Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour

• 4 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 4 tablespoons frozen butter (thickly grated)

• 4 heaping tablespoons shortening

• 1 tablespoon sour cream or plain greek yogurt

• 1 cup buttermilk, chilled

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 425 if convection.  

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.) Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. If you have a mixer, use a dough hook to mix the ingredients. Mix until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky. If dough is too wet add flour until it reaches the right consistency.

3. Turn dough onto a large floured surface, dust top with flour and flatten, folding only once, until about 3/4 inch thick. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place biscuits in a round pan with sides touching. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting. 

4. Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, about 12-15 minutes. 

5. Brush tops with butter. Serve simply with jam, sausage gravy or as a part of a larger breakfast.

Adapted by a recipe, courtesy of Alton Brown

Urban Cowgill 2016 (updated 2024)