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First and foremost
This is Joanna Gaines’ recipe.
Not mine.
I am simply sharing the amazingness of this biscuit recipe (or what we thought was amazing; you may think otherwise)
Texture of these biscuits
THEY AREN’T FLAKY BISCUITS.
Their texture is tender and more dense and doughy in the center.
If you’re expecting flaky biscuits, please tame your expectations!
What we thought
Joanna Gaines is brilliant. I wish I could take credit for these fluffy, buttery biscuits but I owe all the credit to her.
These biscuits were beyond anything I’ve ever tasted from a biscuit. In fact, these biscuits reminded me of biscuits you get at a southern cafe or a fried chicken fast food place.
I know you might think that it’s demeaning to compare homemade biscuits to a fast food place but I think that’s what she was going for.
She wanted you to be able to make the buttery, tender, fluffy biscuits you get at fast food places or restaurants right in your own home.
About the most fluffy and buttery biscuits ever!
Joanna Gaines certainly achieved what she set out to do. These biscuits were melt in your mouth and I could not get enough of them.
At first I thought I was going to halve this recipe, because it said it made 20, and I’m so glad I didn’t because that would have been a terrible decision.
In one sitting, I ate three biscuits. Everyone who came over had at least two on their plate. I had only eight biscuits left at the end of the night!
What you can serve the biscuits with
I made black pepper sausage gravy to go on top of the biscuits because all biscuits should be served with white gravy, jam, or clotted cream.
I couldn’t find clotted cream around here, even at the British market. I think it was the wedding of Harry and Meghan that caused all the clotted cream to be sold out!
How easy are these biscuits?
The biscuits were pretty easy to make. Standard butter, flour, pastry cutter.
It does require at least 30 minutes chill time so keep that in mind if you are making this for breakfast.
You can keep it in the fridge overnight too if you are prepping ahead of time.
If you are putting them in the fridge overnight, just know they may not rise as high as they normally would.
Can you freeze them?
I would cut them out into biscuit shapes and either put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (if you have the freezer space for a big baking sheet) or put them in a plastic bag then freeze up to three weeks.
Is this THE fluffy biscuit recipe?
I believe they are.
I have made this recipe countless times already and I haven’t had an issue with rise or fluffiness.
They always come out fluffy and tender.
Baking is a science and it can be finnicky.
If your biscuits don’t come out fluffy, there are a multitude of reasons that this could be happening.
I try to address it below and I hope your biscuits come out fluffy!
High rise!
They really rise high. I think the key is to use self-rising flour AND additional baking powder AND baking soda.
They were still incredibly tender and fluffy, though.
I can’t stop dreaming of these.
Mine didn’t rise as high as yours. Mine are flat!
Hard for me to say why. There are so many factors.
Did you use buttermilk? It reacts to the baking soda and baking powder to help with the rise.
How old is your baking soda and baking powder?
See below on baking powder for more information.
Did you use self-raising or regular flour?
Truly every oven is different, too. That could affect the rise.
Additionally, overworking the dough can affect the rise too.
Another reason your biscuits might not be as fluffy or have a high rise. The SCIENCE behind baking powder.
The TYPE of baking powder makes a huge difference in your fluffy biscuits.
Baking powders can be fast-acting, slow-acting, or double-acting, depending on the acid or acids they contain, according to Shirley Corriher.
“Some acids react with liquid, while others react with heat. Double-acting powders usually contain two acids—one for liquid, the other for heat.”
And there we have it.
What kind of baking powder did you use?
I use double-acting, aluminum-free baking powder (see more below on aluminum-free).
Aluminum-free baking powders react with liquid and not with heat.
This makes them faster acting because as soon as you add the liquid (buttermilk, which has acid in it so it reacts kind of like how when you mix baking soda and vinegar together), you gotta move fast and get these into the oven promptly because most of the bubbles (reaction) are released shortly after mixing.
However, if you use baking powders with aluminum, their action is delayed until you put them in the oven.
So there is definitely a trade-off.
If your biscuits are flat or not as fluffy or high-rise as mine, I highly suggest you take a look at your baking powder!
Mine have a metallic taste
I highly suggest using aluminum-free baking powder.
Since you are using so much baking powder in this, if you don’t buy aluminum-free (I think they mostly all are aluminum-free these days but check the label), you’ll get that metallic taste.
There isn’t enough salt in these
Honestly, this is not my recipe. They’re Joanna Gaines’. I made them just as written and we didn’t think they needed more salt.
There’s already so much salted butter in this that I feel if I added more salt, I would be eating straight salt.
Everyone’s salt preference is different, too. If you are used to eating higher sodium food, then your tastebuds will automatically think something less salty is bland.
If you think these need more salt after tasting them, I would suggest adding a sprinkle of salt to your biscuit before you take a bite or sprinkle it on top of the butter or jam.
I would have kept the entire tray for myself had it not been for cookbook club ;)
Go grab all the ingredients and these biscuits this weekend. You will NOT regret that decision. Not one bit.
Other recipes to go along with these fluffy biscuits!
Blackberry lemon jam or blueberry lavender jam on top of these biscuits would be the perfect addition with some salted butter or clotted cream!
Jalapeño mango jam would be a spicy, sweet yet flavorful kick!
Vanilla honey peach butter sounds so decadent and good.
The Most Fluffy and Buttery Biscuits Ever
Ingredients
- 4 cups (500 g) self-rising flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 tablespoons baking powder, (see blog post above for more details; use double-acting, aluminum-free baking powder)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ pound (340 g) (3 sticks) SALTED butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 large eggs, beaten PLUS 1 large egg for brushing
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) buttermilk, plus more as needed and for brushing
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and baking soda.4 cups (500 g) self-rising flour, 2 tablespoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Add the butter and using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until pea-like crumbs form.3/4 pound (340 g) (3 sticks) SALTED butter
- Stir in the beaten eggs with a wooden spoon until just combined. Then pour in the buttermilk until the dough comes together into a sticky mass. You may need more buttermilk if it's still too dry and there is flour still at the bottom of your bowl. I ended up having to add in 1/2 cup more. DO NOT add 1/2 cup more all at the same time. Do 1 tablespoon at a time until the right consistency is reached.2 large eggs, 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) buttermilk
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- When ready, preheat oven to 400 °F (204 °C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Dust a little flour onto your work surface then put the dough onto the work surface and use your hands (flour them) to press into a round, roughly 14 inch diameter and 1/2 inch thick. See photos in the blog post.
- Use a floured 2 3/4-inch round biscuit cutter to cut out about 20 biscuits. Reform the scraps of dough into a circle again to cut more.
- Transfer biscuits to prepared baking sheet and arrange them so they are touching each other. See photos in the blog post.
- In a small dish, beat together remaining egg and buttermilk then brush on top of the biscuits.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
- Let cool slightly before devouring! They’re best eaten out of the oven, day of.
- Serve with your favorite sausage gravy, jam, or clotted cream.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Hello! Today while undergoing sequestration from the COVID 19 pandemic I made these biscuits per the directions. They tasted great, but did not rise to the occasion. I think the dough needs to be kneaded several time to allow air into the mix so the biscuits nay rise more.
I grew up in the country, never have I ever eaten a biscuit with an egg in it!
True to a restaurant type biscuit. Family enjoyed it. Didn’t fully let them cool to where it could be handled so they were crumbling as they were trying to keep from burning their fingers trying to pick it up. Would be good with gravy or jams. I only mixed in 1 cup of buttermilk. That was enough for me. Will be making again
Self rising flour has baking powder in it. Isn’t adding baking powder & soda an overkill? Seems the finished product would taste extra salty! Cook of many years! Lover of made from scratch biscuits! My comfort food! The
I’m not a baker and this was a recipe review from Joanna Gaines’ cookbook so this recipe is hers and she serves these in her restaurant, Magnolia. Personally, the several times I’ve made them, they’ve tasted fine. Have you made them yourself to say that it is definitely extra salty or are you just judging based on ingredients? You should give it a try if you haven’t.
@Rebecca Martin, You are correct. I’ve tasted many scones in my professional life in the restaurant business but boy…grab me the water jug! Sorry but these are not my “cuppa tea!” Soft and soooo salty.
We’ll start with the are tasty. Mine did not fluff as expected. I suspect that i had used old powder. Will buy new and give it another try.
@TEDINGTON, Mine either. Not the powder. Could be too much butter ratio to flour.
Hi tried ur buttery biscuit recipe excellent God bless you
I haven’t made them yet. Can’t wait to make them tomorrow!
I’ve been searching for the perfect biscuit recipe for a long time and I’ve baked so much that I was about to give up, until I found this excellent recipe! This is truly the most fluffy and buttery biscuits ever!! Also they rise really nice. From now on I will be using this recipe for sure! I notice a lot of people saying that there is not enough salt, but that isn’t true. They have the perfect amount of salt if you like the taste of salt in your biscuits.
I made this recipe they came out so good Buttery fluffy my thought someone else made them.
I made these biscuits and while they did turn out nice I had butter melting and smoking all over my oven! What did I do wrong?
you didn’t do anything wrong. there is a lot of butter in this recipe so it comes out of the dough. my only suggestion is perhaps keeping an eye on it and lowering the temperature a little