My Big Mama’s Southern buttermilk biscuits are flaky, buttery and super tender. This Mississippi bred recipe is about as close to hers as it gets, and it couldn’t be easier.
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Big mama made biscuits every single day from the time she was a little girl until she was 94. They always turned out perfectly because:
- She never overmixed so the biscuits ended up fluffy and not tough.
- Big mama only used Martha White (with White Lily as a backup). The self-rising flour already has the leavening, so you don’t need to worry about adding anything extra.
- She used shortening instead of butter. Super old school but even now, I find that using it gives you a softer crumb because it is 100% fat. Plus it is beyond reliable and the biscuits always turn out perfectly. To get that butter flavor, she would add a pat to the center and brush the tops.
How to make buttermilk biscuits
Make the Biscuit Dough
Step 1: In a large bowl, add flour, sugar, and salt and stir to combine.
Step 2: Create a well in the center of the flour then add shortening to the center.
Step 3: Using your hands, add cold shortening into the middle of the flour mixture and start mixing into the flour, keeping in larger pieces, about the size of a nickel.
Step 4: Pour in cold buttermilk and use a fork to mix until you have a shaggy dough. Do not overmix.
Step 5: Flour your hands and turn dough onto lightly floured surface (it’s okay to have small unmixed flour at the bottom of the bowl) and gently bring dough together until more cohesive.
Roll, Cut and Bake
Step 6: Turn the biscuit mixture onto a kitchen board. Work together with your hands on the board until a dough consistency forms and add flour as/if needed.
Step 7: Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough into a round of 1/2- 1 inch thickness. (You should see streaks of shortening peeking through the dough.) If dough sticks as you roll it out, add a little flour to your dough and/or board.
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Step 8: Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter (or a cleaned out back of a can) to cut out 12 biscuits. Place in prepared pan. The biscuits will fit snugly and the sides will touch.
Step 9: Bake until biscuits have risen and are light golden brown, about 15-18 minutes then brush biscuits with melted butter.
Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups self-rising flour Big Mama’s brand of choice is Martha White
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons shortening cold in large chunks, can also use butter flavored
- 3/4-1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted plus more for preparing pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. Set rack in upper third position. Prepare 9-inch round baking pan by brushing bottom with melted butter.
- In a large bowl, add flour, sugar, and salt and stir to combine. Create a well in the center of the flour.
- Using your hands, add cold shortening into the middle of the flour mixture and start mixing into the flour, keeping in larger pieces, about the size of a nickel.
- Pour in half of the buttermilk and use a fork to mix until you have a shaggy dough. Add more as you need. Do not overmix. Flour your hands and turn dough onto lightly floured surface (it’s okay to have small unmixed flour at the bottom of the bowl) and gently bring dough together until more cohesive.
- Turn the biscuit mixture onto a kitchen board. Work together with your hands on the board until a dough consistency forms and add flour as/if needed.
- Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough into a round of 1/2- 1 inch thickness. (You should see streaks of shortening peeking through the dough.) If dough sticks as you roll it out, add a little flour to your dough and/or board.
- Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter (or a cleaned out back of a can) to cut out 12 biscuits. Place in prepared pan. The biscuits will fit snugly and the sides will touch.
- Bake until biscuits have risen and are light golden brown, about 15-18 minutes then brush biscuits with melted butter. Big mama would also sometimes cut open the centers and smear on more butter letting it melt down. Serve warm and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Tips for making the best buttermilk biscuits
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- Don’t Overmix: When combining the buttermilk with the flour, be gentle and mix only until everything comes together. Overmixing can lead to tough biscuits, and you want them to be as soft as a cloud.
- Rolling Matters: Aim for a uniform thickness when rolling out your dough to ensure even baking. Whether you like them thick or thin, consistency is key.
- Sharp Edges: Use a sharp biscuit cutter to ensure clean cuts. This helps the biscuits rise uniformly. Avoid twisting the cutter, as this can seal the edges and prevent the biscuits from rising properly.
- Biscuit Placement: For biscuits with softer edges, place them touching each other on the baking sheet. If you prefer crispy edges, space them apart.
How to store & reheat buttermilk biscuits
Once the biscuits have cooled to room temperature, transfer them to an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag. You can leave them at room temp for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply pop the biscuits in the microwave for a few seconds wrapped in a damp paper towel. But if you want to keep it fluffy and soft I suggest preheating your oven to 300°F and let the biscuits gently reheat for a few minutes.How long will buttermilk biscuits last in the fridge?
They will stay delicious for up to 5-6 days.Can I freeze buttermilk biscuits?
Yep for sure boos! Just transfer your cooled biscuits into an airtight container or a resealable freezer bag, and pop them in the freezer. They can be frozen for up to 3 whole months! Ingredient Swaps Shortening: This gives Big Mama’s biscuits their tender and fluffy center because of its fatty oil base. You can also swap out the shortening with an equal amount of cold unsalted butter. I recommend using a grater if you go this route. Granulated sugar: You could also use a little honey here too. Salt: This will help to balance the sweetness from the sugar. Buttermilk: Make your own DIY version by mixing 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until it thickens slightly before using. Melted butter: Big mama brushed right on top and also split the biscuits open and added a pat to the centers.Nutrition
Recipe Help
Absolutely! Just Prep the dough then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap then refrigerate.
Yep for sure! You can swap it out with an equal amount of cold, cubed butter or even margarine.
More Biscuits Recipes
- Angel Biscuits
- Sour Cream Biscuits
- Cathead Biscuits
- Homemade Cheddar Bay Biscuits (Garlic Cheddar Biscuits)
- 7 Up Biscuits (With How To Video!)
*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!* Post a photo of how your version of the recipe came out on Instagram (using #grandbabycakes)!!
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You should make more videos with you Big Mama and Big Daddy. Y’all are so sweet girl. And she make them biscuits just like my Big Mama. I love this. More videos like this are needed in times that we live in now. I know she does a good fried chicken, can we have a video please.
She passed away a couple of years ago. We miss her dearly.
Here it is 2020 in the middle of the Corona Virus pandemic and I’m just now discovering this video. Your grandmother is so precious and I sincerely hope she is still with you! I loved watching her make her biscuits and I loved that your entire family got involved in making the video. I’m 76 and my mama is 99 and still working her crossword puzzles. She is quite frail and doesn’t cook anymore but she cooked a lot of biscuits for our big family over the years. I’s the oldest of seven children and my daddy was a carpenter and built houses and barns. Mama cooked and washed clothes seemed like all the time when I was growing up. Thank you for taking the time to make this video and for sharing it with us. I wish I had done this for my mama and her coconut and chocolate cream pies with the flakey, tender crust and the real whipped cream on top! God bless you and your Big Mama and your entire family! 🙂
Oh thank you so much! Unfortunately, my Big Mama passed away last year but it makes my heart so so happy to have this video.
So glad you made a video, was so sweet to see your grandmother making biscuits and it surely helped to show the measurements for the recipe. I used to use Crisco quite a bit, but try to use butter now instead. I wonder how they’d turn out with butter?
Thanks so much for sharing, wonderful memories to make to share with your family.
I’ve got a great all butter biscuit recipe you should definitely check out right here on the blog.
Hi Jocelyn,
I just discovered Big Mama’s Biscuit recipe on Youtube and have a question for you. Before your grandmother baked her biscuits, she said, “its going to take the biscuits but a few minutes to rise.”. Do you have any idea how long we should let the dough rise before baking? There’s no mention of a rising time in the recipe. When I heard Big Mama say this, my first thought was that she is brilliant! Most recipes for baking powder biscuits don’t call for a “rise” so this may be why her biscuits are so special.
Hi Andee, just about 10 minutes should do it. And yep she is a genius!
I never have buttermilk in the house. Is it possible to substitute something else and have them turn out like yours?
Hi Sharyn, it won’t have the exact same flavor but you can always add lemon juice or vinegar to milk to create a buttermilk substitute to use in a pinch.
Big Mama, I LOVE YOU! You are so cute – thank you so much for showing us how to make your biscuits, and thank you Jocelyn for bringing this fabulous lady into our home! And, I loved the background music. Has Big Mama made any other videos?
Loved the video
I am going to try my hand at making these biscuits
Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy!
That has got to be one of the most precious videos I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait to make these biscuits for my boys, compliments of Big Mama of course! You are so lucky to have her in your life. Love your blog and look forward to trying many of your lovely southern recipes.
Thank you so much!! 100% compliments to Big Mama, she is such a gem. I really appreciate your sweet comments!
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I thoroughly enjoyed your video. Reminds me so much of how my grandmother cooked and taught me. Blessings!!
Thank you so much! It was an experience I will never forget. Grandmothers are the best.