3 ingredient biscuits that will change your life

3 ingredient biscuits that will change your life?  I know it’s a big claim, but how about if I told you you can make tall, fluffy, moist biscuits in minutes, and I’ll even throw in a prep ahead tip that makes them crazy convenient.  You’re gonna love them, and your family’s gonna love you ;)

Biscuits are delicious but they shouldn’t be difficult or time consuming to make, we’ve all got better things to do.

My easy method for making simple, high rise, fluffy biscuits is the best I’ve found. And good news, it takes just minutes of your time.

What you’ll need for 3 ingredient biscuits

• Self rising flour ~ I used White Lily Self Rising Flour, people from the south rave about this stuff, so I ordered some from Amazon to check it out.  You can use any brand 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 low fat, tangy, and delicious, sort of like drinkable yogurt.

Biscuit science moment: how to get fluffy 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:

Method #1 The food processor method

• Put the flour and pieces of butter in the processor, close the lid, and pulse 20-25 times.  
• Remove to a bowl to stir in the liquid.

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 is best?

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 biscuit top. 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 batter, 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, and don’t twist as you cut, just cut straight down.  A set of biscuit cutters is a must in any baker’s kitchen.
• Make SURE your oven is HOT!!  It should be at least 425 – 450F before you slide your biscuits in.

Why use self rising flour?

• Self rising flour is formulated for perfect rising, with added leavening and salt in just the right proportions.  The ingredients are evenly distributed in the flour itself.
• Self rising flour also makes the process of biscuit making so quick and easy, just the way it should be!

Don’t have any?  Here’s how to make homemade self rising flour

To make self rising flour that replicates White Lily, you’ll need cake flour, baking powder, and salt.  You can also make it with all purpose flour.  To make one cup of self rising flour, 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.

My best prep-ahead secrets

• To freeze 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.
• To freeze unbaked, cut 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.

Be sure to try my other biscuit recipes

Pumpkin Spice Biscuits

Pumpernickel Biscuits

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Buckwheat Biscuits

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4.6 from 5 votes

3 Ingredient Biscuits

3 ingredient biscuits that will change your life?  I know it's a big claim, but how about if I told you you can make tall, fluffy, moist biscuits in minutes, and I'll even throw in a prep ahead tip that makes them crazy convenient.  You're gonna love them, and your family's gonna love you ;)

Course bread

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Yield 8 biscuits

Calories 178kcal

Equipment

• biscuit cutter

Ingredients

• 2 cups self rising flour
• 1/4 cup cold butter, (plus more for brushing, optional)
• 3/4 cup buttermilk, cold (plus more for brushing, optional)

Instructions

• Preheat 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

Notes for perfect biscuits:

• 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1biscuit | Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 62mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 214IU | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg