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Light, fluffy homemade biscuits, as made by my dad! His biscuits are seriously the best. We’re sharing all of his tips and tricks below. Scroll down to get straight to the recipe or keep reading to find out how to make homemade biscuits!
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.
I spent some time with my dad and he showed me all of his tips and tricks for making the perfect homemade biscuits. And then I came home and I made an unholy amount of biscuits over the course of the next few weeks.
Can confirm I am now a biscuit master.
Will I still make our 7 Up Biscuits? Absolutely – those are easy and delicious. But the truth is that this biscuit recipe from my dad will always have my heart!
Ingredients for Homemade Biscuits:
The Flour: You’re going to use a mixture of all-purpose flour and Bisquick biscuit mix. I haven’t tried this with any substitutions and I haven’t tried it with a homemade Bisquick biscuit mix 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, 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!
The Leavening Agents: There’s a lot of baking powder in this recipe. I was actually pretty surprised by the amount my dad uses. But it doesn’t have a metallic or soapy taste! Baking soda is normally used when there is an acid present – like buttermilk, lemon, or vinegar, There isn’t any in this recipe, but my dad still adds a little baking soda and it just isn’t the same without it!
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.
What Readers are Saying!
“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!!” – Christen
How to Make Homemade Biscuits:
Dry Ingredients: These aren’t your average Bisquick biscuits! That means you’ll be adding some extra ingredients to the mix.
Add the Bisquick biscuit mix, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda to a mixing bowl and stir until well combined.
Wet Ingredients: Now you can start adding in the butter. Start with two tablespoons and work it into the flour, then repeat with the remaining butter. Next you can pour in the milk and stir it with a spoon until just combined. To finish fold the dough over on itself three times.
Shape: Pat the dough out into a circle about 3/4 of an inch thick onto a floured surface.
Helpful Tip!
Is the dough too soft to work with?
You may need to add more flour if the mixture is too wet. Just add in a tablespoon at a time until the dough is dry enough to handle.
Helpful Tip!
Don’t be shy about re-rolling the dough!
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.
Bake: Place the biscuits on a baking sheet and let them sit for 5 minutes before baking. They’ll take about 10 to 15 minutes in the oven or until the tops begin to turn golden brown!
FAQ:
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. Even if you do end up with brown spots, the biscuits will taste great, they’re just not quite as pretty.
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.
Add in more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until it’s just 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.
Sounds like you overworked the dough or added too much flour. I had this problem the first few times I made these too. Just use a light hand when mixing and add just enough flour to hold the dough together.
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.
How to serve these biscuits:
- Cinnamon Honey Butter is the perfect topping!
- Sausage Gravy is a classic.
- Use these biscuits in my biscuits and gravy casserole.
- Chocolate Gravy is a Southern favorite and the kids will love it!
- Of course, butter and jam is always a win.
MORE BREAKFAST RECIPES!
- Fruit Loop Donuts
- Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Keto Oatmeal Breakfast Bowl
- Amish Breakfast Casserole
- Air Fryer Sausage Patties
- Chocolate Glazed Donuts
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 10-15 minutes or until tops are just beginning to turn golden. Do not overbake these!
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This recipe was originally published in March 2016. It’s been updated with a new video and FAQ section in March 2018.
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………
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. 🙂
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! 🙂
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! 🙂
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! 🙂
R.B says
CAN’T BELIEVE I’M TEARING UP OVER THESE COMMENTS
. THANKS KARLY TODAYS THE DAY
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! 🙂
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!
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!
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! ??
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.
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! 🙂
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!
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! 🙂
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.