Flaky Mile High Biscuits
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These buttermilk biscuits are incredibly tall, flaky, soft, and oh-so-buttery! This is the only fool-proof biscuit recipe you will ever need!
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Why you’ll love Flaky Mile High Biscuits
- All the flaky layers. These buttermilk biscuits are extra tall, extra buttery, and extra flaky – the 3 most important elements in a great homemade biscuit!
- So much better than store-bought. You can say goodbye to the canned stuff and skip the artificial preservatives! You only need six simple pantry staples to have warm, freshly baked biscuits with crisp golden bottoms and soft, fluffy centers to elevate any meal.
- Freezes beautifully. Biscuits freeze like a dream, keeping in the freezer for up to 3 months. And you can bake the biscuits directly from the freezer (no thawing required), perfect for entertaining, holiday prep, or even baking a few of them at a time alongside a quick family dinner!
Key Ingredients
Flour
All-purpose flour provides the base for the biscuit dough
Leavening agents
Baking powder and baking soda serve as the leavening agents to give the biscuits their rise, yielding light, airy volume and height
Salt
Enhances flavor and strengthens the dough’s gluten structure
Unsalted butter
Cold, unsalted butter is key for tender, flaky layers
Buttermilk
Cold buttermilk adds the necessary moisture to activate the leavening agents and provide a subtle tangy flavor
How to make Flaky Mile High Biscuits
- Prep the baking sheet. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy clean up.
- Combine the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
- Add the cold butter. Work in the cold butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks crumbly.
- Add the liquid. Stir in the cold buttermilk using a rubber spatula until the dough comes together.
- Fold and shape. Turn the dough onto a floured surface, kneading and folding it over a few times to create flaky layers. Then roll the dough into a 1 1/4-inch thick rectangle.
- Cut out rounds. Press straight down with a floured biscuit or cookie cutter, avoiding any twisting, to cut out about 10-12 rounds. Pro tip: if planning for leftovers, flash freeze the biscuits here before transferring to an airtight, resealable freezer bag.
- Freeze. Place the biscuits onto the baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes.
- Bake. Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter and bake at 450°F for 15-18 minutes until golden brown.
- Serve. Serve warm, split open with a pat of butter, or spread with fruit jam, jelly, or marmalade.
additions and variations
- Meat: cooked and crumbled bacon (or sausage) or diced ham
- Cheese: shredded sharp cheddar, gruyere, or parmesan cheese
- Herbs: chopped fresh chives, rosemary, or thyme
- Seasonings: garlic powder or black pepper
FREEZING AND STORAGE
Storage
Leftover biscuits can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the fridge for 5-7 days.
Reheating
Reheat in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes.
Freeze before baking
Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper, freezing for 1 hour until solid. Transfer the biscuits to an airtight, resealable freezer bag. Label, date, and freeze up to 3 months. Bake as directed directly from the freezer, adding a few extra minutes to the bake time as needed.
Freeze after baking
Let the biscuits cool completely. Wrap each biscuit tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, then transfer the individually-wrapped biscuits to an airtight, resealable freezer bag. Label, date, and freeze up to 2 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes.
More favorite biscuit recipes
Tools For This Recipe
Flaky Mile High Biscuits: Frequently Asked Questions
A quick and easy buttermilk substitute is creating your own buttermilk with whole milk and something acidic such as lemon juice or distilled white vinegar. Add 1 tablespoon acid (lemon juice or vinegar) to 1 cup milk, letting it stand for 5-10 minutes.
A sharp knife should do the trick using a downward motion. Using a dull rim, such as a glass or mason jar, can prevent the biscuits from rising.
This process will keep the butter from melting, resulting in a higher rise and flakier layers.
Yes! Biscuits are very freezer-friendly, flash freezing once assembled (before baking) and storing in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Leftover biscuits can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the fridge for 5-7 days.
Flaky Mile High Biscuits
Video
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1 ½ cups cold buttermilk
For baking
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
- Add cold butter, using your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add buttermilk and stir using a rubber spatula until a soft dough forms.
- Working on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 3-4 times until it comes together.
- Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 1 1/4-inch thick rectangle.
- Cut out 10-12 rounds using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit or cookie cutter.
- Place biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet; place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Remove biscuits from freezer and brush tops with melted butter. Place into oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Serve warm.
Equipment
Notes
- Cold butter is key. When the cold butter melts in the oven, it will release steam and push the dough to form those favorited airy, flaky layers and a high rise.
- Use buttermilk. While adding a slightly tangy flavor, buttermilk is a key ingredient here contributing to the flavor, texture and rise. Using milk will lead to more neutral flavors along with flat and dense biscuits.
- Make a buttermilk substitute. You can make a buttermilk substitute at home by adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.
- Avoid overworking the dough. Knead the dough just until it comes together. Overworking the dough can lead to dense, dry biscuits.
- Use a floured biscuit cutter. Flouring the biscuit cutter beforehand will prevent sticking. Avoid twisting the cutter as the biscuits may slope and rise unevenly.
- Freeze before baking. Although biscuits can be frozen before or after baking, freezing before baking is preferred to preserve texture and for optimal freshness.
Did you make this recipe?
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DELICIOUS!
I’m no cook, but I was able to make these and they were perfect! I had to make buttermilk using vinegar, and I didn’t have a biscuit cutter so I used a sharp knife to cut into squares.
I froze the leftovers and reheated them in the oven and they were just as good. Saved to my favorites!
The biscuits live up to its name! I made these with the chicken pot pie soup. Loved it together. The biscuits came together quickly & easily. I baked them in my Breville Smartoven. Next time, I will try lowering the temp to 425 or reduce the time, as mine came out a little crispy on the outside, but still delicious and perfect to dip in soup.
Gluten free heavenly biscuits at last!
I have lost track of the number of biscuit recipes I have tried with using Gluten Free Flour. Unfortunately, none have been worth ever making again….until this recipe! These are absolutely “Damn Delicious”!! Made with Thomas Keller’s Cup 4 Cup Gluten Free Flour….they were flaky, tender and beautifully browned. Everyone in family loved (Celiac and non Celiac)….this is now our biscuit recipe….no more searching!
Made these biscuits this weekend and they were absolutely fabulous. Super buttery, flaky and mile high biscuits.
Mine didn’t rise. 🙁
Likely old baking powder, butter not broken up properly, or your oven wasn’t hot enough. It includes a bit of soda to react with the acid in the buttermilk, but most of the leavening comes from the baking powder and steam pockets created by the pea sized butter creating steam pockets in the super hot oven. Keep the door closed as much as possible. Also, easy way to do the butter keeping it the right size, is to shred about a half stick at a time of frozen or nearly frozen butter in with a cheese grater. Then stir into the flour so it stays separated and shred some more in.
Can you freeze unnamed day before bakung?
These are the very best biscuits I have ever tasted. I went from using a recipe that made dry and hard biscuits to use this blessing of a recipe! Thx so much for sharing<3
Thanks so much for the recipe. Your biscuits are a hit in our household. Delicious!
Oh my dear Lord! these are amazing!! freaking delicious I just made them and I almost ate them all in one sitting! my husband loved them too! thank you so much for sharing this recipe it is a keeper!!
These biscuits are EXCELLENT!!!
My daughter asked for breakfast for her birthday dinner so I made these. They were a huge hit with the entire family. The recipe was easy and straight forward. I’ll use this recipe from now on! Thank you!
Wow– these look beyond good! Can’t believe that height. Can’t wait to try these out!
Delicious. Great recipe. I think putting them in the freezer is very smart. I believe that makes all the difference. Thanks for the recipe! Turned out tall and light and the flakiness is indescribable. Took a tad bit longer for my oven. Results is all that matters, damn delicious!
Dear Damn Delicious,
,
I lost your site two years ago- so glad I found it- will start cooking your great recipes again,
Love and kisses, old woman
My go to recipe. I freeze my butter, grate it in myCuisinart, use vinegar in whole milk for buttermilk and make sure I have a sharp cookie cutter. I’ve had people offer me crazy things for these biscuits.
I made these biscuits and they taste great! However I am having a hard time getting them to rise instead they spread. What am I doing wrong?
Your baking powder or soda may be old? Also make sure to use a good sharp cookie cutter.
Don’t twist the cutter. Use a straight up and down motion. Twisting seals the edges and caused them not to rise.
Not rising enough? Verify your Baking Powder is active. Pour half cup hot water into glass. Pour one tablespoon Baking Powder on top of the water. If it bubbles and fizzles like crazy then it’s active and good. If not, replace it.
These were SO GOOD. I didn’t have any buttermilk on hand, and with COVID-19 so prevalent I didn’t want to go to the store for just that so I did the ole milk and vinegar trick (even with 1%milk) and these turned out so good! AND definitely MILE high! I didn’t have a biscuit or cookie cutter, so I just cut my dough with a pizza cutter. They really do need to be pretty thick, but they cooked up so perfect! I wish I could post a pic! I was so nervous, but these were so much easier than I was imagining. I made it with my own slow cooker version of the Chicken Pot Pie Soup from here and it was a great dinner – both kids loved it! 🙂
Hubby and I had biscuit making contest going. I used this recipe. I had no buttermilk, so I substituted vanilla yogurt. My husband has eaten 3 in last 5 minutes and says he will never try to make biscuits again. It is now my job and I am to use this recipe. Win for me as well as him.
Delicious and so easy! I even messed up the timing a little bit and had them in the fridge for 30 min instead of freezer for 15 min and they still turned out great. Will never use another biscuit recipe!
Those are the best biscuits I’ve ever had. My family ate everyone of them. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. I’ll never use any other recipe this one is a keeper!!!
Really, the best biscuit recipe ever! So very simple. The only change I made was using a pastry cutter to work the butter in then using my mixer, I used the dough hook and it worked perfectly! A lot less work than mixing by hand! It is my go to biscuit recipe!
I enjoyed this recipe and the flavor was great, however I am not getting the rise as in the pictures. Since I do not bake often, I will throw out the question of what I may have missed?
I am also curious about the butter measurement. 1 cup cubed butter. Since most baking is based on volume, was it 8oz cubed, or 4oz cubed to the 1 cup line? I do not think that would affect my height issue, however a question non the less. I would love to hear some feedback from those successful attempts. Thanks
1 cup is equivalent to 2 sticks of butter. Each stick is 4 oz, so 8 oz equals 1 cup. If you buy butter in sticks, there is a measurement printed on the wrapper.