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.
These were awesome. Stumbled across them on Pinterest and they looked so good had to make ’em right away. Really easy and delish.
Hi, I would just like to ask, is this supposed to be crispy on upper and bottom parts but soft like a bread in the middle? Thanks..
They should be slightly crispy on the outside and nice and fluffy inside.
Thank you
Love everything about your ideas
Thanks Nino 🙂
I will never unsubscribe. You always insert those unknown secrets that create perfection. Thank you for sharing your love and passion for cooking.
I’m grinning from ear to ear, thanks 🙂
Could I have the nutritive value please.
I just added it for you 🙂
No question…just a thank you for all of us (your readers) for letting us know we could be in touch with you if need be.
Happy Thanksgiving
Thanks Jane 🙂
Your cool tips for hot biscuits are winners, Sue. I hope everyone out there gives your recipe a go (and saves the Bisquick for dire emergencies 😉 ). Here are a couple of my own tips : I put EVERYTHING in the freezer for 15-20 min; the bowl , flour/butter mix ( even freezing the box grater!), and rolling pin if using that. And here’s a tip from culinary school – always flour the cutter before each cut, because it prevents the outer sides from compressing & sticking together allowing for a higher rise. Cheers, Sue.
Love your tips, thanks chef!
Apologies if this is a silly question but I’m in U.K. and we do not use cup measurements. How do you measure 1/4 cup of cold butter? OR put another way, what does 1/4 cup of butter weigh? Thank you.
It’s 55 grams Chris. It’s such a shame the whole world isn’t on the same system, it would make recipe sharing so much easier 🙂
Love the simpleness of this recipe. I’m definitely trying it. Question – I hate waste but I know you shouldn’t rework the dough into more biscuits. Any ideas what to do with the extra bits?
I do rework the dough, but I’m super gentle so they come out great. My secret is not to work it too much in the first place ~ then bringing it together a second time isn’t such a problem.
Rework it a little more aggressively, roll it out about half the thickness as biscuits, cut it in wide strips, and use it for dumplings! Yum!