I produced buttery, flaky Southern biscuits with stunningly thin layers and a pillowy interior that make every bite feel like a bakery find.

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I’m obsessed with these layered Southern biscuits because they flip everything I expect from a biscuit. Flaky sheets of butter-tinted dough, loud with texture and smell that grabs you the second you walk in.

I love the way cold unsalted butter and cold buttermilk team up, making crumbs that pull apart into ribbons. But it’s not delicate or fussy; it’s unapologetic, buttery, and substantial.

I eat them straight from the pan, no shame in that. And I’ll fight you for the last one.

Pure, flaky, golden, and impossible to ignore. Worth every messy, glorious bite.

hands down, every single time.

Ingredients

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Flour: Basically the structure of the biscuit, gives body and chew.
Baking powder: It’s the lift that makes layers puff and stay tall.
Baking soda: Reacts with buttermilk for browning and a bit of tang.
Salt: Balances flavors, makes buttery notes pop without tasting salty.
Sugar: Plus a touch of sweetness that helps crust brown nicely.
Cold butter: Chunks create flaky pockets, pure rich buttery goodness.
Shortening or lard: Basically makes extra flaky layers and sturdier texture.
Buttermilk: Tangy liquid that tenderizes dough and adds moisture.
Melted butter: Brush on tops for shine, soft crust, and buttery finish.

Ingredient Quantities

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon fine salt

1 tablespoon granulated sugar, optional but helps browning

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, grated or cut into small cubes

3 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening or lard, optional for flakier layers

3/4 to 1 cup cold buttermilk, more if dough seems dry

1 tablespoon melted butter for brushing tops, optional

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment or lightly grease it; get a rack in middle of the oven so they bake evenly.

2. Whisk together 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon fine salt and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a large bowl so everything is evenly mixed.

3. Grate 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter or cut it into small cubes, and add 3 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening or lard if using; toss the fat into the flour mixture so pieces are coated and spread out. Keep the fat cold, it makes the layers.

4. Use a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips to cut the butter and shortening into the flour until it looks like coarse crumbs with some pea sized bits of butter still visible; a few larger bits give better flaky layers.

5. Make a well in the center and pour in 3/4 cup cold buttermilk, stirring gently with a fork until dough just comes together; if it seems dry add up to 1/4 cup more buttermilk a tablespoon at a time. Do not overmix, it’ll make tough biscuits.

6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, pat it into a rough rectangle about 1 inch thick, fold it over onto itself 3 to 4 times like folding a letter to create layers, then pat again to 1 inch thickness; repeat the fold once more if you want extra layers.

7. Using a floured biscuit cutter or a sharp glass dipped in flour, press straight down into the dough to cut biscuits without twisting; place them close together on the prepared sheet for taller sides, or spaced apart for more crisp edges. Re-shape scraps gently, don’t overwork.

8. For best rise, chill the cut biscuits in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes while the oven finishes preheating; this helps keep the butter cold and gives flakier layers.

9. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown on top and cooked through; if you like, brush tops with 1 tablespoon melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven for extra flavor.

10. Let biscuits rest a couple minutes, then serve warm split open to admire all those layers; store leftovers in an airtight container and reheat in a hot oven to revive the flakiness.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (preheated to 425°F)
2. Rimmed baking sheet (lined with parchment or lightly greased)
3. Large mixing bowl
4. Whisk (for dry ingredients)
5. Box grater or knife and cutting board (for grating or cubing cold butter)
6. Pastry cutter or two forks (to cut fat into flour)
7. Measuring cups and spoons
8. Biscuit cutter or a sharp glass dusted with flour
9. Bench scraper or spatula (for lifting and reshaping dough)
10. Cooling rack (and a small bowl for melted butter to brush tops)

FAQ

Q: Why are my biscuits not flaky? A: Most likely the butter melted before baking or you overworked the dough. Keep ingredients cold, handle dough gently, and do light folds rather than lots of kneading.

Q: Can I use milk instead of buttermilk? A: You can, but the acid in buttermilk reacts with the baking soda and helps lift and tenderize the biscuit. If you only have milk, add 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk and let sit 5 minutes.

Q: Why do my biscuits spread instead of rising? A: Spreading means the butter softened too much or there’s too little flour. Chill the dough briefly before cutting and make sure oven is fully preheated and hot.

Q: Can I freeze the biscuits? A: Yes. Freeze unbaked biscuits on a tray, then transfer to a bag. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the time. You can also freeze baked biscuits and reheat in a 350°F oven.

Q: Should I press the biscuit cutter straight down or twist? A: Press straight down only. Twisting seals the edges and prevents proper rise.

Q: How do I make them extra golden? A: Brushing the tops with melted butter or a little cream before baking helps browning. The optional sugar in the dough also helps with color.

Q: How big should I cut them? A: A 2 1/2 to 3 inch cutter gives classic biscuit size. Bigger cutters need slightly longer baking time and can be a bit trickier to get tall and layered.

How To Make Layered Southern Biscuits Recipe Substitutions and Variations

How To Make Layered Southern Biscuits

These biscuits come out flaky, tall and buttery if you treat the dough gently and keep everything cold. They’re rustic and a little imperfect, just like home. You’ll get layers by folding the dough a couple times and using a mix of butter and shortening for steam and structure.

Ingredients
– 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
– 1 tablespoon baking powder
– 1 teaspoon baking soda
– 1 teaspoon fine salt
– 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, optional but helps browning
– 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, grated or cut into small cubes
– 3 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening or lard, optional for flakier layers
– 3/4 to 1 cup cold buttermilk, more if dough seems dry
– 1 tablespoon melted butter for brushing tops, optional

Method
1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Put a baking sheet or cast iron skillet in the oven to heat while you mix dough.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a big bowl.
3. Add the cold butter and shortening. Use a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips to work the fats into the flour until there are pea to walnut sized bits. Don’t overwork it, you want visible chunks of butter.
4. Make a well in the dry mix and pour in 3/4 cup cold buttermilk. Stir with a fork until dough just comes together. If it’s too dry, add a little more buttermilk a tablespoon at a time. The dough should be shaggy but holding together.
5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently press or pat into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick. Fold the short side over to the center, then fold the other short side over that, like a letter fold. Rotate 90 degrees and repeat one more time. This folding creates layers.
6. Press the dough out to about 1 inch thick. Use a 2 1/2 inch round cutter and press straight down without twisting. Re-shape scraps gently and repeat. Don’t overwork the scraps or you’ll lose lift.
7. Place biscuits on the hot baking sheet or skillet so the sides touch for higher rise, or spaced apart for crisper edges.
8. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until deep golden on top. Brush with melted butter right out of the oven if you like softer, richer tops.
9. Let cool a few minutes, then serve warm with jam, honey, sausage gravy, whatever you want.

Quick tips
– Keep everything cold. Warm butter kills flakiness.
– Don’t twist the cutter or you’ll seal the layers and stop them from rising.
– If you want extra tall biscuits, stack two rounds before baking.
– Leftover biscuits freeze well. Reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through.

Substitutions

Buttermilk: mix 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice, let sit 5 minutes to sour.
Cold unsalted butter: use all cold vegetable shortening or lard if you need dairy free, but texture will be slightly different.
All purpose flour: use pastry flour for a more tender biscuit, or 50/50 all purpose and cake flour for similar effect.
Baking powder: if you’re out, use 3/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar, mixed into the dry ingredients.

Go make these. They’re a little messy, totally worth it, and honestly nobody’s counting calories at Sunday breakfast.

Pro Tips

– Keep everything rock cold. Chill the butter, the shortening, even the bowl if you can. Warm fat melts into the flour and you lose those flaky pockets, so when in doubt pop the dough in the fridge for 10 minutes before cutting.

– Don’t twist the cutter when you cut biscuits. Press straight down and lift straight up. Twisting seals the edge and stops them from rising tall, so you end up with flat middles.

– Fold the dough a few times to build layers but don’t overwork it. Gentle folds and quick handling make flaky layers. If the scraps look dry, sprinkle a teaspoon of cold buttermilk at a time instead of kneading like crazy.

– Bake them on a hot sheet and rest them briefly after they come out. A preheated sheet helps the bottoms brown and rise better. Let them sit a couple minutes before splitting so the steam settles, then brush with melted butter for extra flavor.

How To Make Layered Southern Biscuits Recipe

Recipe by Bob Jones

0.0 from 0 votes

I produced buttery, flaky Southern biscuits with stunningly thin layers and a pillowy interior that make every bite feel like a bakery find.

Servings

servings

Calories

293

kcal

Equipment: 1. Oven (preheated to 425°F)
2. Rimmed baking sheet (lined with parchment or lightly greased)
3. Large mixing bowl
4. Whisk (for dry ingredients)
5. Box grater or knife and cutting board (for grating or cubing cold butter)
6. Pastry cutter or two forks (to cut fat into flour)
7. Measuring cups and spoons
8. Biscuit cutter or a sharp glass dusted with flour
9. Bench scraper or spatula (for lifting and reshaping dough)
10. Cooling rack (and a small bowl for melted butter to brush tops)

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar, optional but helps browning
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, grated or cut into small cubes
3 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening or lard, optional for flakier layers
3/4 to 1 cup cold buttermilk, more if dough seems dry
1 tablespoon melted butter for brushing tops, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment or lightly grease it; get a rack in middle of the oven so they bake evenly.
Whisk together 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon fine salt and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a large bowl so everything is evenly mixed.
Grate 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter or cut it into small cubes, and add 3 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening or lard if using; toss the fat into the flour mixture so pieces are coated and spread out. Keep the fat cold, it makes the layers.
Use a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips to cut the butter and shortening into the flour until it looks like coarse crumbs with some pea sized bits of butter still visible; a few larger bits give better flaky layers.
Make a well in the center and pour in 3/4 cup cold buttermilk, stirring gently with a fork until dough just comes together; if it seems dry add up to 1/4 cup more buttermilk a tablespoon at a time. Do not overmix, it'll make tough biscuits.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, pat it into a rough rectangle about 1 inch thick, fold it over onto itself 3 to 4 times like folding a letter to create layers, then pat again to 1 inch thickness; repeat the fold once more if you want extra layers.
Using a floured biscuit cutter or a sharp glass dipped in flour, press straight down into the dough to cut biscuits without twisting; place them close together on the prepared sheet for taller sides, or spaced apart for more crisp edges. Re-shape scraps gently, don't overwork.
For best rise, chill the cut biscuits in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes while the oven finishes preheating; this helps keep the butter cold and gives flakier layers.
Bake 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown on top and cooked through; if you like, brush tops with 1 tablespoon melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven for extra flavor.
Let biscuits rest a couple minutes, then serve warm split open to admire all those layers; store leftovers in an airtight container and reheat in a hot oven to revive the flakiness.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.