Name: Perfect Homemade Biscuits Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour; 3 tbsp sugar; 1/2 tsp salt; 4 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp cream of tartar; 3/4 cup COLD butter; 1 egg; 1 cup whole milk

The Perfect Homemade Biscuits recipe is a game-changer for any breakfast table — incredibly soft, buttery, and tall, these dreamy golden biscuits deliver bakery-quality results in about 15 minutes using just a handful of pantry staples! They are a beloved weekend staple in our kitchen, with each biscuit a glorious showcase of flaky layers and melt-in-your-mouth tenderness.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Perfect Homemade Biscuits Recipe - Recipe Image

Ingredients You’ll Need

Every ingredient in Perfect Homemade Biscuits plays a special role, each contributing to the biscuit’s signature rise, flavor, and texture. Don’t be tempted to substitute—these classics are simple, but they work their magic together!

All-purpose flour: Sets up the perfect tender crumb and gives structure—don’t overmix for the fluffiest result.
Sugar: Adds a subtle hint of sweetness and aids in browning for those beautiful golden tops.
Salt: Enhances each flavor and keeps the biscuits from tasting flat—don’t skip it.
Baking powder: The secret to sky-high biscuits and those irresistible flaky layers.
Cream of tartar: This gives a tender lift and improves texture, making the biscuits extra soft.
COLD butter: Essential! Cold (not melted) butter creates amazing flakiness as it bakes—chop it and keep it chilled until the last second.
Egg: Binds everything while adding richness and a lovely golden color.
Whole milk: Adds moisture and just the right amount of creaminess for that classic biscuit bite.

How to Make Perfect Homemade Biscuits

Step 1: Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Butter

Begin by preheating your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. It might seem like a small detail, but getting your oven fully hot is crucial. While it’s heating, cut your butter into small cubes and pop it back into the fridge—super cold butter is the key to the Perfect Homemade Biscuits’ signature flakiness.

Step 2: Combine Dry Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cream of tartar. This blend creates a balanced foundation, ensuring every bite of biscuit has just the right touch of salty and sweet with optimal loft.

Step 3: Cut in the COLD Butter

Using a pastry cutter or even your fingertips (if you’re quick!), blend the cold butter chunks into the dry mix. Aim for roughly pea-sized bits of butter—these pockets will melt in the oven and puff up, delivering that irresistible texture you want in Perfect Homemade Biscuits.

Step 4: Mix in Wet Ingredients

Add the egg and whole milk directly to the bowl and stir gently, just until your dough barely comes together. It’s okay—actually, it’s ideal—if it’s quite sticky and you can spot small bits of butter throughout. Overmixing at this stage leads to tough biscuits, so stop as soon as you see it all (mostly) holding together.

Step 5: Knead Briefly on a Floured Surface

Turn the sticky dough onto a generously floured countertop. Dust the surface and your hands with flour, then knead gently about 10 to 15 times. You’re aiming for a soft, cohesive dough while keeping visible specks of butter—a hallmark of truly Perfect Homemade Biscuits. If it’s too sticky as you knead, add a sprinkle more flour.

Step 6: Shape and Cut the Biscuits

Pat the dough out to about 3/4 to 1 inch thick. With a biscuit cutter (or improvise with a drinking glass), press straight down—don’t twist—to cut out rounds. Gather any scraps and repeat. Depending on how generously you cut, you’ll get nine to twelve gorgeous biscuits.

Step 7: Bake and Finish with Butter

Place your biscuits on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced slightly apart for tender sides. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, watching for those proud golden tops. For a finishing flourish, brush warm biscuits with a little melted butter right out of the oven—pure bliss.

How to Serve Perfect Homemade Biscuits

Garnishes

The classic approach is the best: slather hot biscuits with a generous dab of butter, letting it melt into every crevice. For a slightly fancier take, drizzle with honey, fruit jam, or even a sprinkle of flaked sea salt to bring out the biscuit’s sweet-savory notes.

Side Dishes

Perfect Homemade Biscuits are the ideal partner for everything from scrambled eggs and crispy bacon to a steaming bowl of sausage gravy. They make a fabulous bread basket addition for soups and stews, or serve them with fried chicken for an unbeatable Southern meal.

Creative Ways to Present

Try splitting the biscuits and piling them high with ham and cheese for a breakfast sandwich, or turn them into mini strawberry shortcakes with berries and whipped cream for dessert. For a brunch buffet, stack them tall on a pretty platter lined with a linen napkin—they’ll disappear fast!

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Keep leftover Perfect Homemade Biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. They stay soft and fresh if protected from air; just don’t refrigerate, as that tends to dry them out faster.

Freezing

These biscuits freeze beautifully! Once completely cooled, pop them into a zip-top freezer bag and squeeze out the air. They’ll maintain their fresh-baked taste and tender crumb for up to three months—ideal for busy mornings or unexpected guests.

Reheating

For the best taste and texture, reheat biscuits in a 350-degree oven (about 5-7 minutes) until just warmed through—this preserves their lovely crispy edges. In a pinch, a few seconds in the microwave will do, but oven reheating brings them closest to fresh-from-the-oven quality.

FAQs

Can I substitute another milk or non-dairy option?

Absolutely! Whole milk gives a rich, classic flavor, but you can use 2% milk, buttermilk, or any unsweetened non-dairy milk. Buttermilk will give your Perfect Homemade Biscuits extra tang and tenderness.

Why is the butter temperature so important?

Cold butter is what creates those enticing, flaky layers in Perfect Homemade Biscuits. As the butter melts in the hot oven, it releases steam, which lifts and separates the dough into tender layers.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

You can mix the dry ingredients and cut in the cold butter, keeping this mixture in the fridge overnight. The next day, add the milk and egg right before baking for fresh, lofty biscuits whenever you want them.

How do I avoid tough biscuits?

The biggest culprit is overworking the dough. Stir the ingredients just until combined, knead lightly, and stop handling as soon as the dough comes together for the softest, fluffiest results.

What’s the best way to cut out biscuits?

Use a sharp biscuit cutter, press down straight (don’t twist!), and dip the cutter in flour to prevent sticking. Twisting seals the biscuit edges and can keep them from rising as tall as possible.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve been searching for a breakfast treat or comforting side that wins everyone over, look no further than Perfect Homemade Biscuits. They’re easy, unfussy, and downright delicious—give them a try, and they might just become your own weekend favorite, too!

Perfect Homemade Biscuits Recipe

Print Recipe

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4.9 from 11 reviews

These easy, homemade biscuits are soft, fluffy, made completely from scratch, and can be on your table in about 15 minutes! A weekend staple in our house!

Author: Paula
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 12 biscuits
Category: Breakfast
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. The secret to excellent biscuits is COLD BUTTER. Really cold. Many times the biscuit dough gets worked so much that the butter softens before the biscuits even go in the oven. Try cutting the butter into small pieces and stick back in the fridge pulling out only when ready to incorporate into the dough.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Use a pastry cutter to cut cold butter into flour mixture. Don’t go too crazy here – you want to see small, pea-sized pieces of butter throughout the dough.
Add in the milk and egg and mix just until the ingredients are combined. The dough will be sticky but don’t keep working it. You should be able to see the butter pieces in the dough.
Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface. Sprinkle some flour on to the top of dough so it won’t stick to your fingers and knead 10-15 times. If the dough is super sticky just sprinkle on some additional flour.
Pat the dough out to 3/4 – 1 inch thickness and cut with a biscuit cutter or glass. I ended up with nine this time but depending on who is snacking on biscuit dough, I can get up to 12 biscuits.
Place the biscuits on a lightly greased baking sheet or parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.
For extra yumminess, brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter…