Easy Homemade Biscuits

Ingredients

• 2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter (Very cold; unsalted European butter is ideal but not required. Freeze for 10–20 minutes before beginning.)
• 0.75 cup whole milk (Keep very cold. Buttermilk or 2% milk may also be used.)
• salted butter (Optional; melted, for brushing the baked biscuits immediately after they come out of the oven.)

Steps

1. 1

   For the flakiest biscuits, place the butter in the freezer for 10–20 minutes before starting. Keep the milk refrigerated until you are ready to add it; both ingredients should be as cold as possible.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a cookie sheet with nonstick parchment paper and set it aside.

3. 3

   In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, and salt. Stir thoroughly to distribute the leavening and seasoning, then set the bowl aside.

4. 4

   Remove the very cold butter from the refrigerator or freezer. Using a box grater, shred it into small pieces directly into the flour mixture. Alternatively, cut the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter.

5. 5

   Stir and cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Visible pieces of butter are desirable; do not mix until completely smooth or uniform.

6. 6

   Add the cold milk to the flour-and-butter mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula just until the ingredients are combined, taking care not to overwork the dough.

7. 7

   Turn the dough onto a well-floured work surface. Use your hands to gently bring it together into a cohesive dough. If it is too sticky to handle, add a little more flour as needed.

8. 8

   Fold the dough in half over itself and gently flatten the layers together with your hands. Rotate the dough 90 degrees, fold it in half again, and repeat this folding process 5–6 times. Handle the dough gently and stop as soon as the layers are formed so the biscuits remain tender.

9. 9

   Use your hands—not a rolling pin—to gently flatten the dough to about 1 inch thick. Lightly dust a 2¾-inch round biscuit cutter with flour.

10. 10

    Press the cutter straight down into the dough with close cuts, without twisting, then release the biscuit onto the prepared baking sheet.

11. 11

    Continue cutting biscuits, placing them less than ½ inch apart on the baking sheet. Close cuts help minimize scraps.

12. 12

    Once the first cuts are complete, gently re-work the remaining dough to cut one or two additional biscuits. Avoid excessive handling, and make at least six biscuits total.

13. 13

    Bake at 425°F (220°C) for about 12 minutes, until the biscuit tops are just beginning to turn lightly golden brown.

14. 14

    If desired, immediately brush the hot biscuits with melted salted butter. Serve warm.

Notes

The recipe can be doubled to make 12 biscuits. For best texture, keep the butter and milk very cold, avoid overworking the dough, and do not worry if small butter pieces remain visible before baking. If using a convection oven, monitor closely because the stated temperature and time may brown the bottoms quickly.

Nutrition per serving

• breakfast
• side dish
• baking
• American
• vegetarian
• made from scratch
• buttery
• quick