How to Make the Flakiest Biscuits Ever

Test cook Erin McMurrer unlocks the secrets to making Ultimate Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits at home.

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[kirsten]

Recipe is behind paywall. Here is list of ingredients:

3 cups King Arthur All Purpose flour (for higher protein content)
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), frozen and grated except last Tbsp of each stick which is set aside
• 1 ¼ cup buttermilk

Five triple folds. Chill for half an hour. Bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes rotating half way through.

[lewisedwards]

3 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Tbsp Sugar
4 Tsps Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp Table Salt
2 sticks of unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups of cold buttermilk.

Coat frozen butter sticks in flour and grate all but I tablespoon of each stick. Save remaining 2 tablespoons for later.

Add grated butter to the flour mixture. Gently coat grated butter with the flour by tossing it through your fingers.. do not work butter into the flour yet.

Add buttermilk to mixture and stir only until just combined. Will still be very shaggy.

Tip the mixture onto a floured surface and form gently (by touching it as little as possible with your hands to avoid overly warming it) into a rectangle.

Roll the dough into a 9x12in rectangle and fold like a business letter. Turn the folded rectangle with the short side toward you and repeat this four more times (5 rolls and folds total).

Make sure finished rectangle is a half inch thick when finished and set on a baking sheet to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes covered with plastic wrap.

Flour a sharp knife and cut a quarter inch off of each side of the rectangle. Then cut biscuits into equal portioned squares.

Place biscuits onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, brush the tops with the melted 2 tablespoons of butter from earlier, and bake them in a pre-heated oven at 400°s on the upper middle rack for 25 minutes. Rotate halfway through.

Let cool for 15 minutes to keep biscuits from drying out.

[wildandes]

3 cups of flour (high pretine)
2 tbsp sugar
4 tsps baking powder
1/2 tspns baking soda
1-1/2 tspns table salt
(whisk together)
2 sticks of frozen and grated unsalted butter
(gently mix in flour)
1-1/4 cup of butter milk and mix gently with flour mixture
roll to a 9" x 9" on the baking board
fold in 3 and repeat 4 more times
cover with plastic for 30 minutes in the refrigerator
cut into 9 pieces and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes

[Nocturne]

Coating the sticks of butter in flour is LIFE CHANGING. I tried grating butter once and swore never again because it was a mushy, slippery mess even frozen. The flour really does help!

[irenejoseph]

Made these today. Used King Arthur flour and a package of Kerrygold butter. The butter in the large block was easy to grate and although the butter was salted, the biscuits were perfect in texture and taste. This recipe is a little time consuming but the results are amazing.

[leog]

I LOVE America's Test Kitchen :) Been watching for decades, I have learned so much from them

[richm]

I'm so happy to see someone shredding a frozen stick of butter, been doing it for many years and telling everyone of the benefits, started when making scones (also a folding challenge)

[phlavyah]

Wow. What a great biscuit this was. Perfect recipe. I used King’s Arthur bread flour. Could not have come out better. I’m usually not someone who likes biscuits. But these are now my go to recipe. My picky family loved it. Served with gravy (made w Italian sausage) and fresh squeezed OJ.

[daisytwotoes]

Those biscuits are gorgeous. I LOVE the idea of freezing the butter and grating it. I've avoided making biscuits, pastry, scones because I find cutting in the fat so tedious but I'm definitely going to give these a shot.

[robertschwartz]

I love your show. It's so important to know how things work, not just to follow recipes by rote.

[thebaker]

I made these! Accidentally added an extra 2 Tbsp of buttermilk (I made my own w/ milk and vinegar). Didn't have a super sharp knife, but did the cuts with a slightly dull one. And forgot to brush the butter on the top. They turned out fabulous. My roommate was really impressed. Two thumbs up!

[paula.]

I'm brand new to bisquit making and of the few different recipes I've made these are hands down the absolute best by far. Wonderful! Thank you for the excellent recipe and instruction. ❤

[leeguy]

I made these for biscuits and gravy what amazing results friends were so impressed .

[simonbriggs]

Made these for breakfast today and wow! Absolutely amazing flaky biscuits.... only downside is I think I’ll be expected to cook these every Sunday

[gingermilsap]

It is so much fun to watch you ladies cook! Knowing your wealth of knowledge and experience gives us great confidence💗💕👏👏👏

[patrickevans]

I had a craving for biscuits with butter and honey, one of my favorites, I was thinking of drop biscuits like the bisquick mix, I was in an accident and am partial disabled in my right arm, I wasn't going to try at first because it looked hard, but I did everything thing the way you said, if I was taking too long I just put it in the freezer for a little bit to keep the butter cold, they turned out really good and I am glad I challenged myself, I have been watching test kitchen on Iowa public television for years, now on you tube, thanks guys

[dangitsambiee]

I just made these... my life will never be the same. Thank you!!!!

[angief]

I tried this for Sunday breakfast, BEST biscuits I ever made! Looked just like these! flakey. I only used cheap flour, not KA. Used buttermilk.

[katiek]

This technique works very well! Just made it, very well. My new go-to biscuit recipe!

[frivolas]

Just made this recipe. Holy cow. These biscuits are the bomb! Nobody believes I made them!