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Home » Blog » Bread and Muffin Recipes » Best Flaky Biscuits

Best Flaky Biscuits

Cathy Roma Published: Nov 21, 2019

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Buttery layers and a tender crumb make these the best flaky biscuits you've ever had!
Buttery layers and a tender crumb make these the best flaky biscuits you’ve ever had!
The best flaky biscuits stacked up on a wooden serving board.

Biscuits are practically a religion in my house and we’re forever on the quest for the best flaky biscuits out there. If biscuits are on the menu, we’re ordering them. If it’s the holiday, I’m baking them.

And today I’m here to tell you that the search is over. Because these are the Best. Flaky. Biscuits. EVER.

That’s right, it’s a lofty claim, but I am sticking to it. I’ve been baking biscuits for years…herb flecked, sweetened for shortcake, on top of pot pie, and just because.

The best flaky biscuits on a round wooden board with honey.

I’ve gathered tips and information from countless recipes, bakeries, restaurants, including my own baking and tweaking over the years. Today’s recipe is the culmination of all that (tasty) research.

I’ve listed all the tips to achieve the best flaky biscuits below, but here are the highlights:

  • Use the coldest ingredients possible (including frozen butter).
  • Grated, yes GRATED butter.
  • Don’t over-work the dough, this recipe works best by hand.
  • Folding the dough will yield tender, flaky layers.
  • Chill the biscuits before baking.
A stack of the best flaky biscuits.

These biscuits are delicious served with good butter and honey or even honey butter if you’re feeling fancy. They are the first thing to go when I bake them for the holidays and never fail to generate smiles when I serve them for weekend breakfasts.

Enough chat, let’s bake!

Let’s make the BEST Flaky Biscuits

Step by step photos showing how to make the best flaky biscuits. Whisk together the dry ingredients (1), add the grated butter (2), lightly toss (3), add the buttermilk and turn out onto a board (4).
  1. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. Grate the butter on a box grater and add to the dry ingredients.
  3. Mix the butter into the flour mixture using just your fingertips breaking up any large chunks of butter.
  4. Stir in the buttermilk and turn out the dough on a lightly floured surface.
Step by step photos showing how to make the best flaky biscuits. Roll out the dough (5), fold in half (6), fold in half again (7), roll out and cut out biscuits (8), place a pan and brush with buttermilk (9), bake until golden brown (10).
  1. Gather the dough and form into roughly a 10 inch square.
  2. Fold in half.
  3. Fold in half again, until you have a square.
  4. Lightly roll into a 10 inch square (1 inch thickness) and repeat the folding, rolling again into a 10 inch square. Use a 3 inch cutter to cut out the biscuits.
  5. Place the biscuits (just touching) in a cast iron skillet or in a lined baking pan. Chill. Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
  6. Bake until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips for success

  • COLD, COLD, COLD ingredients, especially frozen butter, yield the flakiest biscuits.
  • Grate the frozen butter with a box grater instead of dicing it. Toss it into the dry ingredients followed by buttermilk for that tender, flaky texture.
  • As much as I love my food processor, I recommend using your hands to blend the butter into the dry ingredients. Use just your fingertips, not your entire hands, so the butter doesn’t melt.
  • Bake the biscuits on a higher rack in the oven so the bottoms don’t get too brown.
The best flaky biscuits on a round wooden serving tray with honey and butter.

Tips for Forming the Biscuits

  • You can skip the folding technique, but your biscuits won’t be as layered.
  • Don’t over-work the dough. Use a light touch so you don’t make them tough. The butter only needs to be tossed into the dry ingredients and any large pieces broken up with your fingertips.
  • When cutting the biscuits, use a sharp-edged cutter dipped in flour between cuts. Press straight down and back up, NO TWISTING! This will help your biscuits to rise.
  • Place the biscuits on the baking sheet so they’re just touching, not pressed into each other.
  • Chill for at least 15 minutes before baking!

More Biscuit Love

  • Tomato Shortcake with Whipped Ricotta
  • Blueberry Strawberry Shortcakes
  • Blueberry Cobbler
  • Vegetable Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping
  • Strawberry Cheesecake Shortcakes
Close up of the best flaky biscuits with honey and butter in the background.
4.93 from 14 votes
Close up of the best flaky biscuits stacked up on a wooden board.
Print
Best Flaky Biscuits
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
22 mins
Chilling Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 7 mins
 

Buttery layers and a tender crumb make these the best flaky biscuits you've ever had!

Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Keyword: biscuits, flaky biscuits
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 355 kcal
Author: Cathy Roma | What Should I Make For…
Ingredients
  • 3 cups AP flour
  • 2 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 6 oz unsalted butter, frozen (1 1/2 sticks)
  • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk (+2 Tbsp for topping)
  • 1 tsp flaky sea salt (I like Maldon)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

  2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.

  3. Use a box grater to grate the frozen butter and add immediately to the flour mixture. Mix the butter in with your finger tips just until you have coarse meal.

  4. Add the buttermilk and stir in until just combined. The dough will be very shaggy.

  5. Turn the dough onto a lightly flour surface and press together to form a 10 inch square. Fold in half, then in half again so you have a square.

  6. Lightly roll the dough into a 10 inch square again and repeat the folding, in half, then in half again so you have a square.

  7. Lightly roll the dough to 1 inch thickness and cut out the biscuits with a 3 inch cookie cutter (round or square). Be sure you don't twist the cutter, just press down and pull up to insure that you get a good rise. Gently gather and reform the scraps to cut the remaining biscuits.

  8. Place biscuits in a cast iron skillet or parchment lined baking pan with sides, so the biscuits are touching (they may topple if the baking pan doesn't support them on their sides). Place the pan in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 15 mins.

  9. Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake in the middle or upper rack of your oven until risen and golden, about 20-22 mins. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Notes

  • COLD, COLD, COLD ingredients, especially frozen butter, yield the flakiest biscuits.
  • Grate the frozen butter with a box grater instead of dicing it. Toss it into the dry ingredients followed by buttermilk for that tender, flaky texture.
  • As much as I love my food processor, I recommend using your hands to blend the butter into the dry ingredients. Use just your fingertips, not your entire hands, so the butter doesn’t melt.
  • Bake the biscuits on a higher rack in the oven so the bottoms don’t get too brown.

 

Tips for Forming the Biscuits

  • You can skip the folding technique, but your biscuits won’t be as layered.
  • Don’t over-work the dough. Use a light touch so you don’t make them tough. The butter only needs to be tossed into the dry ingredients and any large pieces broken up with your fingertips.
  • When cutting the biscuits, use a sharp-edged cutter dipped in flour between cuts. Press straight down and back up, NO TWISTING! This will help your biscuits to rise.
  • Place the biscuits on the baking sheet so they’re just touching, not pressed into each other.
  • Chill for at least 15 minutes before baking!

Nutrition Facts
Best Flaky Biscuits
Amount Per Serving
Calories 355 Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Fat 19g29%
Saturated Fat 12g75%
Cholesterol 50mg17%
Sodium 550mg24%
Potassium 409mg12%
Carbohydrates 41g14%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 593IU12%
Calcium 185mg19%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
145

Bread and Muffin Recipes, Recipe biscuits, baking, sides, flaky, flaky biscuits, bread, brunch, buttermilk

About Cathy Roma

My food philosophy is simple: everything in moderation. Sweet, savory, healthy, decadent…food, like life, is all about balance. I rely on my background as a trained chef/mom to create family-friendly recipes that will inspire you to cook, not complicate your life.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jo Ann says

    July 14, 2021 at 2:38 pm

    5 stars
    How long can these be made ahead and stored in the fridge before baking? They are divine!!

    Reply
    • Cathy Roma says

      July 21, 2021 at 1:12 pm

      You can cut out the biscuits and chill them up to overnight. Enjoy!

  2. Tali says

    January 16, 2022 at 7:33 pm

    5 stars
    These came out perfectly! So flaky and delicious. I did sub nondairy buttermilk which appeared to work fine. Grating the frozen butter is tricky but well worth it. Thank you!!

    Reply
  3. Chris Daoud says

    January 30, 2022 at 3:00 pm

    4 stars
    These were one of the best biscuits I’ve tasted especially since I used Cup 4Cup gluten free flour instead. However, mine weren’t flaky like Pillsbury flaky biscuits which is what I’m looking for in flakiness – being able to peel off one layer at a time. I will keep this recipe as it is the best regular biscuit I’ve made.

    Reply
  4. Feb says

    August 26, 2022 at 5:30 pm

    If using a skillet does it need to be greased

    Reply
    • Cathy Roma says

      August 27, 2022 at 1:20 pm

      I would lightly grease it or you can use a baking pan with parchment.

  5. Rachel says

    October 1, 2022 at 6:54 pm

    5 stars
    WOW!!! Best biscuit recipe I’ve ever tried I will definitely be making these again!

    Reply
    • Cathy Roma says

      October 1, 2022 at 9:25 pm

      Thanks so much!! Glad you enjoyed!

  6. Cary Graham says

    November 23, 2022 at 1:16 am

    Thanks for the recipe! I’m new to baking and appreciate the detail and technique notes. The 2 tablespoons of baking powder seemed like a lot for the amount of flour, but that could just be my inexperience. Does that contribute to the flakiness?

    Reply
    • Cathy Roma says

      November 24, 2022 at 2:29 pm

      The folding and rolling makes creates the flaky layers, the extra baking powder makes them rise. Hope you enjoy!

  7. Craig says

    December 15, 2022 at 11:24 pm

    5 stars
    My family loved the biscuits they were good.

    Reply
    • Cathy Roma says

      December 16, 2022 at 1:01 am

      So great to hear!

  8. Lib says

    December 31, 2022 at 7:30 pm

    Grating butter was difficult, but made all the difference! I’m a beginner in the kitchen, and this recipe turned out amazing!! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Cathy Roma says

      December 31, 2022 at 11:55 pm

      It’s easier if frozen but agree, worth the effort!

  9. CarmenS says

    January 25, 2023 at 4:25 pm

    Great recipe! I filled up a skillet and put them in the fridge and bakes the rest right after rolling. I preferred the texture of the ones that weren’t chilled before baking. That said, easy, clear directions. Very tasty!

    Reply

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HEY THERE, I’M CATHY.

My food philosophy is simple: everything in moderation. Sweet, savory, healthy, decadent…food, like life, is all about balance. I rely on my background as a trained chef/mom to create family-friendly recipes that will inspire you to cook, not complicate your life.

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Subscribe now to receive my exclusive guide of How to Stock a Pantry delivered straight to your inbox!

Join the What Should I Make For... Community to learn what to cook to when to achieve a happier, more balanced life.

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