, flaky texture. Serve them under a bed of sausage gravy for homemade biscuits and gravy, use them to sop up homemade soups or stews, or peel apart those flaky layers and add a drizzle of honey. You can't go wrong!

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
6 tablespoons butter, very cold and diced into ½-inch cubes
3/4 cup buttermilk, very cold
1-2 tablespoons butter, melted (optional)

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or fork until butter is the size of small peas.
Make a well in the center of the mixture and slowly pour in the buttermilk. Mix just until combined. Once the batter forms into a soft dough, use your hands to fold in the dry pieces that haven’t been incorporated. Be careful not to overmix. Note that the dough will be slightly sticky.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and form into a rectangle. Fold it into thirds by bringing one half to the center and then repeating with the other half overlapping. Then, pat the layered dough into a ¾-inch thick disk.
Flour a 2.5-inch biscuit cutter (or the rim of a glass) and cut out rounds of dough. Place biscuits onto prepared baking sheet. Repeat by gathering scraps and shaping into a disk.
Bake biscuits for 15 to 18 minutes, or until tops are just golden brown. Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter (optional) and serve warm.

Notes

How to store: Keep leftover biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. To last longer, store in the fridge for up to 1 week.

How to reheat: Pop your leftover biscuit in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute to bring it back to life. You can also pop them in a 350-degree oven or air fryer for a few moments until warm and crisp.

How to freeze: Wrap leftover flaky biscuits in plastic wrap, then store them in a freezer bag for 2-3 months.

Freezing biscuit dough: You can also freeze the dough before baking! Cut out the biscuits and freeze them on a lined baking sheet for 1-2 hours until hard. Then, store in a freezer safe bag for 2-3 months and bake from frozen for 18-20 minutes or so.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Bread
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American