It’s time to make buttermilk biscuits with just three ingredients!
I remember Grandma Barb making buttermilk biscuits from scratch a lot. She always made them last, and it was easy for her to do. It took less than a minute to make those biscuits and put them in the hot oven. They were so good then, and they still are. She is great!
It’s not a surprise; she’s been making buttermilk biscuits at home for more than 80 years.
Teaching My Sons to Make Biscuits
I want to teach my sons how to make biscuits at home next week. I’m going to start with these buttermilk biscuits that only need three ingredients. My sons know how to make a few easy dishes. Still, it’s important to me that they know how to make a meal from scratch with real food as they get older (which happens very quickly). In the South, hot, fresh biscuits are always welcome at any meal! I love this recipe for buttermilk biscuits with only three ingredients because it’s great for kids and people who have never made biscuits before. It was one of the first recipes I learned how to make because it was easy to remember 2-1-1. I used to call them 112 biscuits, like the band from the 90s, and I had to play Cupid or Only You while I made them.
Ingredients
- 2 cups of flour that rises on its own
- 1 stick of butter
- 1 cup of buttermilk
Steps to Make Buttermilk Biscuits
Now that you have everything you need, let’s go through the steps to make these biscuits with only three ingredients.
Set your oven to 450 F.
Get all of your tools and ingredients ready ahead of time. Measure and sift your flour, freeze your butter, and make sure your buttermilk is cold. Get your bowl, baking pan, and biscuit cutter ready to fix.
1. Measure Flour
Spoon the flour into your measuring cup to get the right amount. I tap the cup a few times along the way to make sure there are no air pockets that will mess up my measurements. After you have a full cup of flour, use the back of a butter knife to sweep across the top of the cup. This will make sure that the flour is perfectly level. Put the flour in a big bowl.
2. Prepare Butter
If you can, freeze the butter ahead of time. The dough needs to be cold, and the frozen butter will help keep it that way. This is necessary if you want the BEST biscuits. Only take your butter out of the freezer when you’re ready for this step. Use either salted or unsalted. I’m using salt-free. Take the butter out of the wrapper and grate it into the flour. Grating the butter makes it easier for it to mix with the flour. This makes a biscuit that is soft and buttery.
3. Cut Butter into Flour
It’s time to cut the grated butter into the flour now that we have it. Getting all the butter coated with flour is what cutting butter into flour means. To do that, take a pastry cutter and press it into the butter and flour over and over again. The mix will soon look like small pieces of bread. That’s what you want: little bits of butter covered in flour.
4. Add Buttermilk
Get your cold buttermilk out of the fridge and pour it into a cup. If I’ve measured my flour correctly, I usually only need a cup. But if you accidentally added too much flour, you might need a little bit more. Stir in the buttermilk with a rubber spatula until the dough is sticky. In the next step, you will turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. It should be a little wet and sticky.
5. Knead Dough
Put some flour on a work surface and then turn the dough out onto it. Put some flour on your hands and start to knead the dough gently until it is soft. Use only what you need, and add more flour to the work surface and your hands as needed. If you add too much flour, your biscuits will be dry. The dough should be a little wet. Now start to fold the dough. Fold it in half and pat it down. Then fold it over a few more times and pat it out gently. This will make your biscuits have layers that flake off.
6. Shape and Cut Biscuits
Last, shape the dough into a rectangle that is 1 inch thick. Cut out 5 to 6 biscuits with a 3-inch cutter. Push the cutter firmly into the dough, then pull it back up. Don’t twist, or the biscuits will seal and won’t rise. Put the biscuits on a pan so that the sides touch. This will keep them from falling over as they rise quickly and high in the oven.
7. Bake and Finish
Bake the biscuits for 12 to 14 minutes on the top or middle rack. You might need to bake them longer (I bake on the top rack). I like to brush the tops with butter and then broil them for the last minute or two to help them brown. While broiling, though, you need to keep an eye on them the whole time. Brush melted butter on the biscuits as soon as they come out of the oven. Let the butter soak in and then brush it again.
FAQ and Tips for Perfect Biscuits
Why do you need to keep the ingredients cold?
If you keep the butter and buttermilk cold, the biscuit will be soft and flaky. The butter should melt in the oven while it is still in the dough, not while you are making the biscuits. The little bits of butter will melt and make steam. This steam will make the biscuits soft and fluffy, just like they should be.
Is it okay to use shortening instead of butter?
Yes, you can. For the best taste, I would recommend shortening with a butter flavor. Or a mix of butter and shortening that is equal parts (though that wouldn’t make 3-ingredient biscuits, would it?)
I don’t have any self-rising flour. Is it okay to use all-purpose flour?
Yes, this is how to turn all-purpose flour into 1 cup of self-rising flour. To make 1 cup of self-rising flour, mix together 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder.
What can I do to make my biscuits fluffy?
Follow the steps above and keep these important tips in mind to make sure your biscuits are fluffy:
Keep the dough cool and a little bit sticky.
Get to work quickly.
When kneading, don’t use too much flour.
Is it okay to use milk instead of buttermilk?
I strongly suggest using buttermilk instead of regular milk because it will make these biscuits rockstars.
Can you heat these biscuits back up?
Yes! These buttermilk biscuits with only three ingredients are some of my favorite biscuits to reheat. Put them in the microwave for 15 seconds.
To make this biscuit taste better, I want to add more ingredients. Do you have any ideas?
Of course! These cookies are very simple but taste great! To make it taste better, use half butter and half shortening that tastes like butter. You should also add 1 tablespoon of sugar.
Keep in mind that making biscuits is an art that most people don’t get right the first time. This recipe for buttermilk biscuits with only three ingredients will help you get ahead of the game when it comes to making great biscuits. But if you’re new to making biscuits, you should still be kind to yourself.
Now go make this recipe!