How to Make Biscuits

A plate with biscuits cut in half, one piece slathered in butter.

This is the ultimate guide for how to make biscuits from scratch; and is likely the fastest, easiest, and most delicious homemade biscuit recipe ever! My homemade biscuit recipe is done in just 20 minutes (using just 5 baking staples and with no special equipment required).

Course Bread, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings biscuits

Calories 272kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour (15 ounces)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon Salt
2 1/4 cups heavy cream plus more as needed

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Stir in cream until combined, about 30 seconds. Turn out dough onto lightly floured counter, gather into ball, and knead briefly until smooth, about 30 seconds. If dough is too crumbly, add an additional teaspoon of heavy cream to get smooth dough. Repeat if necessary.
Shape dough into 3/4-inch-thick round. Dip 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter in flour and cut out biscuits, recombining scraps as needed to yield 12 biscuits. Place rounds on prepared baking sheet. (Baking sheet with biscuits can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 hours.)
Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer to wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes.

Notes

Baking powder: Homemade Biscuits need baking powder (or some sort of leavening agent) in order to rise. If you’ve tried baking biscuits or homemade bread and have not been very happy with the outcome, it may be because your baking powder is past its prime. The shelf life is between 6 months to a year, and it should be stored in a cool dry place. To test your baking powder, add about 1 tablespoon to a small bowl, then pour on boiling water. If the baking powder bubbles, it's still activated. Otherwise, it's time to invest in a new jar.
Yield: This recipe makes 12 flaky, fluffy homemade biscuits.
Storage: Store homemade biscuits in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Make ahead: Complete step 3, then place the biscuits on a baking sheet. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
Freezer: Freeze the biscuit dough raw after slicing and completing step 3 in the recipe. Plan ahead when you're ready to bake; you'll just need to thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before moving on to step 4.
Bonus biscuit intel: To shave off 5 minutes and 2 more ingredients, head over to my recipe for 3-Ingredient Homemade Biscuits, which calls for self-rising flour, cold butter, and milk.
Shine on: If you prefer your biscuits bakery-like sheen, coat them in an egg wash prior to baking. Whisk together 1 egg yolk and a splash of cream, then brush this mixture on top of the raw biscuits.
Serve it: Once baked, slice these biscuits in half and serve them in sweet (Strawberry Shortcake) or savory (Biscuits and Gravy) dishes, or as a side dish with brunch (slathered with Orange Marmalade) or dinner (I adore them alongside a cozy bowl of Beef Stew).

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