Paula Deen Classic Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

Paula Deen Classic Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe makes a dozen tall, golden biscuits with just seven ingredients and 45 minutes start to finish. Cold butter and full-fat buttermilk do all the heavy lifting. These are the kind of biscuits that belong on every Southern breakfast table, Sunday supper, or holiday spread.

The cold butter is everything. Paula calls for cubed butter straight from the fridge, cut into the flour until pea-sized. Those chunks melt in the oven and create steam, which pushes the layers apart. Use soft butter instead and you get hockey pucks, not biscuits.

Pat the dough to one inch thick and press the cutter straight down without twisting. Twisting seals the edges and kills the rise. Push the biscuits together on the pan so they support each other going up. Freeze extras before baking and add ten minutes to the oven time.

Paula Deen Classic Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Side DishCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Calories

320

kcal

Thick, flaky biscuits with buttery layers, made by cutting cold butter into self-rising flour, patting the dough an inch thick, and baking at 425 degrees until golden brown.

Ingredients

• 4 cups self-rising flour
  

• 2 teaspoons sugar
  

• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  

• 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
  

• 1 ½ cups cold whole buttermilk
  

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  

• Butter, for serving

Directions

• Preheat the oven: Preheat oven to 425°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Using a fork or pastry blender, cut in cold butter until mixture is crumbly and about the size of peas. Gradually add buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
• Shape and cut: Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and gently knead 3 to 4 times. Pat dough to 1-inch thickness using a light touch; the more you work the dough, the tougher your biscuits will be. Using a 2½-inch round cutter dipped in flour, cut dough without twisting cutter, flouring cutter between each cut. Make cuts close together to minimize scraps. Gently re-pat scraps and cut to use all dough. Place biscuits on prepared pan, sides touching so they rise high. Gently press down top of biscuits with your knuckles; brush with melted butter.
• Bake: Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes; serve immediately with butter.

Tools for this recipe

• Nordic Ware half sheet pan, Spring Chef dough blender (pastry cutter), Ateco 11-piece round cutter set, Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 3 lb. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of self-rising?

You can, but you need to add leavening. For every cup of all-purpose flour, whisk in 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Leave out the extra Kosher salt in the recipe since your flour mix already has some.

How long do baked biscuits stay fresh?

Biscuits are best the day they come out of the oven. They dry out fast at room temperature, so store leftovers in a sealed bag and eat within two days. Reheat in a 350-degree oven for five minutes. The microwave makes them tough.

Can I make the dough ahead of time and freeze it?

Cut the biscuits through the shaping step and freeze them on a sheet pan until solid, then move to a freezer bag. They keep for up to two months. Bake straight from frozen at 425 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

Why did my biscuits come out flat?

Overworking the dough is the most common reason. Knead it only three to four times. Warm butter is the other problem: if it softens before it hits the oven, you lose the steam that creates flaky layers. Keep it in the freezer until the last minute.

Why does the recipe say to press the cutter straight down instead of twisting?

Twisting compresses and seals the dough layers at the edges. That stops the sides from rising evenly. Press straight down in one clean motion, then lift. Dip the cutter in flour between each cut so the dough releases cleanly.