Rosemary Biscuits

Name: Rosemary Biscuits
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 29 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon (15 g) baking powder; ½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt; 6 tablespoons (85 g) cold unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch cubes; 1½ tablespoons (6 g) fresh rosemary, finely chopped; ¾ cup (180 ml) cold buttermilk, cold; ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) fleur de sel or finishing sea salt, for topping (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender, buttery biscuits flecked with fresh rosemary and a whisper of sea salt. These savory biscuits have crispy, golden edges and a soft, flaky crumb inside. Perfect for serving alongside soups, stews, or salads, or split and filled with jam and cream for a subtly herbaceous treat.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 14 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 34 min
Makes: 12 biscuits

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Steps

Before you start

Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C)
Cut the butter into ½-inch cubes and chill it for at least 30 minutes before making the dough
Have a 2-inch biscuit cutter ready (or use a glass if you don't have one)
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

1
Mix dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups (250 g) flour, 1 tablespoon (15 g) baking powder, and ½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt.
- Make sure there are no lumps of baking powder.
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Ready when: Dry ingredients are evenly combined and fine in texture
Tip: Whisking instead of just stirring helps break up any baking powder clumps
2
Cut in the butter
- Add 6 tablespoons (85 g) cold butter cubes to the flour mixture.
- Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter still visible.
- This should take 3–4 minutes if working quickly to keep the butter cold.
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Ready when: Mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining
Tip: Keep everything cold; warm butter makes tough, dense biscuits. If your kitchen is warm, chill the bowl for 5 minutes partway through
3
Add rosemary
- Toss 1½ tablespoons (6 g) finely chopped fresh rosemary into the flour-butter mixture, stirring gently with a fork to distribute evenly.
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Ready when: Rosemary is evenly scattered throughout the mixture
Tip: Chop the rosemary as finely as possible so the flavor is distributed and no large pieces overpower any single biscuit
4
Add buttermilk
- Create a well in the center of the dry mixture.
- Pour ¾ cup (180 ml) cold buttermilk into the well.
- Using a fork, gently pull the flour from the sides into the liquid, stirring just until the dough comes together.
- Do not overmix—the dough should be slightly shaggy and just barely hold together.
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Ready when: Dough is just combined, still slightly shaggy, no dry flour streaks remain
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and makes biscuits tough. Stop as soon as you see no dry flour
5
Turn out and shape dough
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.
- Gently press it into a ¾-inch-thick slab using your hands or a bench scraper.
- Do not knead it.
- The dough should be soft and slightly sticky but holdable.
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Ready when: Dough is evenly ¾-inch thick and cohesive
Tip: If the dough is too sticky to handle, flour your hands lightly, but resist the urge to knead it
6
Cut biscuits
- Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter dipped in flour, cut out rounds from the dough.
- Press straight down and lift straight up; twisting seals the edges and prevents rising.
- Gather scraps gently, press them together once, and cut more biscuits until you have 12.
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Ready when: 12 round biscuits are cut and ready to place on the baking sheet
Tip: Dip the cutter in flour before each cut so it doesn't stick. Don't twist—pressing and lifting straight keeps edges sealed so biscuits rise tall
7
Arrange and top
- Place the cut biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart.
- If using finishing salt, lightly brush the tops with a damp pastry brush and sprinkle a tiny pinch of fleur de sel or sea salt on each.
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Ready when: All biscuits are on the sheet and seasoned
Tip: Spacing them 1 inch apart allows steam to circulate and helps them rise evenly and develop crispy edges
8
BakeOven 425°F / 220°C
- Place the baking sheet in a preheated 425°F (220°C) oven.
- Bake for 12–14 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown on top and pale golden on the sides.
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Ready when: Biscuits are golden brown on top, pale golden on the sides, and smell fragrant
Tip: Don't open the oven door for the first 10 minutes; opening it releases steam and can prevent rising
9
Cool
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the biscuits rest for 2–3 minutes on the sheet.
- Transfer them to a wire rack to cool for another 2–3 minutes before serving.
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Ready when: Biscuits are warm but sturdy enough to handle without breaking
Tip: Eating them warm (but not piping hot) is best; the butter flavor shines and the crumb is softest

Good to know

Tips

Cold ingredients are the key to flaky biscuits. Keep butter, buttermilk, and even your bowl chilled before mixing
Handle the dough as little as possible; the more you work it, the tougher it becomes
For extra herb flavor, reserve a few fresh rosemary leaves and press one gently into the top of each biscuit before baking
If biscuits spread rather than rise, your oven may be too cool; verify with an oven thermometer

Make ahead

Unbaked biscuits can be cut and frozen on a baking sheet for up to 3 weeks. Bake directly from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the baking time

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Refrigerator: up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freezer: baked biscuits freeze well for up to 1 month in a freezer bag; reheat on a baking sheet at 350°F (175°C) for 4–5 minutes until warm.

Substitutions

fresh rosemary → 1 teaspoon (1 g) dried rosemary. Use dried only if fresh is unavailable; it has stronger flavor, so reduce the amount by one-third
cold buttermilk → ¾ cup (180 ml) whole milk mixed with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice or white vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes before using to allow the milk to curdle slightly and mimic buttermilk's acidity
cold unsalted butter → 6 tablespoons (85 g) cold coconut oil or cold vegetable shortening. Both create flaky biscuits; shortening may be slightly less flaky than butter but still excellent
kosher salt → ½ teaspoon (3 g) fine sea salt. Fine sea salt dissolves more easily; measure by weight if possible for accuracy