Making biscuits from scratch is simple and easy thanks to this baking powder biscuits recipe. I love making fresh biscuits now and then, and these ones never disappoint. Made with basic pantry staples, it's a great recipe to keep on hand.
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These fluffy baking powder biscuits are buttery and wonderful for a breakfast dish or a dinner side dish. There's really no bad time for biscuits. Made with just a few basic ingredients and moments of your time, you can have a batch of biscuits in no time.
While they're not as fast to make as Air Fryer Canned Biscuits, and not as effortless as our Big Fluffy Scones Recipe or 4 Ingredient Scones, they're still incredibly delicious and worthwhile.
This old fashioned baking powder biscuit recipe is one of my favorite biscuit recipes, and once you try them, you'll see why too. If I want something a little quicker, I'll opt for my Easy 3 Ingredient Biscuits, but both recipes come together in minutes.
For delicious topping ideas make sure to check out my Sugar Free Strawberry Jam, Sugar Free Blueberry Jam, or Copycat Texas Roadhouse Butter!
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Basic ingredients. Most, if not all, of the ingredients to make these biscuits can be found in your home already. Flour, sugar, butter, etc., these basic pantry staples come to life in these wonderful fluffy biscuits.
- Fast biscuits. This recipe comes together very quickly. Within just moments, your dough is mixed and ready to be rolled and cut. They take 15 minutes or less in the oven, too, so you can have a plate full of warm biscuits in under 30 minutes!
- Great for any occasion. Serve these biscuits with tea, jam, or honey. Eat them for breakfast with sausage gravy or Chocolate Gravy. Or eat them with dinner for a simple side dish.
🛒 Ingredients
All-purpose flour- This is the base of the recipe and will give the biscuits the proper gluten structure.
Baking powder- Use this to help the biscuits puff up and rise as they bake.
Salted butter- You can use salted or unsalted (but I always have salted butter on hand). This adds richness to the biscuits and helps them to get those wonderful layers. You will want to freeze the butter for at least 1 hour for the best results.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Use store-brand staples: Generic flour, milk, and baking powder work just as well as name brands and cost less.
Skip specialty cutters: Use a drinking glass or jar lid instead of buying biscuit cutters.
Bake once, use twice: Leftover biscuits can be split and used for breakfast sandwiches or served with soup later in the week.
🥄 Instructions for Baking Powder Biscuits
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Step 2: In a mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar (Image 1). Whisk together until combined (Image 2).
Step 3: Use a cheese grater to shred the frozen butter into small pieces, and add them to the flour mixture (Image 3).
Step 4: Use a fork to stir the butter into the flour mixture until evenly distributed (Image 4).
Step 5: Slowly add in the milk (Image 5) while stirring until the mixture comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl (Image 6).
Step 6: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and press it down to ¼ inch thick. Fold in half and repeat at least 3 or 4 times. This will create layers (Image 7).
Step 8: When you've finished building layers, roll the dough out to ½ inch thick and then use a round cutter to cut out your shapes (Image 8).
Step 9: Brush off excess flour and place evenly spread apart on a large baking sheet (Image 9).
Step 10: Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to brown (Image 10).
Step 11: Brush the tops with melted butter (Image 11). Let cool (Image 12) or serve warm.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Handling the Dough- Gently handle the dough for homemade baking powder biscuits to avoid denseness. Over-kneading leads to a heavier texture. Treat the dough delicately for fluffier biscuits.
- Frozen Butter Tips- For best results, freeze the butter for an hour before use. Cold butter yields better texture. If unavailable, use cold cubed butter and pastry cutters or forks. Aim for a coarse crumb texture. Alternatively, grate frozen butter into the flour mixture for even distribution. Larger cheese shreds enhance flakiness.
❄️ Storage and Make Ahead
Storage: Store baked biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Make Ahead: The dough can be prepared, folded, and cut ahead of time. Refrigerate unbaked biscuits for up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 3 months. Bake straight from cold, adding a few extra minutes if needed.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
Nothing tastes better with homemade biscuits than homemade jams and jellies! Check out these tasty home-canned fruit spreads that you're sure to love.
- How to Make Strawberry Jam (for Canning)Recipe $9.62 / Half-Pint $1.60
- Homemade Grape Jelly RecipeRecipe $8.56 / Half-Pint $1.22
- Apple Jelly (for Canning)Recipe $7.13/ Half-Pint $1.46
- Watermelon JellyRecipe $8.66 / Half Pint $1.73
❓ Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can make this baking powder biscuits recipe using shortening. To use shortening you will want to use ⅓ cup of shortening and cut it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Then add in the milk and bring together following the recipe card as directed.
You can use anything from cookie cutters to wine glasses to help cut your biscuits. I find that stemmed wine glasses or straight topped drinking glasses are often the best because they're easy to use and more convenient. You'll want the biscuits to be about 2 inches in diameter as smaller ones or large ones will cook at different rates.
These biscuits can last up to 3 or 4 days at room temperature in an airtight container. I like to reheat them on a plate in the microwave for about 15 seconds to warm them up before adding butter and honey the next day. You could freeze biscuits for up to 3 months in an airtight container as well.
🍽️ More Recipes You'll Love
- Easy Easter Bunny BiscuitsRecipe $2.14 / Serving $0.54
- 3 Ingredient BiscuitsRecipe $3.49 / Serving $0.29
- Jalapeno Cheddar BiscuitsRecipe $3.78 / Serving $0.47
- Blueberry Cream Cheese SconesRecipe $4.07 / Serving $0.51
🐝 If you tried these Baking Powder Biscuits, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Baking Powder Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour - ($0.26)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder - ($0.15)
- 1 teaspoon salt - ($0.01)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar - ($0.01)
- ½ cup salted butter, frozen - ($0.99)
- ¾ cup milk - ($0.20)
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and granulated sugar.
- Cut in butter. Grate the frozen butter using a cheese grater. Add it to the flour mixture and gently stir with a fork until evenly distributed.
- Add milk. Slowly pour in the milk while stirring just until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. You may not need all of the milk.
- Laminate the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press it to about ¼ inch thick. Fold the dough in half and repeat flattening and folding 3 to 4 times to create layers.
- Cut biscuits. Roll the dough out to ½ inch thick. Cut into rounds using a biscuit cutter. Brush off excess flour and place biscuits spaced apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to brown.
- Finish. Brush the tops with melted butter and serve warm.
Notes
- Texture. Handle the dough gently to keep biscuits light and flaky.
- Butter. Frozen butter works best. Cold cubed butter may be used as an alternative.
- Substitution. Shortening can replace butter. Use ⅓ cup shortening and cut it into the flour until coarse crumbs form, then proceed as directed.
- Best results. Larger butter shreds help create visible layers and flakiness.
Nutritional Information
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