Flaky Oven Biscuits
Buttermilk biscuits are built on the tension between cold butter and high oven heat. Cubes of chilled butter are cut into flour until pea-sized pieces remain, and the dough is brought together quickly with buttermilk - just enough mixing to bind, no more. In the oven, the butter melts and releases steam, forcing the dough apart into flaky, irregular layers. The exterior bakes to a golden, slightly crisp shell while the interior stays soft and crumbly. Buttermilk provides a faint tanginess that sharpens the overall flavor and reacts with baking soda to give the biscuits additional lift. Overworking the dough is the most common mistake, as it develops gluten and produces a tough, bread-like result instead of the tender, pull-apart texture that defines a good biscuit. Split while still warm and spread with butter and jam, they are a cornerstone of American Southern breakfast.
Adjust Servings
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 220°C and line a tray with parchment paper.
- 2
Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
- 3
Rub in cold butter until pea-sized bits remain and texture is sandy.
- 4
Add buttermilk and honey, then mix only 10-12 strokes until just combined.
- 5
Fold dough once, pat to 2 cm thickness, and cut rounds onto the tray.
- 6
Brush tops with melted butter and bake 13-15 minutes until golden, then cool on a rack.
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