Homemade biscuits, as made by my dad! His biscuits are seriously the best – so light and fluffy and perfect every time. This is the best biscuit recipe ever and I’m sharing all of his tips and tricks below. Scroll down to get straight to the recipe, but I think all of his tips will help you get the PERFECT biscuit!
I recently shared a photo of my dad’s famous homemade biscuits on Instagram and you guys ate them up. Figuratively, of course. Literally, I did the eating.
I wanted to be sure that I had his biscuit recipe down pat before I shared with you, so I spent the next few weeks making batch after batch. We ended up making 10 batches of 10 biscuits each. It took me awhile to be sure I had them juuuuuust right.
I also wanted to make sure that I could answer any questions you guys might have and I knew that meant mastering the homemade biscuit.So, here it is. How to make my dad’s homemade biscuit recipe. I hope you guys love these just as much as we do.
How To Make Homemade Biscuits (Like My Dad):
The flour: You’re going to use a mixture of all-purpose flour and Bisquick. I haven’t tried this with any substitutions and I haven’t tried it with homemade Bisquick myself, so I can’t tell you how well that will work. If you do try it, please report back so I can update this!
The butter: We’re using softened butter instead of cold butter. I know, I know. Your whole life you’ve heard that you need to use cold butter. Some of you are probably grating frozen butter into your biscuits. This recipe works perfectly with room temperature butter. It shouldn’t be at all melted, so don’t try softening it in the microwave. Let it sit on the counter. It should be just softened enough that when you press your finger into it, it’s still firm, but it leaves an indent where your finger was.
The leavening agents: Look, I know there’s a lot of baking powder in this recipe. When my dad shared his recipe with me, I was actually pretty surprised by the amount. But, no. I don’t think this has a metallic or soapy taste. I do not find any issues with using this amount of baking powder in this recipe. It has always worked great for me! As for the baking soda, generally it’s only used when there is an acid present – like buttermilk or lemon or vinegar. There is no acid in this recipe, but my dad still adds a bit of baking soda. I’ve tried these without it and they just aren’t the same. Add the baking soda.
The milk: You can use buttermilk if you really feel the need to, but my dad uses regular 2% milk and so do I. I actually prefer the biscuits that way. They get too tangy for me when you use buttermilk. But, because buttermilk is so traditional, I won’t throw a fit if you want to use it here. Just know that it’s thicker than traditional milk and you may need to use a little more/less. 😉
To re-roll or not to re-roll: Get in there and re-roll that dough to get extra biscuits. You’ll probably get about 5 biscuits from your initial pat down of the dough. Definitely pat it back out and cut out the remaining biscuits. My dad isn’t at all shy about re-working the dough and you shouldn’t be either.
Troubleshooting this easy biscuit recipe:
My biscuits have brown spots on top: I hate that!! Hate hate hate it. They don’t taste funny, but they sure aren’t pretty. These brown spots are happening because you’re not mixing the dry ingredients together well enough. I won’t make you sift things (heaven forbid), but do really stir everything together, more than you think you probably need to. At least 30 seconds of non-stop stirring things around with a fork. Trust me.
My biscuits aren’t rising: Is your baking powder old? It does eventually stop working well and you may need to replace it. If it’s definitely not that, are you mixing in your butter really super-duper good? Because you need to. I take a spoon and smear the softened butter into the flour against the sides of the bowl. I keep at it long after I’m bored of it, until the entire bowl looks like lightly damp sand. Almost like if you grabbed a handful of it and squeezed it, it *might* stick together.
My dough is way too wet: No big thang. Add in more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until it’s juuuuuuuuust workable. The very least amount of flour you can get away with is the best in these biscuits, but don’t be killing yourself trying to roll out dough that is just too sticky. When you touch it, your hand should come away clean. When you pinch it, you should have a bit of dough left on your fingers.
My biscuits are tough/not fluffy: Sounds like you overworked the dough or added too much flour. I had this problem the first few times I made these too.
Let me break it down: you mix together your dry ingredients very well, you mix in your butter very well, you pour in your milk and stir until you have a wet sticky dough. Stop right there after just a couple of stirs to get the dough together.
Look at your dough before you decide the next step. If it’s obviously too wet, add more flour – just a little. I’m talking a tablespoon or so. Gently stir that together. Keep at it until you have enough flour to get your dough *just* dry enough to work with. When your dough is ready, coat your work surface in flour and dump your dough on it. Sprinkle a bit more flour on top and fold the dough onto itself a few times, adding a sprinkle of more flour where needed if the dough is too wet. Three folds, max. You’re not kneading bread here. Pat the dough out with your hands to 3/4 inch thick and start cutting biscuits. You should have barely stirred and folded this. You stop fussing with it the second the dough comes together.
My biscuits keep burning well before the timer goes off: Yeah, some days these guys only take ten minutes and other days they take 15. I can’t explain it (Humidity? Magic?), but I’m aware of it. I’m also aware that every oven is different. Some heat evenly, some do not. Some can’t hold a temperature and are fluctuating like crazy. So, get to know your oven and react accordingly. Or just set the timer for 10 minutes and start babysitting them. Pull them when the tops are just lightly golden. Nobody likes a crunchy biscuit, so don’t over bake these guys.
Be sure to try these hot from the oven, slathered with butter and jam. Or cinnamon honey butter. Or with my pimento cheese. Or my sausage gravy. You could even try these in my biscuits and gravy casserole!
How about my chocolate gravy recipe poured over the top?
Easy Homemade Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour, plus more as needed
- 1 cup Bisquick
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Add the flour, Bisquick, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda to a large mixing bowl. Stir well to combine the dry ingredients thoroughly.
- Add two tablespoons of the butter to the dough and use a spoon to press it into the flour mixture. I find it easiest to smear the butter against the sides of the bowl while working it into the flour. Once the first two tablespoons are completely incorporated, add in the last two tablespoons and repeat the process.
- Pour in the milk and stir with a spoon until just combined. The dough will likely be too wet. Add in more flour, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough is just dry enough to handle. Dough should come away clean from your fingers when you touch it, but stick to your fingers if you pinch it.
- Dump dough onto a well floured work surface. Sprinkle lightly with flour.
- Fold dough over on itself three times.
- Use your hands to pat the dough to 3/4 of an inch high.
- Cut dough out with biscuit cutter and place on baking sheet. Let sit 5 minutes before baking.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until tops are just beginning to turn golden. Do not overbake these!
Nutrition Information:
This recipe was originally published in March 2016. It’s been updated with a new video and FAQ section in March 2018.
Kandice says
These were so yummy. So glad I found this recipe. Who’ll be saving it for the furore.
Toni says
Scrolled through a mile of blah blah blah to find you used Bisquick. Pathetic.
Karly says
Actually, you scrolled through a mile of all the helpful tips and tricks to make this recipe work. You’re welcome.
Sharon says
Thanks Karly! Look good!
Shauna A Fulenwider says
ACTUALLY the person complaining could have just looked at tge recipe title to see if Bisquick was used. (Ugh. Pathetic ) But these are DELICIOUS!!! THANK YOU
Joe Catoir says
Great recipe!! I’ve tried the sour cream soda biscuits and they were good but fell apart easy. These hold up perfect and are still soft. The mix of the flour and biscuit made them just right.it saves having to make bisquick yourself. I will make them often.
Karly says
So glad you gave them a try! 🙂
Sarah says
Hahaha! Tru, tho. Fantastic tips! Haters gonna hate! Asked my hubby to make these for me for Mother’s Day breakfast. I could not stop eating them. We actually used them at breakfast and again for dessert later that night (carbs don’t apply on Mother’s Day!) So yummy. Thanks for sharing!
Shona says
Thank you Karly – I will def give them a try. Thanks to your dad too for sharing his trade secret, much appreciated !
Regards Shona (South Africa)
Karly says
Hope you love the biscuits!
Pam says
But Darling, I’m here because I can’t afford Bisquik. I do love the tips and tricks. But Bisquik shouldn’t be a trick. Just saying. I’ll keep looking and am glad about all the ideas.
Bon Maritn says
I didn”t have the Bisquick so I had to sub with flour. It didn’t matter anyway, they turned out perfect! Thanks!
Kcaz says
These ARE the best biscuits I have ever had. Fantastic recipe and tips, Karly!
Karly says
Love to hear that! 🙂
Susie says
I love this recipe but my biscuits were good until you tried to pick them up and then they were very crumbly. I’m sure I need to change something. The dough was very sticky in the bowl so I sprinkled a little bit, maybe a teaspoonful and a half of flour on top and barely worked it in by folding 3 or 4 times. I was trying to work the dough just slightly. Can you make any suggestions as to what I did wrong? Thank you!
Karly says
Hi Susie! Sorry to hear the biscuits were crumbly. It was likely an issue of too much fat/not enough flour in the dough. If the dough is very sticky, it’ll need more flour. You just want to add it slowly so you don’t over do it. 🙂
Kaelen says
I tried this recipe exactly and it came out far too salty. Perhaps I did something wrong. I am going to leave out the salt next time. Also, Karly, how do you think crisco would work with this recipe and if you think it will work, how much would you use? TIA!
Karly says
Hi Kaelen! So strange that they came out salty. I’ve never had that issue at all. I think it would probably work with Crisco, but I would use the butter flavored variety to give them a buttery flavor.
Michelle says
Well the title says BISQUICK. So there’s no need to be rude. And they were absolutely wonderful!!! She adds helpful tips because it’s easy to screw up biscuits. Been cooking and baking for 25 years and I’m very good at it and biscuits are tough to get just right so I followed her tips for a reason. So thank you so much for a great recipe Karly! Best biscuits I’ve ever made ?
Karly says
So glad your biscuits turned out, Michelle!!
ScottS says
Looks really good, can’t wait to try them. Thanks for all the hard work testing and getting it the best they can be.
Maggie Martin says
I have been using this recipe since I last commented and it is a keeper for sure! My gramma , the worlds best bisquit maker at 96 years old is in love these ! She says dump all the old recipes and stay with these so I am doing just that!
Thanks Karly’s dad and Karly
Maggie
Karly says
Oh gosh, that’s the biggest compliment. Thank you!
K Kirkland says
I made with homemade bisquick and they turned out great! Light and fluffy!!
Tammy KC says
Thank you Kathy for taking the time and helping those out that believe making biscuits are far too much out of their category in the kitchen.
Valerie says
These are the BEST biscuits that I have ever – ever made & I’m 64 years young. & I’ve made a lot of biscuits, and they never came out just how I wanted them to thank you.
Karly says
So glad you gave them a try! 🙂
EVELYN THORPE says
THESE ARE THE BEST AND EASIEST BISCUITS I HAVE EVER MADE. SUPER FLAKY. I USED A PASTRY CUTTER TO CUT IN THE BUTTER. I USED NON FAT MILK WITH WATER INSTEAD OF WHOLE MILK. I BAKED THEM IN A 9″ ROUND CAKE PAN. BEST RECIPE EVER. DEFINITELY A KEEPER!
Karly says
Hi Evelyn! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
David H says
I used cake flour (Softasilk) instead of all-purpose flour and they turned out great. I think the cake flour makes them really nice and fluffy. Great recipe.
Coco Bread says
I made these with butter milk and put butter on top before putting them in the oven. They were sooooo good. Thank you for this recipe
Karly says
Glad you gave them a try!
Christen says
I have never made homemade biscuits before so this was my first attempt. Oh my goodness! They turned out amazingly delicious. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe and tips!!
Karly says
Glad you gave them a try! 🙂
Joycelyn says
Found your recipe via pinterest where the wording “The Best homemade” biscuits” caught my interest and of which in turn caused me to pursue your site and biscuit recipe.
Quite disappointed to see you have Bisquick listed as one of your “best homemade” biscuit ingredients as how can they possibly be homemade, ( as in made from scratch, ) when a premade boxed biscuit mix is called for?
No offence meant at all, but I don’t see the reasoning behind posting a recipe that’s touted to be homemade, yet is not homemade as it requires a packaged mix.
Michele L Junkerman says
i think homemade and from scratch are 2 different things. if i have to mix ingredients together and cook something myself instead of buying canned or frozen biscuits ,( or any other food that is already formed), that i can just pop in the oven or microwave, its homemade LOL
Michele L Junkerman says
by the way, this was my first time trying to make my own biscuits and i was very happy with the results !
Karly says
So glad you gave them a try and liked them!
Karly says
Agree with you on that, Michele! If I’m doing dishes afterwards, it was homemade. 😉
Michelle says
Bisquick was just one of the ingredients. Plus this particular recipe says BISQUICK right at the top, if y’all don’t approve of Bisquick don’t continue reading and certainly don’t leave nasty comments for a fellow baker just trying to help.
Cheri Obrecht says
Ok, let me just start by saying HOLY CRAP THESE BISCUITS ARE AMAZING! I’m always looking and researching to find the best biscuit recipe. I can make good biscuits but these are great. I’ll never look for another biscuit recipe. These are soft and tender like the Hardee’s biscuit I’ve always tried to duplicate. Thank you for posting! ??
Gina Parnell says
I LOVE this recipe! Thanks so much for posting!
I’m on a low-carb diet so I used almond and coconut flour so they didn’t raise a whole lot, but it was nice to have a recipe to follow for ingredient amounts. Thanks to you and your Dad!
Suzanne Buckingham says
Just wanted to comment to all those complaining these take a box mix. If you read, it is only one ingredient in a list of ingredients. These are not plain bisquik biscuits. So much better, and lighter. Don’t knock em till you tried em.
Karly says
Thanks, Suzanne!
Robby says
I knew the moment I took these out of the oven that they were the biscuit that I have been hoping to make all my life. I have tried so many recipes and variations, but could never achieve that tall, soft, fluffy goodness that I wanted. Folks, this is the one. Don’t let all those purists rain on you for using Bisquick. Ultimately, all that counts is your satisfaction with the end result. This recipe is going to replace any and all biscuit recipes I’ve saved over the years.
Great job, Karly! And to your dad as well!!!
Karly says
Yay!! Love hearing you’ve found THE ONE! 🙂
R.B says
CAN’T BELIEVE I’M TEARING UP OVER THESE COMMENTS
. THANKS KARLY TODAYS THE DAY
Kevin Mullaney says
I just made these biscuits for the first time and I used homemade bisquick. They came out perfect!!!
Karly says
Love to hear that! 🙂
Amy says
These were delicious. So soft and tender on the inside. I have never really made biscuits with bisquick before. I normally do not use bisquick. But do the the virus, shelves were bare, and I felt bisquick was better than nothing. I found your recipe and am amazed. Because of you I will be purchasing more bisquick just to make this recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Karly says
So glad you gave these a try! 🙂
Tiffany says
These were AMAZING! Been looking for a great biscuit recipe to no avail. They’ve all been crumbly and dry. Made these this morning with my mom’s gravy recipe and the kids keep asking for more. These are soft and doughy (in the best way). I normally get frustrated digging through home baking bloggers giving their life story before posting a recipe, but yours wasn’t “blah blah blah”. They were GREAT tips and tricks and I watched the video 3 times before and during to make sure I got the right consistency and didn’t over mix. All the judgy high horse haters should get off their baking pedestals and stop being so rude.
Tori says
These are amazing! Thank you for sharing, I’ve made them twice in the last 2 weeks!
Karly says
Thanks, Tiffany! So glad you found the tips helpful and the recipe worked out well for you! 🙂
Susie says
I can’t wait to try these! Bread is in short supply here due to the coronavirus. Before I do, I just want to confirm that I should NOT grease the baking sheet? I’ve never made biscuits before and I’m so used to every other baking recipe saying to grease the pan. Thanks!
Karly says
Hi Susie! I don’t grease the sheet, but it won’t hurt anything if you do. 🙂
AS says
PERFECTION! People you need to trust me, and try this now. they came out soft, fluffy, perfect taste. I used cold butter grated on box cutter. Never, ever need to buy biscuits again…changes? maybe a pinch more salt, pinch more sugar but thats a taste thing…..trust me they should be the standard! Oh and to make them more dietetic i brushed them with butter the second i removed them from the oven………
Lisa says
So, to the people huffing that this is not really home made because it uses Bisquick, I say: I just made this recipe and dirtied 1 bowl, sifter, spoon, butter knife, 1 cup measuring cup, fork, 3 different measuring spoons, glass for cutting biscuits, baking tray, the counter, and my hands. Y’all, this is a traditional biscuit recipe with ONE MORE INGREDIENT ADDED. So please, stick a biscuit in it.
Now, as for the recipe itself: maybe in the arid steppes of North Dakota you could use 1 cup of liquid to 2 cups flour, but not, apparently, in the humid Gulf Coast. I’d use 3/4 cup milk in future, as I ended up stirring in about 1/2 cup more flour all told and got some tougher than I’d like results. However, the techniques of stirring the dry ingredients well and smooshing the room temp fat thoroughly into the flour are solid, and I made a second batch of biscuits that came out great. Thanks for the tips!
Nick K. says
These were so fantastic. I think I added a bit too much flour during the “wet” stirring step, and left them in a minute or 2 longer than I should have, but they were so tasty. Thank you (and your dad) so much for this recipe, we will be using this frequently!! 🙂
Karly says
Hi Nick! So glad you gave them a try…they definitely took me a couple of tries to get them exactly how I want them, so just keep making them. You’ll learn how much flour you prefer and how long to bake. 🙂
Ashley Mills says
Amazing! I doubled the recipe and our family of 5 ate them up!! Thank you so much for sharing! I followed directions and tips exactly. These were perfect & delicious, again thank you so much for sharing!
Kerry Carter says
Made these this morning. I used Rice Milk (stable unrefrigerated on shelf during shelter in place). My biscuits didn’t really rise much, and had a crumbly texture. I’m wondering if the fact that there is no fat in the rice milk is the reason why. Doesn’t sound logical, but wanted your thoughts.
By the way, for anyone lactose intolerant, or who can’t shop every week, this rice milk, Dream, is absolutely delicious. Sits in your pantry till you open it. Some things you cook, you don’t want an almond or coconut flavor. Dream is soooo good, even as a glass of milk. Amazon and Target have it online if your grocery store doesn’t.
Karly says
Hi Kerry! My guess is that it was the rice milk – alternate milks don’t always work the same as dairy.
Melissa says
Can you freeze these?! If so how?
Karly says
Hi Melissa! I haven’t tried freezing them, but I’d probably do so before baking. Cut them out, put on a lined baking sheet and freeze for an hour or two. Transfer to a freezer bag and then bake from frozen. You may need to adjust the time and temp when baking, but I haven’t tested it.
Seeju Dupre says
WoW!!!!!! I tried this recipe for the first time. Light and fluffy with great flavor. Please thank your dad for an awesome recipe.
Karly says
Thank you!
Sean says
This is the best biscuit recipe I’ve found! I make these vegan by using earth balance and oat or almond milk. They always turn out soooo good!
Karly says
Love to hear that! Thanks, Sean!
B VanD says
This is exactly what I was looking for. I wanted to be able to use Bisquick to make rollout biscuits. This recipe delivered the best results I’ve ever had making biscuits. I did eliminate the sugar and used buttermilk instead of regular milk. Turned out perfect! Thank you!
Robby Rollins says
I’ve made these biscuits twice now (with very minor tweaks), and have to agree that this is THE best, no-fail, recipe, that I have ever come across. I was so pleased with the results on the second try that I had to share it with friends and family. I took no credit for the recipe, and made sure to provide the link to this page so others could read about it for themselves. My mother-in-law made them this morning and said that my father-in-law said that he liked these the best of any she has made before. In-law approved! Thanks so much to you and your dad for sharing this recipe! This Southern cook no longer has to carry the shame of not being able to make a good biscuit! LOL!
Karly says
Oh gosh, love to hear this! Thanks, Robby!
Kwame says
These were AMAZING. I used shortening instead of butter because I couldn’t wait for the butter to get to room temp lol. Not to worry, I brushed the tops of the hot biscuits with copious amounts of melted butter straight from the oven.
Alex says
I’ve been trying to perfect biscuits for years. These are hands down the best I have ever made. They are delicious and flaky. These will now be my go-to recipe.
Karly says
Love to hear that!!
Linda Jones says
Watch these biscuits when the are close to being done; mine burned on the bottom after 12 min. They tasted good, but were a bit crumbly. I don’t think would use this recipe again.
Stormy Williams says
Super easy, fluffy, melt in your mouth biscuits! This recipe is a keeper! Thank you so much!
Stephanie Robles says
Just finished making these delicious biscuits. Very good recipe. I will definitely make these again.
Karly says
Awesome! Thanks, Stephanie!
Brenda LAFone says
Loved this recipe however I don’t put sugar in them.
Natalie says
I just tried this recipe tonight and the biscuits came out delicious. I used much more flour than it called for. It was super wet with just what the recipe calls for.
Karly says
Hi Natalie! Was it pretty humid yesterday? Dry ingredients soak up liquid from the air in high humidity, which would mean you’d need to either reduce the liquid or increase the flour. Glad the biscuits turned out either way! 🙂
Genetha Jones says
I love this recipe! Instead of using 1/4 butter I used 2/3 stick of the butter. I grated frozen butter in the dry mix and added a cup of buttermilk instead of whole milk. The kids loved them. Thank you
Christi says
My first time making homemade biscuits and this recipe was fantastic! I’m sure future batches will be better but I was super proud for my first time. They were fluffy and light. Thank you thank you for an easy to follow recipe that actually works!
Midge St John says
Followed the recipe to a tee and got the best fluffiest biscuits ever. Saving
This for sure. Made strawberry shortcake with them.
Diana Guilfoyle says
I have a lactose problem. I used a plant butter and whole lactaid milk. This worked great.
Melanie says
A. Ma. Zing.
I made these with half wheat, half white flour, and I also used home made Bisquick, yet these STILL came out moist, fluffy and ridiculously good. I think the key changes from recipes I have been using were 1) the big increase in baking powder and 2) the decrease in flour… I’ve been adding way too much. This time my dough was more wet then usual thanks to your careful instruction.
Can’t thank you enough! I’ve finally found my go-to recipe!!! Hurray!
Karly says
Yay! Love to hear that your biscuits turned out! 🙂
Lisa says
Thank your Daddy for us! Finally the perfect biscuits ?
Corey says
Very easy to make and very good! My 4 year old helped make these. I didn’t have Biquick but instead used Krusteaz pancake mix (gotta use what you have on hand during a pandemic!). I was little nervous if that would work, but thankfully they came out delicious! Thanks for sharing another great recipe!
Karly says
Glad they turned out!
Torey P says
As both a biscuit snob and an avid baker, I was FLOORED by the deliciousness of these biscuits – so soft, tender, and irresistible! These are hands down the best I’ve ever made, and a very VERY close second to the best biscuits I’ve ever had. A million thanks – my 4-year search for the perfect biscuit recipe has finally ended! Hallelujah!
Karly says
Yay! My dad will be happy to hear that! Thanks, Torey!
Leah says
I have never had luck with biscuits. They always turned out like hockey pucks. I follow the instructions to the “t” and the results have been undesirable. Tried these for the first time today. I followed the instructions EXACTLY. They are wonderful. They baked up to a good height, are tender and so tasty. Ahhhh. Success.
Karly says
Yay! Love to hear that!
Sparky Love says
Best biscuits I have ever made in my life!
Karly says
Love to hear that!!