The Best Flaky Baking Powder Biscuits

Biscuits are one of the most comforting foods there are. When done right, they’re buttery, fluffy and flaky inside with a golden brown crust, perfect with a bowl of hot soup, or made into a delicious biscuit breakfast sandwich. I’ve made this particular recipe for Baking Powder Biscuits hundreds of times over the last 15 years, and I never tire of them. With only a few ingredients needed, I don’t even need to look at my recipe anymore when I make them. Read on for all my best tips for making the best, homemade flaky biscuits in your kitchen!

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Biscuits, scones or cookies?

In American English, what we know as biscuits are actually called scones in British English, and our cookies would be known in the UK as biscuits. And scones refer to a sweet version of a biscuit, usually containing fruit, and drizzled with icing. So as not to confuse anyone, this post is about American biscuits, the fluffy, flaky (and usually savory) quick bread that’s made of flour, baking powder, butter, salt and milk.

The biscuits that we eat today originated from something called “hardtack”, a simple, hard biscuit or cracker made from just flour and water. Over time, the recipe was altered to include salt, and eventually butter, milk and leavener, until they became the fluffy, flaky biscuits that we enjoy today.

Ingredients and Tools

Flour + Corn Starch.

• I use all-purpose flour for my biscuits. Some bakers swear by using self-rising flour (which already contains salt and a leavener), but I haven’t had good success with that.
• Southern cooks boast a reputation of making the best baking powder biscuits, and this could be because their flour is milled from a soft winter wheat (which is lower in gluten), unlike the harder wheat grown in the Midwest. My suggestion would be to try a few different flours to find your own personal favorite for your biscuits. White Lily Baking Flour has a reputation for making fantastic biscuits.
• When soft wheat flours aren’t available, adding a little corn starch to all-purpose flour lowers the percentage of gluten and tenderizes the dough for a very light and fluffy biscuit.

Baking Powder.

• I leaven my biscuits with baking powder – hence, the name “baking powder biscuits”. Along with the folding of the dough, the baking powder helps the dough rise, keeping the biscuits light and fluffy.

Salt.

• Flavor. Speaking of flavor, you can also add grated cheese or herbs to your biscuits. There’s so many ways to make them delicious.

Butter.

• Unsalted butter adds richness and flavor to the biscuits, as well as those flaky layers. When you roll out the dough, fold it up, and then roll it out again, you’re creating layers of butter and flour, which turn into beautiful layers in your biscuits.

Milk.

• I use whole milk in my baking powder biscuits. The milk moistens the flour, bringing it all together into what I call a “craggy” dough. You don’t want to over-hydrate your dough. Just like pie dough, biscuit dough should be just moist enough to barely hold together.

Pastry Cutter.

• The easiest way to cut the butter into the flour is with a pastry cutter. I suppose you could use two knifes, but I find that method to be difficult and awkward. A proper pastry cutter works so much better.

Bench Scraper.

• I use the same bench scraper for smoothing the sides of a buttercream-frosted cake as I do for making pie dough and biscuits or scooping chopped vegetables up from a cutting board. There’s simply no end of uses for a bench scraper, and every cook and baker should have one. In biscuit making, you’ll use your bench scraper to loosen the dough from the counter as you’re rolling it out.

Rolling Pin.

• To keep your biscuit dough as cold as possible, you should use a rolling pin to roll out the dough, rather than pressing it out with your hands.

Instructions

I’ve made these baking powder biscuits so many times that I’ve memorized my recipe. They’re quick and easy to make, and with a few tricks like folding the dough, you’ll have the best, fluffiest, and flakiest homemade biscuits you’ve ever tasted.

Baked at a high temperature, their golden brown crust gives way to a fluffy, tender center that’s one of the best things you’ll ever put in your mouth.  Hot from the oven, I brush their tops with melted butter, sprinkle them with flaky salt and then serve them piping hot.

• Preheat the oven to 450 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a bowl, combine the flour, corn starch, baking powder and salt.  Use a pastry cutter to cut in 6 tablespoons butter until crumbly.  (If you want to add grated cheese and/or herbs, add those now.)
• Stir in the milk just until moistened and use your hands to gather the mixture up into a craggy dough, but don’t overwork the dough. There will be some moist bits, and some dry bits, and that’s exactly how it should be. If it’s too dry, add a little more milk, a tablespoon at a time. You don’t want the dough too wet; it should be just moist enough to barely hold together.
• On a lightly floured surface, gently pat or roll the dough out to 1 inch thick, using a little more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking.
• Fold the dough into thirds, then thirds again; folding the dough gives the biscuits lots of flaky layers. Using a little more flour as needed, pat or roll the dough out again to about 1 inch thick.
• Cut into rounds with a 2-inch biscuit cutter, trying to cut as many biscuits as you can the first time. Do not twist the cutter, just cut straight down and lift it straight back up. Gather up the scraps, press them together and cut those as well (the scrap biscuits don’t bake quite as prettily, but are always tasty).  You should be able to cut around 10 biscuits. If you like, you can also use a sharp knife or a bench scraper to cut square biscuits, which will reduce the amount of dough scraps that you need to re-roll.
• Place on the parchment-lined baking sheet so that the biscuits are close together, about 1/2 inch apart.
• Use a fork to break up the egg, then use a pastry brush to lightly brush the beaten egg over the tops of the biscuits.
• Bake until risen and a deep golden brown on top, about 12-15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the remaining two tablespoons butter in a small bowl. As soon as you take the biscuits out of the oven, brush the melted butter on top of the biscuits, then sprinkle with flaky salt. Serve immediately.

Serving Ideas

They are fantastic however you eat them, and there’s so many delicious ways to serve biscuits. Here are some of my favorites.

• Butter, Honey and Homemade Jam
• Drizzled with Maple Syrup
• Sandwiched with Fried Eggs and Sliced Tomatoes
• Sausage Biscuit Breakfast Sandwiches
• Seasoned with Herbs and Cheese to serve with Soup
• Sandwiched with Sliced Ham or Turkey, with Mustard and Marmalade
• Biscuits and Gravy

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do you add corn starch to your biscuit dough?

• The addition of corn starch lowers the percentage of gluten in the flour mixture and tenderizes the dough for light, fluffy biscuits. If you have access to a soft, winter wheat flour, such as White Lily (not self-rising) with a good reputation for fluffy biscuits, you can use that instead of the flour/corn starch combination.

Can I add other spices or add-ins?

• Since this is a savory biscuit recipe, herbs and cheese are delicious additions. You should add them after you cut in the butter, and before you stir in the milk.
• For a sweeter breakfast scone with the addition of berries and baking spices, you can experiment with adding a bit of sugar to the dry ingredients and reducing the salt.

Can I use buttermilk or non-dairy milk instead of whole milk?

• Yes, you can use any kind of milk that you like in this biscuit recipe.

How do I make tall, flaky biscuits?

• Use cold ingredients. Your ingredients should be as cold as possible for the best, flakiest biscuits. If it’s warm in your kitchen, it’s helpful to chill the bowl before you start mixing up your biscuit dough.
• Fold the dough. After rolling the dough out, fold it into thirds, like a letter, then in thirds again. Roll out once more to cut your biscuits. This quick and simple step of folding the dough creates 6 layers of dough, which will give your biscuits lots of flaky layers as they rise in the oven.
• Don’t twist the biscuit cutter. When you cut your biscuits, it can be tempting to twist the biscuit cutter, but don’t do it. When you twist the cutter, it seals the edges of the dough, preventing it from rising as much as it should.
• Bake the biscuits close together. Use a baking sheet that’s only as big as you need it, and line it with parchment paper. You want to crowd your biscuits close together, almost touching, which helps them rise tall. If you space your biscuits far apart, they’ll spread out more as they bake instead of rising tall and flaky.

How thick should I roll out the dough?

• About 1 – 1 1/4 inch thick is ideal. Your biscuits should double their height in the oven, if you follow all the instructions carefully.

Do I have to brush the biscuits with egg wash before baking?

• The egg wash is optional, but it promotes browning for that gorgeous golden brown color on top. Without egg wash, your biscuits will remain pale as they bake.

What temperature should I bake biscuits at?

• You need to bake biscuits at a very high temperature of 450F. The burst of heat helps the cold biscuits to quickly rise tall, flaky and fluffy.

What kind of salt should I sprinkle on top?

• In the biscuit dough, I use coarse Kosher salt. But after they’ve baked, I brush them with melted butter and sprinkle them with a flaky finishing salt, like Maldon.

How long do homemade biscuits stay fresh?

• Homemade baking powder biscuits are best eaten right after they’ve been baked. There’s just nothing like that hot-from-the-oven texture. They’re still delicious for up to 3 days after baking, though.
• You should store leftover biscuits in an airtight container or freezer bag.

What’s the best way to reheat leftover biscuits?

• Microwave at 50% power for 45 seconds.
• Split the biscuits and toast them for a few minutes in a toaster/convection oven.

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