Buttermilk Biscuits
By Mark Brenneman on October 22, 2026
Overview
Flaky, tall buttermilk biscuits. The trick is keeping the butter as cold as possible: shave it thin on a mandoline and keep it in the freezer until it goes into the flour. Folding the dough a few times builds the layers.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold flour
- 5 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 7 tablespoons (100g) unsalted butter
- ¾ cup buttermilk
Instructions
Prep the Butter
- Shave the butter on a mandoline
- Put the shavings in the freezer until you're ready to use them
Make the Dough
- Preheat oven to 425°F
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
- Add the frozen butter shavings and toss to coat them in flour
- Pour in the buttermilk and stir just until a shaggy dough forms
Fold
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and pat it into a rectangle
- Fold it over on itself, then pat it back out into a rectangle
- Repeat for 4 folds total
Cut and Bake
- Pat the dough to an even thickness
- Cut out biscuits with a round cutter, pressing straight down without twisting
- Bake for 14 minutes until golden
Notes
- Keep everything cold, including the flour
- Don't overwork the dough. A few visible butter pieces are good
- Twisting the cutter seals the edges and keeps the biscuits from rising as high
