Christmas
Buttermilk Biscuits
Popular on Food52
44 Reviews
Donna I.
May 12, 2023
These biscuits are very good. Best I ever made. I live in a very dry climate and had to add 1/2 more cup of buttermilk. Not all buttermilk is created equal. I managed to find organic and it worked wonderful. Thank you Erin you are very talented
Abby
September 2, 2021
These buttermilk scones are the best ever and I’m so glad I stumbled across our recipe and video. These are so soft and fluffy and just feel like a warm hug with some jam and whipped cream. Highly recommend
JeenaCanBake
February 28, 2021
For years I have dreaded making buttermilk biscuits fearing they will be hockey pucks. This is a foolproof recipe. Thank you! By the way, I can watch you all day.
Elizabeth H.
February 23, 2021
They definitely need more butter and salt. I recommend Bon Appetit’s Best Buttermilk Biscuits over these. Never fails.
Cheryl
January 23, 2021
Great recipe and great instructions. I had issues with my biscuits for years and lost all confidence. I watched the video with her making these with her dad and followed all of her instructions. My family is now addicted to biscuits.
Mason A.
January 17, 2021
Overall, a great simple biscuit recipe. Please remember to add more salt. I would add at least 3.5-4 tsp of salt or else the flavor feels a little short. Adding the folds makes for a beautiful, delicious effect.
Mishimmy
January 6, 2021
Um, these turned out AMAZING! I'm so happy! It was so easy and perfect with the full southern fried chicken dinner I made tonight. 100% will make again (and again and again...)
CarolO
December 18, 2020
I am 64 yrs old and have never in my life been able to make biscuits that weren’t hockey pucks. Finally SUCCESS!! They are oh so fluffy and yummy. I wish I knew this 50 years ago! Erin, you’re my hero.
WenDee70
December 9, 2020
Oh my word...I have made Erin's buttermilk biscuits about 6 times. I can tell you that my family is now excited to know when I am making biscuits. I have tried to make biscuits many many times in my life and I could never get it right?? Well~~be prepared to knock peoples socks off with this recipe. It is easy to understand and follow and so delish!! I am just thrilled to have found Erin and her recipes. Thanks you for sharing with us. Wendy
Tracy A.
December 3, 2020
My mom used to take White Lily flour from our home in Alabama to her sister in New Jersey, since my aunt couldn't get it. It really does make the best biscuits.
ljclapper
October 28, 2020
My biscuit attempts, there have been many, have all failed. Every time they turned out like hard hockey pucks. Once, my sons had a biscuit throwing session and one got a knot on his head! My self-esteem took a bigger hit...
These turned out delicious! My favorite biscuits are from a certain fried chicken place, rhymes with flopeyes, and these turned out just like them!
I recently lost 13 pounds. I found them though. They were hiding in the biscuits!
These turned out delicious! My favorite biscuits are from a certain fried chicken place, rhymes with flopeyes, and these turned out just like them!
I recently lost 13 pounds. I found them though. They were hiding in the biscuits!
Anne
October 24, 2020
I'm looking forward to trying this method, I've definitely been making the mistake of making them too thin and cutting them wrong. I'll have to measure out how many cups in 6oz as our butter comes in bricks with cup markings on the parchment. I could buy sticks but it's much more expensive. We pay between $4 & $5 per pound of butter compared to $7 - $8 per lb if in sticks.
Annie D.
July 19, 2020
THE BEST! Some tips: do not overwork, keep cold, and make them thick (or just watch the video).....these were soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, flaky and buttery
Liz S.
June 27, 2020
I am on a "bake everything Erin Jeanne McDowell" kick! I started with rough puff pastry (YUM!!!!!!) and moved to biscuits. I read all of the comments after I successfully made the recipe (twice) and for anyone coming here, I would highly recommend watching Erin's "Bake it up a notch" video: Baking biscuits with Dad, a father's day 2020 video with this recipe as well as a "things that go wrong" section AND her drop biscuits. Coming to the biscuit recipe from Erin's puff pastry, I had a good understanding of how to treat the butter in the dough and I think that is key to success here as well as NOT overworking, not pressing the dough too thin and refrigerating a little. At any rate, after years of not making great (or even very good) biscuits, I am so happy with these results.
Mishimmy
January 6, 2021
Erin is my hero. I'm so grateful she takes so much care to show how to make everything so it just works.
olivia
December 25, 2017
These are wonderful! I'm not entirely sure if the recipe I followed was altered. For me, they weren't too buttery and turned out perfectly flaky. We sifted unbleached flour and cut the butter in with a fork. Perhaps this in addition to mixing and kneading very lightly produces different results?
olivia
December 25, 2017
I forgot to mention I used the broiler to brown the tops. They weren't brown after 12-15 minutes.
Margaret R.
February 14, 2016
Made these this morning and they actually turned out nicely, if a little buttery. My one warning is that I baked them on a flat sheet vs. one with raised edges - all the butter runoff had smoke spewing out of my oven. I'm still airing out my kitchen 2 hours later! At least I have biscuits to enjoy.
margit
January 2, 2016
Can only agree with everyone that shared their disappointment here earlier!
Such a waste of time and ingredients!
Such a waste of time and ingredients!
Irish G.
October 11, 2015
Crap, crap, crap! I should've also read the comments!!! Aren't these "community picks" tested!! Just wasted my ingredients on a bunch of butter flavored hockey pucks!!!
Annie D.
July 19, 2020
You overworked your dough. She says that IF you overwork the dough they will be hard af’
jenbeee
October 4, 2015
I should have read the comments. Total failure! I got flat butter-soaked discs of sad.
Cannelloni&Cayenne
September 27, 2015
"A culinary hate crime." Apt description for this heinous recipe. What a waste of flour.
dashick1
September 21, 2015
Worst. Recipe. Ever. Followed this exactly, including buying the specific flour and high-quality butter. They were not over-mixed, and they came out of the oven like stones. Whether you cut the butter into "walnut half" sized pieces (as this calls for) or just a bit smaller don't expect light flakey biscuits. Instead, enjoy the "thud" of these hitting the bottom of your trash can. What a disappointing waste of ingredients and effort.
karen
June 12, 2015
I made these - they turned out fantastic! Wish I could say the same about the fried chicken recipe I tried.
Kathryn G.
April 11, 2015
I used AP flour. Weighed it and the butter. As for the butter, Maybe I cut it too small.I would have to question how large to cube if you cut to half walnut size. Seems really large. The outcome was heavy, kinda flaky, very bland biscuits. Def needed more salt. I will not use this recipe again.
Alison S.
April 2, 2015
Wish I had read the comments before I made these for friends. Truly embarrassing. They were awful. Told a friend about them the next day and she said she should have warned me, she tried them too and deemed the recipe a total failure.
dcole
March 31, 2015
The point of a recipe is, that when a person comes upon that person should not have to guess what goes in it, what kind of flour, what measurements are needed. They should just be able to read and add what is in front of them. The original creator of this got it wrong from the start. The recipe didn't call for self rising flour or the addition of baking powder, it called for what was written. This recipe as it was originally posted is a culinary hate crime.
Angella
March 31, 2015
Just finished making these biscuits and I am feeling very pleased with myself! They are delicious..light and fluffy and so pretty with the egg wash. I used Gold Medal self rising flour along with the baking powder. Had to make my own buttermilk i.e.the milk with the vinegar and wasn't particularly precise with the measurements. The cons I had were that the mixture was very sticky and the second batch didn't rise as high. That being said I will definitely make these again. Ate two straight from the oven!
dcole
March 26, 2015
From a scientific perspective?? Are you a food scientist?? This is the worst biscuit recipe.....ever, it should be removed . I've been in restaurants and catering for 30 years. Always looking for something new to add to my collection, always looking for something that I hope is better. This recipe is an embarrassment. Who at Food52.com is proofing these? Take this recipe down.
Easyed
March 23, 2015
I tried this recipe yesterday and had good results. After reading the comments I made the following adjustments: 1. decrease the flour from 5 cups to 4 cups (I used Gold Medal unbleached flour) 2. double the baking powder from 1 to 2 tablespoons.
Erin: I noticed "White Lily" in another recipe which specified self rising flour. Are you using self rising flour? That would explain the different results by others.
Erin: I noticed "White Lily" in another recipe which specified self rising flour. Are you using self rising flour? That would explain the different results by others.
Erin J.
February 4, 2015
So sorry some folks have had trouble with these! This has been my go-to biscuit recipe for years, but let me shed some light on the recipe from my end. From a scientific perspective, the answer to many of these concerns is this: if you make the cut in the butter properly, leaving large (walnut half sized) pieces of butter in the dough, there is a significant amount of natural leavening from the steam created when the butter melts inside the biscuits (the article attached to this recipe goes into greater detail). Because of this, there is a "medium" amount of added chemical leavener, which is then activated by the acid in the buttermilk to create the total leavening.
That being said, if people aren't mixing properly or are having trouble, more baking powder could be an answer. Adding more baking powder will make taller biscuits, but it won't create flaky layers like the handling of the butter does - which is what I'm looking for when I make biscuits. I've tested the recipe again with some of AntoniaJames suggestions, and doubling the baking powder to 2 tablespoons produces a taller, lighter (fluffier) biscuit. It's not as flaky, but it's light and pretty darn good! Hope this helps some of those biscuit trouble-shooters out there!
That being said, if people aren't mixing properly or are having trouble, more baking powder could be an answer. Adding more baking powder will make taller biscuits, but it won't create flaky layers like the handling of the butter does - which is what I'm looking for when I make biscuits. I've tested the recipe again with some of AntoniaJames suggestions, and doubling the baking powder to 2 tablespoons produces a taller, lighter (fluffier) biscuit. It's not as flaky, but it's light and pretty darn good! Hope this helps some of those biscuit trouble-shooters out there!
Suzanne Z.
September 20, 2020
Made these today after watching the video yesterday and they were AMAZING!! Exactly what I was looking for. So glad I watched the video because I pulled these off perfectly!!
AntoniaJames
February 3, 2015
There was a question on the Hotline about these, and the specification of 24 ounces of flour for the 5 cups. The author checked it and confirmed that the weight should be less -- 22 ounces. I see that the recipe has not been changed. This is just FYI, for those of you who want to try this recipe (despite the difficulties and lack of success noted in the comments here and elsewhere on Food52).
Over the December holidays, I was determined to make these, so I did, using the standard conversion to grams. I followed the instructions in the accompanying article to the letter. The results were "meh." No one took seconds, and I ended up throwing what we didn't eat into the garbage - a rare occurrence here. ;o)
Over the December holidays, I was determined to make these, so I did, using the standard conversion to grams. I followed the instructions in the accompanying article to the letter. The results were "meh." No one took seconds, and I ended up throwing what we didn't eat into the garbage - a rare occurrence here. ;o)
DeAngelo L.
December 2, 2014
First time around, I didn't have a pastry blender, so I figured the disk like turn out was my fault. Second time around, I purchased a pastry blender and they turned out with nearly the same results (slightly fluffier and not a dense). Only after putting them in the oven did I discover that there's an error in the recipe. :-(
Lydia
November 27, 2014
Very disappointed in the bland flat biscuits this recipe produced! I should have read the comments first and increased the baking powder to 2 tablespoons and decreased the flour to 4 cups. Had to throw them out, what a waste!
Jessica C.
November 25, 2014
I made this recipe and was disappointed. I think the problem is the ratios are off-probably an error when the recipe was doubled. 1 Tablespoon of baking powder is not nearly enough for 5 cups of flour (as I learned the hard way with flat biscuits.)
You will have to double the baking powder to 2 Tablespoons. I would also use 4 cups of flour next time.
You will have to double the baking powder to 2 Tablespoons. I would also use 4 cups of flour next time.
Luvtocook
November 9, 2014
In America, a pound of butter equals four (4) sticks. A stick is four (4) ounces. I believe this recipe is correct. Eight tablespoons equal one stick, but a tablespoon of butter IS NOT an ounce.
Laura415
November 9, 2014
What I like about this recipe and tips page on biscuits is the explanation of the ingredients, especially the flour definitions and the leavening agent. I think I will be able to get good results with Spelt flour as it is lower protein than regular flour. This will help me with digestibility. I will also try it with a good GF flour mixture and xanthan gum.
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