Buckwheat Biscuits ~ buckwheat flour gives these tall, fluffy biscuits some great nutty flavor and a nutritional boost as well!
I’m like a kid in a sandbox playing with the colors, textures, and flavors of all the new flours I’ve discovered this year. I love the subtle changes they’re making in some of my favorite foods, but they have serious health benefits too, not only for you and me, but for the planet. Have you been reading about that scary wheat rust fungus that’s making a comeback? That kind of thing can cause real damage to our food supply when we’re so dependent on a single crop like wheat.
If you’re unsure about it, start small. In these biscuits I used a ratio of 1 part buckwheat to 2 parts white flour. The flour has a gray color with black specs (the ground up hulls of the buckwheat seed) running through it. It darkens as it cooks and the distinctive specs are beautiful. I went a step further and loaded the biscuits with parsley which gave them a green tinge as well. They were tender and amazing.
Buckwheat is an ancient grain that isn’t even related to wheat. It was one of the earliest crops grown in North America, and buckwheat cakes were a staple right up until the mid 20th century when corn and wheat took over our farmlands and our diet. Today buckwheat is more popular in Europe (light pancakes in France and Belgium, kasha cereal in Russia and Poland) and in Asia (noodles) than it is in North America where it’s pretty much relegated to specialty food stores.
Also try ~
Ingredients
- a generous 1/2 cup fresh parsley, packed (optional)
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- 2 cups white flour, or a gluten free flour mix
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) cold butter, cut in pieces
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 1/4 cup cold buttermilk, shaken
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F
- If you are using the parsley, put it in the bowl of a processor and pulse till evenly chopped.
- Put the dry ingredients in the bowl of the processor, pulse to mix.
- Drop in the butter pieces and pulse about 10 times to incorporate the butter.
- Mix together the honey and buttermilk and while the processor is going, pour the liquids in and run just until the dough forms.
- Dump it out onto a floured surface and pat it into a fat disk, about 9", don't be worried by the sticky dough, all you are doing is patting it into shape and plopping the biscuits on the baking sheet, so you don't need to add too much extra flour.
- Cut out 6 biscuits with a 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 inch biscuit cutter. Reform the dough gently and cut 2 more biscuits if you want, although I always find the biscuits made with the reformed dough are not nearly as good or as pretty.
- Bake on parchment or silpat in the 450 oven for about 5 to 6 minutes until the biscuits start to rise, and then turn down the heat to 400 and bake another 8 to 10 minutes just until fully risen and lightly browned. Don't over bake!
Make it your own ~
- I made my biscuits extra large because I pair them with soup and call it dinner. If you use a smaller cutter you’ll get more, just be extra sure to adjust your baking times.
27 Comments
MaryJo
October 13, 2019 at 8:49 amI used 1.5 cups each of Bob’s Red Mill buckwheat flour and King Arthur Flour unbleached all-purpose flour, I didn’t have buttermilk in the house, so I mixed sour cream and 2% milk to make 1.25 cups. These biscuits are very tender and crumbly and not everyone will go for these, but I thought they were wonderful. My husband isn’t into whole grains like I am, so he didn’t eat any…;more for me! ? I’ll freeze the extras.
Thanks for posting the recipe.
Sue
October 13, 2019 at 8:52 amThanks Mary Jo ~ I agree, they’re not everyone’s cup of tea, but I can’t get enough of the tender texture and that complex buckwheat flavor…yum!
Linda
June 9, 2019 at 2:51 pmI had left over buttermilk and was dying to use the buckwheat flour, so I googled and these came up. I used whole wheat flour instead of white, and I added a container of the *new* lightly dried basil I just found in Publix. They are very crumbly and fall apart easily but are so delicious and smell great. Thanks. I’m going to freeze them and see how they do. LB
Linda M Derasp
February 12, 2019 at 4:46 amI was just wondering if it makes a difference if using the oven at 450 Convection or just on 450 regular oven, I always seem to over bake.
Sue
February 12, 2019 at 11:32 amI now recommend baking these biscuits at 425F, and if you have a convection oven you can drop that down to 400F. Hope this helps, and always feel free to adjust baking time to suit your specific oven, they cary so greatly.
wallace baisden
March 18, 2018 at 6:31 amWhy the white flour? I’ve made buckwheat biscuits w/o the all-purpose flour. They tasted great.
Sue
March 18, 2018 at 6:45 amYou can definitely go that way too, Wallace. I like the lighter texture that you get from using both. But I agree, buckwheat flour has amazing flavor all by itself.
Gina Ern
June 8, 2019 at 7:19 amWhat do you think about using a blend of buckwheat and almond flour (trying to avoid white flour)
Thanks!
Sue
June 8, 2019 at 8:14 amI’ve never tried almond flour in a biscuit Gina, but I worry that it would be dense, and not fluffy like a biscuit should be.
Kristen
February 23, 2018 at 3:31 amCan you use almond milk instead of buttermilk?
Sue
June 13, 2018 at 4:25 pmSure Kristen.
Kasonya
January 13, 2018 at 10:13 amI just made these completely gluten-free and dairy free. (My daughter is allergic.) My whole family loved them! These will be a staple bread for meals at our house…thanks so much for sharing!
Sue
January 13, 2018 at 10:14 amThat’s so great to know, if you happen to come back I’d love to know exactly how you did it, Kasonya :)
Andrew
June 22, 2015 at 5:44 pmGreat recipe, I made biscuits tonight!
Sue
June 22, 2015 at 6:07 pmI am crazy about buckwheat flour, love the flecks, love the flavor, it’s so tender, too.
Stephanie
January 3, 2012 at 12:55 pmI’ve yet to experiment with buckwheat, and I’m not quite sure why. Thanks for reminding me. These look great.
Marina {Yummy Mummy)
January 2, 2012 at 12:02 amI don’t know why I never use buckwheat! Thanks for the inspiration !
freerangegirl
January 1, 2012 at 3:27 pmIt’s rainy here too so these look perfect – followed by the fizz! Happy new year from our island to yours x
A Bigger Closet
January 1, 2012 at 5:51 pmSounds like the perfect meal to warm up a winter evening, and the muffins look delicious.
Happy New Year Sue!
annie
January 1, 2012 at 5:25 pmBuckwheat muffins with a pad of butter on a cold rainy day…sounds perfect. Happy New Year Sue! So happy to have found you this year…I’m making your caramelized onion, goat cheese and herb tart today!
xo
annie
gigiofca
January 1, 2012 at 9:41 amHappy New Year, Sue :)
Barbara
January 1, 2012 at 7:32 amMy girlfriend bought a pillow online that was stuffed with buckwheat hulls, said to promote all kinds of health issues including clear sinuses and an amazing night’s sleep. She liked the heft of the pillow and the feel on her head but could never get used to the loud crunching sound of the hulls whenever she moved her head. But glad to hear that the flour is useful.
Happy New Year!
Rose
January 1, 2012 at 5:11 amThese look delicious and I may contemplate making them instead of the corn muffins to accompany the black-eyed pea soup I am making for lunch today.
Happy New Year, Sue!
I have enjoyed reading and trying recipes from your blog immensely!
Sulpicia (III)
December 31, 2011 at 8:43 pmThese look really cool. I’ve never tried buckwheat. What does it taste like?
yummychunklet
December 31, 2011 at 6:08 pmBookmarked! I still have buckwheat flour left over from ffwD!
Gerlinde in Dallas
December 31, 2011 at 4:33 pmI love the colour the buckwheat gave your biscuits. Practically the only buckwheat in my diet is from the occasional package of soba noodles I bring home. It might be interesting to introduce some into a loaf of bread.
Happy New Year and Best Wishes Sue!
Heather @ girlichef.com
December 31, 2011 at 3:21 pmI would take a Pomegranate Fizz alongside a warm bowl of lentil soup w/ these fabulous biscuits ;). But seriously…I have some buckwheat flour that is calling my name from the pantry now, these look wonderful. I just love the color! Happy New Year to you and yours, Sue =)