Buttermilk Biscuits

Biscuits are a cornerstone of Southern cuisine, offering a fluffy, tender texture and rich flavor. For generations, they’ve been served as a staple at breakfast tables, alongside savory dishes like fried chicken, or just enjoyed fresh with butter and jam. While many recipes for biscuits can be complicated and time-consuming, a simple buttermilk biscuit made with the right ingredients can deliver exceptional results in under 30 minutes. The key to achieving perfect biscuits lies in a few essential techniques, along with selecting high-quality ingredients. In this guide, we’re going to explore how to make White Lily Buttermilk Biscuits—a delightful recipe that simplifies biscuit-making without compromising on flavor.

What makes these biscuits stand out? The secret is in the use of White Lily Self-Rising Flour, which contains a blend of flour, salt, and baking powder, eliminating the need for additional leavening agents. The combination of cold butter and buttermilk enhances the texture, giving the biscuits their iconic light and airy feel. Let’s dive into this recipe, designed to deliver a batch of warm, golden biscuits perfect for any occasion.

Key Ingredients That Make All the Difference

To make these mouthwatering biscuits, you only need three main ingredients: White Lily self-rising flour, unsalted butter, and buttermilk. It might sound simple, but the quality of these ingredients is what sets the recipe apart. Here’s a closer look at each one:

• White Lily Self-Rising Flour: Known for its soft texture and fine grind, White Lily flour is preferred by bakers in the South. This flour is designed specifically for biscuit-making, and it already contains a combination of baking powder and salt. This ensures that your biscuits will rise perfectly without any extra fuss.
• Unsalted Butter: The butter in this recipe is essential for both flavor and texture. Unsalted butter, when kept cold, creates tiny pockets of fat within the dough, leading to a flaky, tender biscuit. Additionally, using unsalted butter allows you to control the salt content in your biscuits more precisely.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk is a crucial ingredient in many Southern recipes, and its tangy flavor complements the rich butter. The acidity in buttermilk helps activate the baking powder in the self-rising flour, resulting in a biscuit that rises beautifully. Plus, the moisture it provides helps keep the biscuits soft and tender.

Other Ingredients:

• Melted Butter: After baking, brushing the biscuits with melted butter adds a glossy finish and an extra layer of flavor. This final touch will make your biscuits even more irresistible.

How the Perfect Biscuits Are Made

Making biscuits from scratch may seem daunting to beginners, but with a little practice, it’s a quick and satisfying process. Let’s break it down step by step so you can easily replicate the magic at home.

Step 1: Preparing the Butter

Start by preparing your butter. Slice it into small cubes or grate it using a box grater. Place the butter in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes. The cold butter is essential for achieving the desired flaky texture. The fat should remain solid as it’s incorporated into the flour, which helps create layers in the biscuits as they bake.

Step 2: Preheating the Oven

While the butter chills, preheat your oven to 475°F (246°C). This high temperature ensures that the biscuits rise quickly, forming a golden crust on the outside while staying soft and fluffy on the inside. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the biscuits from sticking and make cleanup easier.

Step 3: Mixing the Dry Ingredients

Sift the White Lily self-rising flour into a large mixing bowl. Sifting helps aerate the flour and remove any lumps, which ensures a smooth dough. Adding the flour to the bowl creates a light, even base for the biscuit dough.

Step 4: Cutting the Butter into the Flour

Once the butter has chilled, add it to the flour mixture. If you’re using cubed butter, you can use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour, breaking it down into pea-sized pieces. Alternatively, you can use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour, but be careful not to overwork the mixture. The goal is to create a crumbly texture with small bits of butter dispersed throughout the flour. These pockets of butter will create flakiness as the biscuits bake.

Step 5: Adding the Buttermilk

Once your butter is cut into the flour, pour in the buttermilk. Stir the mixture gently with a nonstick spatula, just until the dough begins to come together. It’s important not to overwork the dough at this stage. You should stop stirring when the dough has barely formed a cohesive mass. Overmixing will result in tough biscuits, so keep the stirring light and minimal.

Step 6: Shaping and Folding the Dough

Turn the sticky dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough into a rectangle about 9 inches by 5 inches, with a thickness of about ¾ inch. Now comes the key step: folding. Fold one short end of the dough about one-third of the way toward the center, then fold the other side over the top, similar to folding a letter. Repeat this folding process five times. This creates layers in the dough that will help the biscuits rise high and remain tender.

Step 7: Cutting the Biscuits

After folding the dough, pat or roll it out to a thickness of about ½ inch. Using a 2 ½-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out circles from the dough. Press straight down on the cutter, without twisting, to ensure clean cuts. After cutting, gather the scraps, gently reshape the dough, and continue cutting until all the dough is used.

Step 8: Baking the Biscuits

Arrange the biscuit rounds on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between them. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the biscuits have risen nicely. The biscuits should have a soft, flaky texture on the inside and a slightly crisp exterior.

Step 9: Brushing with Melted Butter

Once the biscuits are out of the oven, brush them generously with melted butter. This adds extra flavor and helps keep the tops soft while enhancing the overall appearance of the biscuits. Serve the biscuits warm for the best experience.

Tips for Perfect Biscuits Every Time

• Keep the ingredients cold: For the best texture, keep your butter and buttermilk chilled. Cold butter will create flaky layers, and cold buttermilk will prevent the dough from becoming too warm and sticky.
• Don’t overmix the dough: Biscuits are best when the dough is handled as little as possible. Overmixing or overworking the dough can lead to dense, tough biscuits.
• Use a light touch: When rolling and folding the dough, be gentle. Too much pressure will flatten the dough, and the biscuits won’t rise as well.
• Baking at a high temperature: The oven temperature is crucial for getting biscuits that are both fluffy and golden brown. Don’t be afraid of the heat!