You'll love this biscuit recipe from Preppy Kitchen's John Kanell. It's ideal for home bakers who want something that works and impresses without too much effort, and it's great for families. It uses a foolproof technique, from cold water to the fold-and-stack method.

The best part is there's no waiting, and you end up with a bakery-style, flaky biscuit. These biscuits are so impressive you can use them for any weeknight dinner or even a special occasion. They are that good.

Key Takeaways

Getting Your Ingredients and Tools Ready

Picking Your Flour and Butter

First, you need to get all your ingredients and tools prepared. Measure out your flour, and remember to spoon and level rather than pack it, as this can increase the weight and ruin the recipe. Using two cups of flour is a standard biscuit recipe. Don't worry too much about hydration, as consistency is the most important thing.

Make sure your butter is cold, as this will create steam during baking and give you amazingly flaky layers. If your butter is warm, it will just melt into the dough. I like to use unsalted butter, since it gives you much more control over the total salt content, as butters can vary in salt content. It's handy to reserve a couple of tablespoons of butter to brush on top of each biscuit.

It's more accurate to work in grams, but using the spoon-and-level technique with a cup helps those without scales.

Cold Ingredients Make Better Biscuits

Understanding Buttermilk

Kitchen Tools That Help

Essential Tools:

Getting Your Biscuit Dough Ready

Getting Your Flour Just Right

Now we need to make the biscuit dough. You need to use the fluff, spoon, and level method when using a cup versus scales for measurement. This method helps keep everything as accurate as possible without using a scale. If you scoop straight from the bag, this can add extra weight unknowingly, and this is usually the reason behind a dense biscuit.

All-purpose flour is the one to go for. You can use cake flour, and this will give you a softer crumb. If you try to use bread flour, the biscuits will be tough. It all comes down to the protein content of the flour. We don't need the extra protein here.

Try to use one tablespoon of baking powder per two cups of flour. This is the classic ratio. Don't use enough and your biscuits will be flat; too much and they will taste like soap. Remember to give your dry ingredients a good whisk, as this helps incorporate everything evenly so that you get a nice rise in your biscuits.

Getting the Dry Stuff Together

Cutting in the Cold Butter

Working the Dough Together

Combining and Forming the Biscuit Dough

Pouring in Cold Buttermilk

Now we need to combine everything and form the biscuit dough. Be careful when mixing, as this will develop gluten, and if you overwork the dough, you end up with tough biscuits. You only need to mix until just combined, and with a gentle technique. You want the dough to look shaggy; it should be rough- that is the goal. If your dough is smooth, then that's a clear sign you have overworked it.

You also need to make sure that your buttermilk is cold; this will help keep the fat cold and solid. Using warm buttermilk can melt the fat, and you will lose the flakiness. Don't forget that buttermilk's acidity is important here; it reacts with the baking soda and gives a lift to your biscuit, but also tenderizes it.

When mixing everything, use a folding technique. A gentle fold will incorporate any dry areas much better than kneading or stirring too hard.

Bringing Dough Together Gently

Creating Layers Through Patting and Folding

Rolling and Folding Methods

Shaping and Cutting Your Biscuit Dough

Working with Your Biscuit Cutter

Flour your cutter before you get started. This helps prevent sticking or suction, which can stop your biscuits from rising. Lots of people twist as they cut, but this actually seals the edge you've just cut, causing the walls to be sealed, and your biscuits won't rise.

Using a two-and-a-half-inch cutter is the standard size. If you use a smaller cutter, these tend to rise taller, while a larger cutter means the biscuits will spread more. One of the secrets to a great biscuit is the technique. Twisting and sealing the edges is usually the number one problem home bakers run into, and it's what leaves them with flat biscuits.

Any scraps left over can be reworked, but be gentle, as overworking the dough can result in a tough biscuit.

Working with Leftover Dough Pieces

Setting Up Biscuits on Your Baking Sheet

Getting Your Biscuits in the Oven

Adding Buttermilk on Top for Golden Color

When you get your biscuits ready to go in the oven, brush the tops with a little buttermilk before baking. This will give some color and extra bite, but be careful not to brush the sides, as that will stop them from rising.

If you don't like the tang from buttermilk, you can brush them with a little milk or even cream to help get a nice color. You need to make sure you do this lightly, as any pooling can mean uneven browning and can even turn the edges soggy.

A great thing about biscuits is you can freeze them before baking and bake them straight from frozen; just add an extra three to five minutes. Don't brush your biscuits too early, and avoid pressing down on them, as this will defeat the rise.

Make-Ahead Freezer Storage Tips

Oven Temperature and Timing

Serving Suggestions and Finishing Touches

Creating Simple Honey Butter

To serve these, you can make a honey butter. Just remember that the butter must be soft. I like to make sure it is kept out of the fridge and at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. The easiest part is that this is a one-to-one butter-to-honey ratio. Start off with this and then adjust if you like it sweeter; add more honey. If not, that's fine too. Don't forget the pinch of sea salt. People forget how important this is to balance sweetness but also improve overall flavor. You can decide between flaky or fine salt depending on your texture preference.

This will keep for up to a week in the fridge, but I like to take it out around 15 minutes before serving so it is spreadable. The great thing is honey butter can be used on other things too. Try using it on pancakes, sweet potatoes, or even grilled corn. The biggest mistake is usually overmixing. You want the butter and honey to be creamy and blended, not something that is whipped or filled with air.

Matching Biscuits with Different Dishes

Keeping and Using Extra Biscuits

Storage tips: