Buttermilk Herb Biscuits
These biscuits rely on keeping the butter frozen and the buttermilk chilled to create distinct, flaky layers. You fold the dough onto itself to build structure, then bake in a hot oven until the tops are bronzed and the edges are crisp.
Temperature is your primary ingredient.
If your butter softens while you are working the dough, the biscuits will come out dense rather than flaky. Keep everything as cold as possible.
- Large mixing bowl
- Pastry cutter or two butter knives
- Baking sheet
- 2-inch round biscuit cutter
- Parchment paper
What goes in.
- 2 1/2 cupsall-purpose flour
- 1 tbspbaking powder
- 1/2 tspbaking soda
- 1 tspkosher salt
- 1/2 cupunsalted butter, frozen and cubed
- 1/4 cupfresh chives, minced
- 1 tbspfresh thyme leaves
- 1 cupcold buttermilk
Building the layers
Instead of kneading, gently flatten the dough into a rectangle and fold it in thirds like a letter. Repeat this three times to create sheets of butter that puff into distinct layers during the bake.
The method.
Mix dry ingredients
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the chives and thyme.
Cut in the butter
Add the frozen butter cubes to the flour. Use a pastry cutter to break the butter down until it looks like coarse crumbs with some larger, pea-sized chunks remaining.
Add liquid
Pour in the buttermilk. Use a fork to stir just until the dough barely clumps together; it should look shaggy.
Laminate the dough
Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Pat it into a rectangle, fold into thirds, and rotate. Repeat this three times.
Cut and chill
Pat the dough to one-inch thickness. Cut straight down with the biscuit cutter without twisting. Place on the baking sheet and chill in the freezer for 10 minutes while the oven preheats to 425°F.
Bake
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. They are finished when the tops have turned deep golden brown and the sides have lifted.
Other turns to take.
Sharp Cheddar
Fold in one cup of finely shredded sharp cheddar before adding the buttermilk.
Black Pepper & Scallion
Increase the black pepper to 1 teaspoon and swap chives for finely sliced scallion whites.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Do not twist the cutter when punching out the biscuits; a straight push ensures the edges rise evenly.
Use a high-fat European-style butter if possible; the extra fat provides better lift.
Keep your hands light and fast to avoid melting the butter chunks with your body heat.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why didn't my biscuits rise?
The most common culprit is warm butter. If the butter melts into the flour before it hits the oven, it cannot create the steam pockets necessary for the rise.
Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk?
You can, but the acidity in buttermilk is necessary to react with the baking soda for a proper rise and a tender crumb.