The best biscuits are made easily with few ingredients and minimal mixing. These 3-ingredient biscuits are made using self-rising flour, buttermilk, and butter. The quick-to-make buttery biscuits are tender, flaky, and perfectly fluffy. Enjoy them with breakfast, brunch, or dinner.
You cannot beat a warm, buttery homemade biscuit, especially when it is slathered in butter. Despite what you may think, biscuits are incredibly easy to make. This easy homemade biscuit recipe requires only three ingredients making it perfect for any day of the week.
The easiest way to make homemade biscuits is by utilizing self-rising flour. This single ingredient replaces multiple, eliminating the need for a lengthy ingredient list and making the biscuit-making process much more manageable.
This is one of my favorite recipes to whip up quickly as a side dish for breakfast or dinner, like with this 10-minute creamy tomato soup. These butter biscuits will become a staple your whole family will love.
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Three Ingredient Biscuit Recipe
This easy recipe creates perfect, flaky biscuits every time. The 3-ingredient buttermilk biscuits are made using the biscuit method of mixing.
What is the biscuit method? This mixing method starts by cutting the fat (cold butter) into the dry ingredients until coarse crumbs form. The liquid is added to form a dough. The cold fat melts in the oven, releasing water and creating steam, resulting in flaky layers. Use this mixing method to make scone recipes too. The simple mixing process is just one of the many reasons to love this recipe; here are a few more:
- 3-Ingredient Biscuits - I said it before, and I will repeat it. You only need three simple ingredients to make delicious biscuits in minutes.
- Simple Biscuit Recipe - These are the easiest biscuits to make with only three ingredients and minimal mixing time. They are easy and incredibly delicious, flaky, and tender.
- Flaky Layers - The simple mixing process and quick baking time in a high-temperature oven create tender, fluffy biscuits with beautiful layers. This classic, all-butter biscuit recipe is one you will make again and again.
Biscuits Without Baking Powder
How do you make biscuits without baking powder? You use self-rising flour.
Self-rising flour has salt and baking powder added, which acts as the leavening agent. When using this flour, there is no need to add leavening agents in most cases. This flour is softer in texture and lower in protein. You cannot substitute it equally for regular flour.
Ingredients
- Self Rising Flour - If you cannot find this flour at the store, you can make a homemade substitute. Make your own self-rising flour by stirring two cups of all-purpose flour with one tablespoon of baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Salted Butter (cold) - Very cold butter is crucial to the texture and rise of biscuits. The butter melts in the oven creating steam, which helps the biscuits rise and tenderize.
- Buttermilk (cold) - Like butter, buttermilk needs to be very cold for this recipe. To make your own buttermilk, combine one cup of whole milk with one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Let the mixture sit for at least five minutes before using.
See the recipe card for the ingredient quantities.
How to Make Homemade Biscuits
STEP 1 - Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
STEP 2 - Pour the flour into a large bowl. Cut the diced, cold butter into the flour using a pastry cutter or two forks until pea-sized lumps remain. **Note - You can also use grated, frozen butter instead of the cold, cut butter. The frozen butter will stay cold longer.
STEP 3 - Add ½ cup of buttermilk to the flour-butter mixture. Mix until a soft dough forms using a spatula or your hands. Add additional buttermilk (¼ to ½ cup more), if needed, until a dough forms.
STEP 4 - Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough with your hands until it comes together, adding additional flour as needed to prevent sticking. Pat the biscuit dough to roughly ¾-inch thickness.
STEP 5 - Cut ten biscuits from the dough using a 2-inch round biscuit cutter. Transfer the dough biscuits to the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate them for about 5-10 minutes to firm the butter up.
STEP 6 - Brush the biscuits with one tablespoon of melted salted butter before baking them in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes, until risen and golden brown. Brush the baked biscuits with additional melted butter after they come out of the oven.
Ingredient Substitutions
- To swap unsalted butter for salted butter, use six tablespoons of unsalted butter and add a ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Substitute heavy cream or whole milk for the buttermilk. The quantity needed for heavy cream will vary with the recipe slightly.
Variations
- Everything Bagel - When buttering the biscuits before baking, sprinkle each with a pinch of everything bagel seasoning. The seasoning bakes into the top of each biscuit.
- Chive - Stir 2 tablespoon to ¼ cup of finely diced chives into the flour before cutting in the butter and forming the dough.
- Cast Iron Skillet - Bake biscuits in a lightly greased cast iron skillet instead of on the sheet pan to help promote crispy edges.
If you love this recipe, you will also love these cheddar chive scones.
What to Serve with Homemade Biscuits
Enjoy biscuits at room temperature or warm. To reheat the biscuits, place them on a parchment-lined tray and bake them for 3-5 minutes at 350°F. Or microwave one biscuit wrapped in a damp towel for 30-45 seconds.
As for the toppings, 3-ingredient biscuits are the best with softened butter or cream cheese. They are delicious when drizzled in honey or slathered in jam, preserves, or marmalade. Try homemade biscuits with blackberry or mixed berry compote too.
Of course, cannot forget the classic pairing of biscuits and sausage gravy. This biscuit recipe produces sturdy biscuits that can be smothered in gravy or used as the base for a breakfast sandwich.
Suggested Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl - I prefer glass mixing bowls because the clear sides and bottom of the bowl let you see that everything is properly mixed. I love this Pyrex Prepware 4-Quart Rimmed Glass Mixing Bowl.
- Pastry Cutter - Try this Spring Chef Dough Blender. It has a comfortable grip.
- Biscuit Cutter - This recipe calls for a 2-inch cutter. This HULISEN Biscuit Cutter Set (5 Pieces/Set) includes the 2-inch as well as four other sizes.
- Baking Sheet - I use Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker's Half Sheets for most of my baking.
Storage
Transfer the remaining cooled biscuits to an airtight container. Store biscuits at room temperature for 1 to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Delicious Easy Recipes
- Savory Goat Cheese Scones
- Everything Bagel Cream Cheese Turnovers
- Easy Cinnamon Roll Scones with Cream Cheese Icing
- Bacon Cheddar Scones
Expert Tips
- Keep the ingredients and dough cold. Use very cold butter and buttermilk.
- Spoon and level the flour. Mismeasuring the flour can result in dry biscuits.
- Do not over-mix the dough after it comes together. Overmixing the dough results in dense biscuits.
- Bake the biscuits with their sides touching for the tallest biscuits.
- Brush the biscuits with melted butter before and after baking for the best buttery flavor and golden brown exterior.
- Bake the biscuits in a hot, preheated oven for even baking and proper rise.
- Refrain from opening the oven once the biscuits have begun baking. They use steam to rise, so keeping the oven door closed is crucial.
Frequently Asked Questions
The biscuits will have risen in the oven with a light golden brown
color.
Biscuits freeze well. You can freeze them baked or unbaked. For baked biscuits, cool them completely before wrapping them in plastic wrap or foil. Transfer wrapped biscuits to a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze the biscuits for up to 3 months; thaw them completely before eating.
To freeze unbaked biscuits, transfer the dough rounds to a parchment-lined tray and place the tray in the freezer. Freeze until the dough is frozen, about a few hours. Transfer the frozen dough biscuits to a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months. Bake the biscuits from frozen; no need to thaw, but add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Buttermilk adds acid, fat, and flavor to biscuits. The acid in buttermilk helps the biscuits rise and provides a subtle tangy taste. At the same time, the fat in buttermilk keeps the biscuits tender, fluffy, and richly flavored.
Dense biscuits can be the result of a couple of things. First, your oven temperature was too low. Biscuits need steam to rise, so a high-temperature oven is critical. Second, you mixed the dough too much and developed too much gluten.
If you make the recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe, and let me know what you think in the comments below! Take pictures, tag #sugarylogic, and share them with me on Instagram or Facebook.
📖 Recipe
3-Ingredient Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups self-rising flour plus more for kneading the dough
- 6 tablespoon salted butter cold and diced
- ¾ - 1 cup buttermilk cold
- 2 tablespoon salted butter separated into two separate tablespoon pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Pour the flour into a large bowl. Cut the 6 tablespoons of diced, cold butter into the flour using a pastry cutter or two forks until pea-sized lumps remain. **You can also use grated, frozen butter instead of cold, cut butter. It will stay cold longer.
- Add ½ cup of buttermilk to the flour-butter mixture. Mix until a soft dough forms using a spatula or your hands. Add additional buttermilk (¼ to ½ cup more), if needed, until a dough forms.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough with your hands until it comes together, adding additional flour as needed to prevent sticking. Pat the dough to roughly ¾-inch thickness.
- Cut 10 biscuits from the dough using a 2-inch round biscuit cutter. Transfer the dough biscuits to the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate the biscuits for about 10 minutes to firm the butter up.
- Brush the biscuits with 1 tablespoon of melted salted butter before baking them in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes, until risen and light golden brown. Once the biscuits come from the oven, brush them with the remaining tablespoon of melted salted butter. ** Do not use the same butter from the raw dough; melt the additional tablespoon of butter separately.
Notes
- Transfer the remaining cooled biscuits to an airtight container. Store biscuits at room temperature for 1 to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- See the blog post for tips and recipe notes.
Nutrition
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