Flaky Southern Layered Biscuits

Name: Flaky Southern Layered Biscuits
Prep time: 28 min
Cook time: 17 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 2½ cups (300 g) soft wheat flour (such as White Lily) or low-protein all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled; 1 tablespoon (12 g) baking powder, fresh, not older than 6 months; ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) baking soda; 1¼ teaspoons (7 g) fine salt; 2 teaspoons (8 g) granulated sugar; 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes, then frozen for 15 minutes; 0.88 cup (210 ml) full-fat buttermilk, cold, straight from the fridge; ¼ cup (30 g) soft wheat flour or all-purpose flour, for dusting, in a small bowl for dusting the work surface; 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tall, tender biscuits with pull-apart buttery layers, made with soft wheat flour, cold butter, and tangy buttermilk. A few simple folds build the flakiness, and a brush of melted butter finishes them.

Prep: 28 min
Cook: 17 min
Wait: 35 min
Total: 1 hr 20 min
Makes: 8 biscuits (2½-inch / 6 cm)

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the biscuits
2½ cups (300 g) soft wheat flour (such as White Lily) or low-protein all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled
1 tablespoon (12 g) baking powder, fresh, not older than 6 months
¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) baking soda
1¼ teaspoons (7 g) fine salt
2 teaspoons (8 g) granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes, then frozen for 15 minutes
1 cup (210 ml) full-fat buttermilk, cold, straight from the fridge
¼ cup (30 g) soft wheat flour or all-purpose flour, for dusting, in a small bowl for dusting the work surface
For the finish
2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Equipment (9)

Large mixing bowl
Whisk
Bench scraper
Rolling pin (optional)
2½-inch (6 cm) sharp round biscuit cutter
Rimmed baking sheet, about 13×18 inches (33×46 cm)
Parchment paper
Pastry brush
Kitchen scale

Steps

Before you start

Keep the buttermilk in the fridge until the moment you use it. Everything should be as cold as possible.
Measure the flour by weight if you can. Spooned and leveled cups work, but scooping straight from the bag packs in too much flour and makes dry biscuits.
Use a soft Southern-style flour such as White Lily, or a low-protein all-purpose flour. See substitutions if you only have standard all-purpose.
You need a sharp-edged 2½-inch (6 cm) round cutter. A dull or twisting cutter seals the edges and stops the biscuits rising.
The oven preheats while the cut biscuits chill, so don't turn it on yet.

1
Freeze the butter
- Cut the 8 tablespoons (113 g) cold butter into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes.
- Spread them on a small plate and freeze for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, line the rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and measure out the other ingredients.
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Ready when: Butter cubes feel hard and cold, not at all tacky
Tip: Do not leave the butter in longer than 20 minutes. Rock-hard butter is harder to flatten into flakes.
2
Whisk the dry ingredients
- In the large bowl, whisk together the 300 g flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar for 30 seconds, until evenly combined and no clumps of baking soda remain.
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Ready when: The mixture looks uniform and slightly fluffy
3
Flatten in the butter
- Add the frozen butter cubes to the flour.
- Toss to coat, then press each cube flat between your thumb and fingertips into a thin flake, about the size of a large coin.
- Work quickly.
- Stop when most pieces are flat and the size of hazelnut shells to a quarter, with a few larger flakes.
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Ready when: Butter is in visible flat flakes, with no pieces smaller than a pea and none smeared into the flour
Tip: If the butter feels soft or greasy, put the whole bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes before continuing.
4
Add the buttermilk
- Make a well in the center.
- Pour in the cold buttermilk all at once.
- Use a fork or spatula to stir just until the flour is mostly moistened and a shaggy, sticky dough forms, about 15 strokes.
- Some dry patches are fine.
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Ready when: Dough is shaggy and holds together when pressed, with a few floury spots
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and gives tough, short biscuits.
5
Fold to build layers
- Dust the counter with some of the dusting flour.
- Turn the dough out and gently pat it into a rough 6×9-inch (15×23 cm) rectangle about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick.
- Use the bench scraper to fold it in thirds like a letter, then rotate it a quarter turn.
- Pat it out again to about 6×9 inches and fold in thirds once more.
- Repeat for a total of 3 folds, dusting lightly only as needed.
- The dough should become smoother and show streaks of butter.
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Ready when: Dough looks cohesive and smooth, with visible butter streaks and no dry patches
Tip: Pat rather than knead, and use a light touch. Brush off excess flour from the surface before each fold so layers separate cleanly.
6
Pat out and cut
- Pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick, roughly 6×9 inches (15×23 cm).
- Dip the cutter in flour.
- Press straight down without twisting, then lift.
- Cut 8 rounds, placing them on the lined baking sheet with their sides touching, about ½ inch (1 cm) apart from the edge.
- Gently press the scraps together once (no kneading) and cut any remaining biscuit to fill out the sheet if needed.
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Ready when: Cut edges look clean and straight, showing visible layers
Tip: Twisting the cutter seals the layers shut. Press straight down and lift straight up for the tallest rise.
7
Chill and preheatOven 450°F / 230°C
- Place the baking sheet in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- While the biscuits chill, position an oven rack in the center and preheat to 450°F (230°C).
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Ready when: Biscuits feel firm and cold to the touch and the oven has reached 450°F (230°C)
Tip: Use an oven thermometer if you can. A true 450°F (230°C) is key to a quick, high rise.
8
Bake until goldenOven 450°F / 230°C
- Bake the biscuits on the center rack at 450°F (230°C) for 15 to 17 minutes.
- Do not open the oven door for the first 12 minutes.
- Rotate the pan once at 12 minutes if the biscuits are browning unevenly.
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Ready when: Tops are deep golden brown, biscuits have risen about double in height, and the sides feel firm when gently squeezed
Tip: If the bottoms are browning faster than the tops, slide a second baking sheet underneath the first.
9
Brush and rest
- As soon as the biscuits come out of the oven, brush the tops generously with the melted butter.
- Let them rest on the pan for 5 minutes, then serve warm, pulling the layers apart with your hands or a fork.
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Ready when: Tops are glossy and the biscuits split into distinct buttery layers
Tip: Don't cut with a knife. Splitting along the natural layer lines keeps the interior fluffy.

Good to know

Tips

Keep everything cold. If the dough softens or butter starts to smear at any point, chill it for 10 minutes before continuing.
Placing the biscuits with their sides touching makes them support each other so they rise taller instead of spreading. For crisper sides, space them 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart.
Use a light hand: gentle patting and as few folds as listed keeps the layers distinct without toughening the dough.
Fresh baking powder matters. Test it by stirring ½ teaspoon into hot water. It should fizz vigorously.

Make ahead

"Cut the biscuits (through step 6), place them on the lined baking sheet, and freeze until solid, about 1 hour. Transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen at 450°F (230°C) for 18 to 20 minutes, skipping the chill step but still preheating the oven fully."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: cool completely, then keep in an airtight container for up to 1 day. Refrigerator: up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freezer: baked biscuits keep up to 2 months in a freezer bag. To reheat, wrap in foil and warm at 350°F (175°C) for 8 to 10 minutes (15 to 18 minutes from frozen) until hot in the center."

Substitutions

soft wheat flour (such as White Lily) or low-protein all-purpose flour → Standard all-purpose flour with cornstarch: 255 g (about 2 cups) all-purpose flour plus 45 g (⅓ cup) cornstarch, whisked together. Mimics the lower protein of soft Southern flour. The biscuits will be a touch less tender than with true soft wheat flour.
full-fat buttermilk → Whole milk soured with lemon juice or white vinegar: 1 tablespoon acid plus enough milk to make 210 ml (⅞ cup), rested 5 minutes and chilled. Works for both leavening and tang, but the texture is slightly less rich than real buttermilk.
unsalted butter → Half cold unsalted butter and half cold vegetable shortening (56 g each). Shortening gives a slightly taller, more tender biscuit but less buttery flavor.
granulated sugar → Honey brushed on after baking, omitting the sugar in the dough. Gives a lightly sweet finish without changing the dough.