Go Back
–+ large biscuits
Print Recipe

All Butter Biscuits

For years, I have been baking my Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits. They’re delicious and a favorite here at the farmhouse. This recipe doesn’t stray far from it and uses a similar technique. This version blends all butter into the dry ingredients and adds sour cream and heavy cream to the mix. If you prefer a purely buttermilk-based biscuit, the Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits are delicious when paired with this Sausage Gravy. Choose your favorite type of biscuit, homemade or store bought, and ladle on the gravy for a delicious meal.
Grating the butter makes it easier to work it into the dry ingredients, creating tiny bits of butter that will help to make the biscuit flaky when they create pockets of steam throughout the biscuit when they hit the hot oven and begin to melt. Take care not to overwork the dough, stopping when you can see little pearls of butter in the dry ingredients.
Substituting a bit of cornstarch for the All-purpose flour used in a traditional biscuit recipe helps to mimic the flour grown and milled south the Mason-Dixon line. It’s perfectly suited for recipes like biscuits and pie crusts. You can learn all about how the type of wheat, the geography it is grown in, and the protein content of the flour you use affects recipes like biscuits and pie crust in my post about The Secret to Making Perfect Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits.
Gently folding the dough into a square before folding helps to create thin layers in the dough. Repeating the process doubles the number of layers. Every layer will help to create a tender and flaky biscuit. Allowing the dough to rest for a bit will relax the dough and make it easier to work with.
Servings: 8 large biscuits
Author: Jennifer from 1840 Farm

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cups All-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons butter , grated (see note)
  • ½ cup buttermilk , chilled
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 1 Tablespoon butter , melted

Instructions

  • Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the grated butter and gently work the fat into the dry ingredients using your hands or a pastry blender. Remember that less is more and take care not to overwork the dough. The dough should include small globules of fat, so stop when tiny pieces of butter remain visible in the dry ingredients.
  • Add the cold buttermilk, sour cream, and heavy cream and gently mix to combine. The dough should be shaggy and a bit wet. If it seems too dry, simply add a tablespoon or two of buttermilk.
  • Turn the shaggy dough out on to a well-floured surface. Gently gather the dough together and pat or roll into a 12 inch square about 1 inch thick, taking care not to stretch or compress it more than necessary. If needed, sprinkle the surface with a bit of flour to make it easier to work with. Grab two opposite ends of the square and fold them towards the center, stacking the ends on top of each other. Turn the dough and repeat the patting, rolling, and folding process. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel or food wrap and allow it to rest while the oven preheats or for about 20 - 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper or a silicone baking liner.
  • Gently shape the dough with as little working as possible into a square that measures about 12 inches by 12 inches. Cut the dough into biscuits using a biscuit cutter, cookie cutter, or a glass that has been floured to prevent sticking. Do your best not to twist the cutter as you cut the dough. Twisting the cutter will prevent the layers of dough you created from having the easy ability to rise and lead to a denser biscuit. Gently reshape the scraps and cut into additional biscuits, taking care not to overwork the dough.
  • Carefully move each biscuit to the prepared baking sheet. Place the biscuits 1 inch or greater apart to prevent from merging together as they bake. Brush the tops and sides of the biscuits with the melted butter before placing the baking sheet in the hot oven. Bake for about 15 minutes until the tops are lightly browned and dry.
  • Remove the biscuits from the oven and brush with more melted butter if you desire. Allow the biscuits to cool slightly before separating and serving.