Martha Stewart Buttermilk Biscuits

Martha Stewart Buttermilk Biscuits turn flour, cold butter and tangy buttermilk into tall, flaky homemade biscuits in 35 minutes. This easy cold-butter biscuit recipe is one of my favorite breakfast ideas, and it fits Thanksgiving dinner, Sunday brunch, Easter and cozy weeknight soup nights.

Keep the butter cold and leave big chunks of it in the dough, because those pieces melt in the oven and make the layers. If you work it in until smooth, the biscuits bake up dense and tough instead of tender.

Martha cuts the butter in with a pastry blender instead of your fingers, so the fat stays solid. She also brushes the tops with extra buttermilk before baking, which gives them that golden, brown-flecked finish.

Martha Stewart Buttermilk Biscuits

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Course: BreakfastCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

290

kcal

Cold butter pieces and a quick fold of buttermilk give a shaggy dough that bakes into tall, tender biscuits. The tops turn golden and crisp while the inside stays soft and flaky.

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
  

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  

• 1 teaspoon salt
  

• 1 teaspoon sugar
  

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
  

• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk, plus more for brushing
  

Directions

• Mix the dry ingredients: Preheat the oven to 375°F, then whisk 4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon baking soda in a large bowl. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar, and set a baking sheet nearby.
• Cut in the butter: Add 2 sticks cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces, then work it in with a pastry blender. Stop when the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with a few large clumps left.
• Fold in the buttermilk: Pour in 1 3/4 cups buttermilk and fold it in with a rubber spatula, working in all directions. Stop as soon as the dough just comes together, even if it looks shaggy and lumpy.
• Pat and cut: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat it into a round about 1 inch thick with floured fingers. Press a floured 2 1/4-inch cutter straight down without twisting, and cut the biscuits as close together as you can.
• Brush and bake: Place the biscuits about 1 1/2 inches apart on an unlined baking sheet, then brush the tops generously with more buttermilk. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through, until they are golden and flecked with brown spots.
• Cool on a rack: Move the biscuits to a wire rack as soon as they come out. Serve them warm with butter and jam.

Tools for this recipe

• Pyrex 3-piece glass mixing bowl set, Spring Chef dough blender (pastry cutter), Checkered Chef cooling racks. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I make a buttermilk substitute if I don't have any?

Yes, add 1 tablespoon plus 2 1/4 teaspoons white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup, then pour in milk until you reach 1 3/4 cups. Stir it and let it sit for about 5 minutes until it looks curdled. The acid still reacts with the baking soda, so the biscuits rise the same way.

How do I store leftover biscuits?

Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week. For longer storage, seal each biscuit in plastic and freeze them in a zip-top bag for up to 1 month. Fresh biscuits taste best, so I eat the room temperature ones first.

Can I make the biscuits ahead and freeze the dough?

Yes, cut the biscuits, then freeze them on a baking sheet for 1 to 2 hours until very firm. Move them to a freezer bag and keep them frozen for up to 3 months. Bake them straight from the freezer and add a few extra minutes to the time.

What's the best way to rewarm biscuits?

Wrap room temperature or refrigerated biscuits loosely in foil and warm them in a 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Then unwrap them and bake a few minutes more to crisp the tops. Frozen biscuits need about 15 minutes at 350°F.

Why did my biscuits turn out tough and dense?

Overworking the dough is the most common cause, since too much mixing melts the butter and builds gluten. Fold in the buttermilk only until the flour is moistened, and don't twist the cutter, because that seals the edges and stops the rise. A shaggy, lumpy dough is exactly what you want.