Biscuits

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This easy, five-ingredient Biscuit Recipe is a must-try! Perfectly buttery and simple to make, they’re great with dinner or as a sweet treat with butter and jam.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Chilling Time20

Total Time50

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American, Vegetarian

Keyword: biscuit, biscuit recipe

Servings: 2-inch biscuits

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $3.98

Equipment

Sheet pan
Parchment paper or silicon baking mat
2-inch biscuit cutter or a knife to cut dough into 2 x 2 inches
12-cup Food Processor or pastry cutter or two knives, see note 3

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons granulated sugar optional
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream divided, see note 1
softened butter to brush on top optional

US - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400℉. Line a sheet pan with a silicon baking mat or parchment paper (not foil). Cut butter into small cubes, then put in freezer to get as cold as possible—ideally about 15 minutes.
If using a food processor, add flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cubed butter from freezer into a large food processor. Pulse (don’t puree) 5–8 times at 1-second intervals. Butter should be pea-sized crumbs. (Pulse another few seconds if not.) Pour 1 cup heavy cream over everything. Pulse again just until cream is incorporated, about 8 more 1-second intervals. Don’t over-pulse; dough should still be crumbly. Scrape dough onto a clean working surface. Knead a few times to bring dough into a ball (the less kneading the better). If needed, add a sprinkle of flour, but avoid adding too much—you’ll end up with drier biscuits.
Use your hands to press dough into a 1-inch thick disc. Grab a 2-inch biscuit cutter (see note 2 for bigger biscuits) and first press into flour, then press directly into dough (don’t wiggle or shimmy the cutter). Use a metal spatula to scrape the cut biscuit onto the prepared baking sheet (avoid touching the biscuit with your hands). Repeat until you’ve cut as many as possible, then reroll scraps, flatten, and cut out a few more. I typically get 14 or 15. See note 3 if you don’t have a food processor!
Set biscuits close together on sheet pan, about 1/2-inches apart. (Rising close together helps them rise straight up.) Brush the tops with remaining 2 tablespoons heavy cream. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Bake 12–16 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottoms and tops. Remove and let stand 10 minutes. (Steam will finish cooking the interior.) Out of the oven, brush on some softened butter with a pastry brush if desired. Serve warm, split in half with butter and jam, or even some cream if you’re feeling fancy!

Video

Notes

Note 1: I love what heavy cream does for the texture and flavor of the biscuits, but if you prefer regular milk, that works as well. Replace the 1 cup heavy cream with 3/4 cup whole milk or low-fat buttermilk.

Note 2: For larger biscuits, use a 2-3/4-inch biscuit cutter. I typically get 6–7 biscuits. Bake for 17–22 minutes.

Note 3: Pastry Cutter or Knife Method:

To use a pastry cutter or two table knives, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and mix to combine.
Remove frozen, cubed butter from freezer and put right on top of dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of this bowl. Pour heavy cream, straight from the fridge, into the well. Use a wooden spoon to gently stir until combined. Do not overmix or overwork dough.
Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and use your hands to gently work the dough together. (If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour, but avoid adding too much more flour, or you’ll get dense/drier biscuits).
Once ingredients have formed a ball, fold dough in half. Gently flatten dough with your hands to a wide rectangle. Rotate dough 90° and fold in half again. Flatten with your hands again. Repeat this process a total of 4–6 times, being careful to not overwork the dough or make it too warm.
Finally, flatten dough to 1-inch thick. Grab a 2-inch biscuit cutter and, first press into flour, then press directly into dough (don’t wiggle the cutter). Use a metal spatula to scrape cut biscuit onto prepared baking sheet (avoid touching biscuit with your hands). Repeat until you’ve cut out as many as possible then reroll scraps, flatten, and cut out a few more. I typically get 14 or 15.

Storage: These biscuits are best enjoyed the day they are made, but you can store cooled leftover biscuits in an airtight bag and refrigerate—best eaten within a few days. You can also freeze completely cooled biscuits: wrap them individually in plastic wrap, place in a freezer-safe bag or container, then freeze for up to 2–3 months. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight.

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