Mile High Perfect Biscuits Recipe (2024)

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I have spent a long, long, lonnnnnnnnnnnng time searching for and perfecting this biscuit recipe. And I am happy to report that it was well worth the wait and the effort!!

My quest began in college. I moved to Utah from North Carolina to go to school, and I quickly discovered one staple food that Utah does not have: fluffy, buttery, golden biscuits. I tried a few recipes here and there without much luck, and eventually resigned myself to the frozen dough variety.

Fast forward about 4 years: it’s 2010, I’m pregnant, and all I can think about is grape jelly. Grape jelly and North Carolina buttery biscuits. So the search begins again. But more frantic this time, because… well, I’m pregnant and having cravings. Duh. I made a new biscuit recipe (or two) every single Sunday morning from the middle of my first trimester until the end of my second trimester, when I finally pulled together this biscuit recipe. And even then, the biscuit-making didn’t stop! I ate biscuit after glorious, buttery biscuit until baby arrived. It was a good time.

So here we are, over 4 years later and back in North Carolina, and I’m still sticking to this recipe. And through the many batches, I’ve picked up a few easy tips that I think are worth sharing. Biscuits are really so incredibly easy to make if you have an idea of what you’re doing and what to expect.

Tip #1: Don’t try to make biscuit dough look smooth and elastic like bread dough. You’ll end up over-mixing, which will make your biscuits tough and not fluffy. Plus, you’ll fail at achieving your own unrealistic expectation. Lumpy, bumpy, and even a few cracks are just fine and will make your biscuits incredibly fluffy.

Tip #2: Biscuit making is a hands-on activity. DON’T reach for the mixer! You use a bowl and wooden spoon for a little bit in the beginning, but for the most part, you want to use your hands for both mixing and pressing the dough into a somewhat-level layer.

Tip #3: The biscuit dough should be pressed as level as you can (but don’t stress over making it perfect) to about 1 1/2 inch thickness. You want the dough to be THICK! But DO make sure you have a cutter that will be taller than the dough. More info on that in the next step…

Tip #4: Don’t twist the cutter!!! Twisting it seals off the edges of the biscuit which will prevent it from baking up high and fluffy! Use the sharpest cutter you possibly can (be sure that it’s taller than the dough), and press straight down, pull straight up.

Tip #5: Cut as many biscuits as you can from the first roll-out. You can still cut more biscuits by re-forming the scraps and cutting them, but they won’t bake quite as well. Aside from being VERY cracked all over, they aren’t as soft as the first batch will be. So maximize the dough you cut from that first roll-out!

You’ll know you’ve created the perfect fluffy biscuit when you see slightly golden edges with beautiful, soft insides once you pull apart those buttery, flaky layers! Perfect for spreading something yummy on the inside! While I’m still a grape-jelly-and-biscuits fan, the cravings ended with the pregnancy.

So what do I like on my biscuits now? Well. Butter. Of course. Gobs and gobs of salty, sweet cream butter! I have fallen madly, deeply, truly in love withLAND O LAKES® Butter with Canola Oil Butter. It’s perfect for spreading, even right out of the refrigerator. Which is perfect for me, because I only remember to soften butter in advance like .0023% of the time.

I also love that it only has 3 ingredients: sweet cream, canola oil, and salt. Other spreadable butter productss have up to 15 ingredients!! Uh, no thank you. I feel like the taste of simplicity always speaks for itself, and I definitely found that to be true in this case. It is utterly delicious and perfect for these biscuits.

So, to sum up: the perfect biscuits. Cold spreadable Butter with Canola Oil. And honey. My job here is done.

Mile High Perfect Biscuits Recipe (10)

Yield: approximately 10 4-inch biscuits

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 3/4 c. buttermilk (the cheat version is okay)
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/4 cup shortening
  • 1/4 cup cold water, divided*
  • 1 stick cold or frozen butter, cubed

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder.
  3. Create a well in the middle of the bowl. Add the buttermilk, egg, shortening, and 2 tbsp of the cold water into the well. Use a wooden spoon to start mixing and "cutting" to form a dough. Take care to not over-mix.
  4. Add the cubes of butter, and use your hands to knead the butter into the dough (no more than 7-8 times). Some of the butter will incorporate to help moisten the dough, but mostly you want the butter to REMAIN in small chunks throughout the dough. This will make the biscuits fluffy.
  5. Turn dough out onto a non-stick surface (use cooking spray if you need to, but try to avoid using flour which will dry the biscuits out). Press into a 1 1/2 inch layer, making it as level as you can.
  6. Use a round cutter to cut biscuits out. Place each one on the prepared cookie sheet, edges touching each other.
  7. Sprinkle salt over top of the dough.
  8. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until outer edges start turning golden brown.
  9. Serve warm! Or store at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 2 days. However: best fresh!

Notes

This is totally optional, but I also like to add a "pat" of butter on top of each biscuit before baking and generously salt the biscuits as well. If you are luck enough to live near a Bojangles, you'll understand when I say that taking this extra step makes them taste a lot like a Bo's biscuit!

*The remaining 2 tbsp cold water is to keep on hand if your dough seems too dry. Add the water 1 tbsp at a time if needed.

Mile High Perfect Biscuits Recipe (11)
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Mile High Perfect Biscuits Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to an excellent biscuit? ›

Do not Overwork Biscuit Dough. Handle the dough as little as possible. Every time you touch, knead and fold, you are developing gluten. The more developed the gluten, the tougher the biscuit.

Are biscuits better made with butter or Crisco? ›

The butter version rises the highest — look at those flaky layers! The shortening biscuit is slightly shorter and a bit drier, too. Butter contains a bit of water, which helps create steam and gives baked goods a boost.

How can I get my biscuits to rise higher? ›

Bake them close to each other.

Biscuits are an exception to this rule: Placing them close to one another on your baking sheet actually helps them push each other up, as they impede each other from spreading outward and instead puff up skywards.

What makes homemade biscuits taste better? ›

Buttermilk adds a tangy flavor to the biscuits and makes them slightly more tender. Butter: We use salted European butter in this recipe. It will work with unsalted or salted butter. I like the extra saltiness of salted butter, but you can reduce the salt to 3/4 teaspoon if you prefer.

What is the secret to high rising biscuits? ›

Cut off uneven edges and put these scraps to the side; clean cuts on all sides will encourage rise. Pat scraps together to make 1 odd-shaped ninth biscuit. Place biscuits close together in a 9-inch square pan and brush with melted salted butter. Place pan on top of the warm stove for 10 to 15 minutes to rise.

What kind of flour makes the best biscuits? ›

White Lily brand flour, especially the self-rising flour, is the gold standard among Southern cooks who make biscuits on a regular basis. White lily, self rising. I use it for everything except those thing I make using either cake flour or yeast. If I'm using yeast I use King Arthur flours.

Is buttermilk or milk better for biscuits? ›

Buttermilk can produce better results when baking biscuits than using regular milk or cream. Buttermilk is acidic and when it is combined with baking soda, it creates a chemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide gas, which causes the dough to rise and gives the biscuits a light and flaky texture.

Which liquid makes the best biscuits? ›

*Substitute buttermilk, light cream, or heavy cream for the whole milk, if you prefer; use enough of whatever liquid you choose to bring the dough together readily, without you having to work it too much. The higher-fat liquid you use, the more tender and richer-tasting your biscuits will be.

Why is buttermilk better for biscuits? ›

Buttermilk Biscuits vs. Cream Biscuits

Buttermilk is used in biscuit-making for its acid and fat content. Its acidity works with the leaveners to help the dough rise, producing a taller and fluffier biscuit. Buttermilk also adds a subtle tang. Cream biscuits are made with heavy cream.

What is the simple secret to taller biscuits? ›

A great trick to further ensure tall & flaky Buttermilk Biscuits is to pop the tray of unbaked shaped biscuits in the freezer while your oven preheats. This keeps the butter extra cold. When the biscuits hit the heat of the oven, the steam from the water in the butter creates those tall flaky layers.

How long do you let biscuits rise before baking? ›

Biscuits are a type of quick bread (because they require no rising time before baking) with their moon in pastry. Like pastry dough, biscuits get their tender crumb and layers from the suspension of fat in flour.

What makes biscuits rise and fluffy? ›

Fully incorporating the butter and flour guarantees tender, airy biscuits every time. Low-protein flours keep biscuits fluffy and light, never tough. Yogurt provides both hydration and structure, for biscuits that bake up straight and tall but moist.

What are the two most important steps in biscuit baking? ›

The two keys to success in making the best biscuits are handling the dough as little as possible as well as using very cold solid fat (butter, shortening, or lard) and cold liquid.

What makes biscuits rise better baking powder or baking soda? ›

Baking soda is a much more powerful leavener than baking powder, about 3-4 times as strong. That is why you will notice that recipes usually call for a small amount of baking soda, typically ¼ teaspoon per 1 cup of flour.

What makes Southern biscuits so good? ›

Southern cooks have several tricks when it comes to making tender and delicious biscuits, from the cutters they use, to the type and amount of liquid incorporated, to the number of kneads required to turn out a perfect dough. The not-so-secret ingredient they rely upon is soft wheat flour.

What is the king of biscuit? ›

Pillai became known in India as the 'Biscuit King' or 'Biscuit Baron'. He took over Nabisco's other Asian subsidiaries. Pillai then established links with Boussois-Souchon-Neuvesel (BSN), the French food company, and by 1989 controlled six Asian companies worth over US$400 million.

What are the two most important steps in biscuit making? ›

The two keys to success in making the best biscuits are handling the dough as little as possible as well as using very cold solid fat (butter, shortening, or lard) and cold liquid. When the biscuits hit the oven, the cold liquid will start to evaporate creating steam which will help our biscuits get very tall.

What is the most important step in biscuit making? ›

Mixing. The multi-stage mixing method is preferred for its ability to produce consistent doughs which are not fully developed. Blending all dry ingredients to rub or cut the shortening into the flour until fat is fully distributed and pea-sized lumps are visible.

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