Learn my foolproof method for making simple, high rise biscuits with just 3 ingredients. Warm, fluffy, and perfect for any meal!
homemade biscuits are delicious but they shouldn’t be difficult
My easy method for making simple, high rise, 3 ingredient biscuits is the best I’ve found. Even better, it takes just minutes of your time. Now there’s no excuse not to serve warm fluffy biscuits with dinner or alongside that cozy bowl of soup, stew, or chili!
what you’ll need for 3 ingredient biscuits
Yes, it’s just 3 ingredients, but each one is a workhorse!
- Self rising flour
- I used White Lily Self Rising Flour, it has a devoted following, particularly among Southern bakers because it makes exceptionally tender and fluffy baked goods. Milled from 100% soft red winter wheat, it has a lower protein content compared to standard all-purpose flours, resulting in less gluten formation and a finer texture. This makes it ideal for creating light-textured, flaky biscuits and pastries. If your store doesn’t carry it you can order from Amazon to check it out. Otherwise use any brand of self rising flour you like.
- Cold butter
- make sure it’s cold, even frozen butter works!
- Buttermilk
- I buy cultured buttermilk right in the milk section of the supermarket. It’s thick, low fat, tangy and delicious, sort of like drinkable yogurt.
how to make self rising flour at home
To make one cup of self rising flour that replicates White Lily whisk together well:
- 1 cup cake flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
If you make your flour ahead, be sure to whisk it again before using to make sure everything’s evenly distributed.
biscuit science 101: how to get the fluffiest biscuits
The aim here is to get cold butter cut into the flour quickly, finely, and efficiently. It’s the bits of cold butter hitting the heat of a super hot oven that causes the dough to spring up and rise tall. That rising makes the texture light and fluffy. There are lots of opinions about the best method for mixing the butter into flour, here are my top choices:
3 ingredient biscuit method #1: the food processor method
- Put the flour and pieces of cold butter in the bowl of a food processor, close the lid, and pulse 20-25 times.
- Remove to a bowl to stir in the liquid.
3 ingredient biscuit method #2: the hand grater method
- Start with frozen butter. Hold the butter using the paper wrapper (to prevent the warmth of your hands from melting it) and grate the butter using the large holes on a box grater.
- Add the grated butter to the flour in a bowl and add the liquid to form into a dough.
which method for incorporating the butter?
Both methods work well, but I prefer the food processor partly for convenience but mostly because I thought the result was a fluffier texture and a smoother top to my 3 ingredient biscuits. I think the processor does the best job of getting the butter cut in very finely, without melting it, allowing the biscuits to rise higher, too. The box grating results in a coarser texture, it almost reminded me of a light corn muffins texture, and those biscuits had a craggier top. Still good, just not my fave.
make sure your biscuits rise high!
Your job isn’t done once you’ve mixed up the dough, you still have a few things to keep in mind.
- Don’t work your dough too much, just get it together and pat it out nice and thick, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches high.
- Use a sharp edged metal biscuit cutter, not a drinking glass. The thin metal will cut through the biscuit dough without compacting it and sealing the edges.
- Don’t twist as you cut, just cut straight down. Many of us have a tendency to give the biscuit cutter a twist, but again, this can seal the edges of the biscuit so it doesn’t rise well.
- Make SURE your oven is HOT!! It should be at least 425 – 450F before you slide your biscuits in. The oven needs to be hot before putting biscuits in because the high heat quickly melts the cold butter in the dough, creating steam that helps the biscuits rise and develop a flaky texture.
2 best prep-ahead secrets for 3 ingredient biscuits
- FREEZE THE BISCUIT MIX: After you’ve cut the butter into your flour you can load it into a storage container, or zip lock baggie, and keep it in the fridge for up to a week. When you’re craving biscuits, whip it out, add buttermilk, cut, and bake.
- FREEZE UNBAKED BISCUITS: Put the unbaked biscuits on a lined baking sheet and pop in the freezer until the biscuits are frozen solid. Then transfer to a freezer storage container or zip lock freezer bag and keep for up to 3 months. Cook them without thawing, they will take a little longer and you might need to lower your oven temperature to 425F.
3 Ingredient Biscuits
Equipment
- biscuit cutter
Ingredients
- 2 cups self rising flour, I use White Lily
- 1/4 cup cold butter, (plus more for brushing, optional)
- 3/4 cup buttermilk, cold (plus more for brushing, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450F (Give it enough time to get there, you want it hot)
- Put the flour and cold butter in a food processor. You can also do this by hand. Pulse the machine 20-25 times until the butter is incorporated and the mixture is crumbly.
- Remove the contents to a large bowl and stir in the buttermilk just until everything is moistened.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and bring it together gently with your hands, but don't over work the dough. Pat or roll it out to about 1 1/2 inch inch thick. Cut out 8 biscuits with a 2 1/2" biscuit cutter, reforming the dough if necessary.
- Place on a baking sheet, in cast iron skillet, or a biscuit baker, and brush lightly with buttermilk, if desired. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden and risen.
- If you like, brush the hot biscuits immediately with melted butter, and enjoy.
Notes
- Use cold butter and cold buttermilk.
- Make sure to preheat your oven and give it sufficient time to get up to temperature.
- Don’t over work your dough.
- Cut your biscuits with a sharp edged cutter and don’t twist as you cut. Cut straight up and down.
I love this recipe especially the low sodium
Can I substitute full fat buttermilk?
Yes, that will work.
I made these gluten free using a self raising gf flour blend from the store. And I made my own dairy free “buttermilk” by mixing sheeps milk yoghurt and almond milk. They were delicious, flaky, and didn’t fall apart! But they were a bit dry/pasty to swallow. I was wondering if adding an egg would help? How would I go about that? How can I make them a bit more moist? Thank you!
They taste so good!!!!
This is the first thing I’ve ever baked successfully
I love it
The last few times I’ve made these they didn’t rise. My dough needed help coming together – I had a lot of dry mix. It’s winter and pretty cold my kitchens about 67°. Should I have added a little note buttermilk? I have the LilyWhite, I use a metal cutter, I have use the food processor and I’ve used a pastry cutter. I did use powdered buttermilk (I don’t recommend the smell and flavor). Any ideas or suggestion?
A couple of ideas…definitely add a bit more buttermilk if your dough doesn’t come together. Make sure your butter is nice and cold to start with, and don’t over work the dough when you bring it together, the warmth of your hands can warm up the dough. You might refrigerate your biscuits for a bit before baking to make sure the dough is nice and cold. Also you can pat out your dough a little thicker for higher biscuits. Hope this helps!
thanks for the self made rising flour recipe needed that
It comes in handy, doesn’t it?
Thanks for this recipe,the f/p sounds like the way to go. Will put the f/p blade & bowl in the freezer then proceed,this what I do with meat grinding attachments for making sausage and burgers to create texture. Is this over doing it?
I think that’s a good idea!
I don’t keep buttermilk on hand, so I learned this little trick: Regular milk with a little apple cider vinegar. Put a splash, maybe a couple tsp of vinegar in the measuring cup and fill the rest of the way with regular milk. Let it sit for a couple minutes and it’s ready to use.
That will work in a pinch, but I’ve come to love the cultured buttermilk you can buy. I find it lasts so long I eventually use it up. But your hack is definitely a good one!
I agree I just made these and the dough never got grainy and never really came together b/c not enough b/milk. Also took longer to bake.Gonna use a whole stick and add more b/milk and try again
My dough never got grainy and never had visible pieces of butter,after adding the b/milk it was dry barely coming together.I`m new to biscuit making and have some other recipes that call for pretty much the same amounts except double the butter and a little more b/milk.Really want this one to work,thoughts? BTW I weighed the King Arthur flour at 130 grams per cup.
With biscuits there’s always a little play in the ingredient amounts allowing for differences in flour, etc. I would add a bit more buttermilk if your dough doesn’t come together.