Techniques › Baking and pastry
Flaky biscuits
Beginner Baking and pastry
Tall, tender biscuits with pull-apart layers, made by keeping the butter cold and folding the dough a few times.
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How do you do it?
- Work cold butter into the flour, leaving pea-size pieces, then stir in cold buttermilk just until a shaggy dough forms.
- Pat the dough to about 1 inch thick, fold it in thirds, and repeat 2 or 3 times for layers.
- Cut straight down with a floured cutter. Don't twist, which pinches the edges shut.
- Set them close together on the sheet and bake at 425 to 450°F for 12 to 15 minutes, until tall and golden.
Why does it work?
Cold butter pieces melt in the hot oven and release steam, which pushes the dough apart into flaky pockets. Folding flattens those pieces into sheets, so you get layers. Buttermilk's acid reacts with baking soda for quick lift and keeps the crumb tender. Minimal mixing keeps gluten weak, so they stay tender instead of bready.
What are the common mistakes?
- Overworking the dough — tough, flat biscuits.
- Twisting the cutter — sealed edges that keep them from rising tall.
- Letting the dough get warm — the butter melts in and the flakes disappear.
Still stuck? Watch someone do it on YouTube.
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