One of my favorite types of southern comfort food is buttermilk biscuits. I swear, my Aunt Denise makes the absolute best biscuits. I ate this recipe at every holiday family gathering, when we would all travel to Aunt Denise’s house in Tennessee.
She has finally let me see the recipe for the first time, and I cannot believe it only takes four ingredients to make them! I’ll treasure my aunt’s buttermilk biscuit recipe forever, and I plan to make them myself at every holiday get-together from now on. I might even start making them every Sunday too because I don’t think I could ever get sick of them.
Southern cooking never tasted so good!
Ingredients:
4 cups self-rising flour
½ cup Crisco vegetable shortening
1½ cups buttermilk
2 tbsp melted butter, optional
Instructions:
Heat oven to 450°F.
Grease baking sheet with vegetable shortening.
Measure flour by spooning flour lightly into measuring cup.
Using a pastry cutter, two knives or your fingertips, cut the shortening into the flour until the pieces are about the size of peas.
Stir in the buttermilk until the flour is moistened. Do not over-mix. Add enough buttermilk so the dough is slightly sticky, but not wet, when touched. You’ll know you have it right when the dough will come away from the bowl mostly without sticking to it (don’t get the dough too wet).
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Shape dough into a ball using floured hands. Handle the dough as little as possible. The more you work it, the worse your biscuits will turn out. Press dough to flatten slightly and fold in half. Repeat 4-6 times.
Lightly roll the dough using a floured rolling pin to ½-inch thick.
Cut biscuits using a floured 2-inch biscuit cutter, without twisting the cutter.
Place biscuits on the pan so that each biscuit is touching for soft biscuits (Peggy style) or slightly apart for more crisp biscuits.
Put into oven and bake just until dough has started to rise (but before they’ve started to brown). Remove from oven and butter the tops of the biscuits.
Return to oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes or until biscuits are lightly browned.
Remove from oven and butter tops again (optional).
USE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW
NEXT
Quick Tip: Brush butter on top after baking as well for the best and freshest flavor.
Recipe and Image courtesy of: Mama Peggy
We don’t keep buttermilk. Is it ok to use the old standby buttermilk sub of milk with a Tbsp or so of vinegar added?
Absolutely, Rebecca! It should turn out just as delicious. 🙂
Have you tried lemon juice rather than vinegar? I think it works better as a buttermilk substitute.
I agree…especially in sweet things like pound cake.
I’ve bought powdered buttermilk (at the bulk food store) and keep it in the freezer. Mix with water when needed. Handy!
I also wish that my Smart phone wouldn’t change my soelling!!!
If I don’t have self-rising flour, can I add baking powder or baking soda to regular flour? If so, how much do I need to add to the regular flour?
2tbsp baking powder 2tsp salt
I will try bthese
Would you reccommend wholewheat flower in the biscuits?
I do not know if there is a reply for the whole wheat flour but I have been a little ‘ole biscuit maker for a long while–this recipe is tried and true. I would try not to change it in any way if you want a true Southern Biscuit. WW flour is just to dense. It can be used if it is cut with white flour but it isn’t very tasty. ( My opinion only )
Can I use lard instead of Cisco? Oh can’t wait to make these..they look amazing!!
For sure ! Lard is the original for biscuits–folks didn’t have Crisco back then…Lard does make them light as as a breeze–same applies–don’t overwork your dough.
I use real butter instead of Crisco. Rather expensive but, delicious. However, you can use butter flavored Crisco. I use one stick of butter for every 2 to 2 1/4 cups of flour. Don’t try margarine. It just didn’t taste good. Not even the sticks. mmm!!
Not mmm! for margarine but, mmm! for the biscuits,
lol.
Substitute the Crisco for a stick of real butter and they will be so much better!! I used to use Crisco in my biscuits, but butter makes them so much better. Freeze the butter and shred it with a cheese grater….also, add a little sugar…
…wow…you sound pretty professional at this !
I’m a foodie and love to cook but a baking phobe… not sure why… these may get me to break the ice ! Love everyone’s comments !!!
Never tried the shredder trick on Butter – wow- will have to do that.
I’m an ex pastry chef, caterer etc. I learned if you find the best recipe for something like these biscuits WHY substitute a thing? My best friend ( now passed ) gave me a roll of best sugar cookies I’d ever had! I begged her for recipe for months! It was her great grandmas, but she caved and she used crisco I made them for Christmas and came out so beautiful I decorated and looked professionally made. If I had sent this recipe I’d never suggest any changes, no offense.
Theresa
I could not have said it better !!
If you want a Southern Biscuit – Aunt Denise had her recipe for a true Southern Biscuit and aren’t we lucky that MaMa Peggy shared it with all of us !!
Have always made biscuits this way except pinch the dough & pat in my hand. My Grandmother made them this way. Also just pat them with a little buttermilk after their in the pan & before putting in the oven.
Before Crisco there was lard. Lard makes an excellent old school biscuit. Col lard makes a superior pie crust too.
Will the brisket rise just using all purpose flour and not using any baking powder? I love to make homemade biscuits for my family.
If you add no leavening there is nothing to cause the rise. Almost all baking with flour requires something to give it a rise. Add salt and
All the best!
Vikki Hanks:
An emergency substitution for self rising flour is one cup all-purpose flour, one and one-half teaspoons of baking powder and one-half teaspoon of salt.
You forgot to tell how long to bake the biscuts.
Til “golden” brown…
To keep us newbie from sitting and watching the biscuits approximately how long?
I usually bake at 425 for 12 to 15 min ,,then brush the tops with melted butter when you take them out
what is the measurement for milk and vinegar………or lemon juice….bout how long till baking till they start to rise…
Danese:
Emergency substitution for buttermilk = One Tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar plus remainder of sweet milk (regular milk) to make one cup. Let stand five minutes before use.
You can’t wait to do these. Thank you for sharing.
Sounds good
Your right, why substitute a great thing!! . I do however keep powdered buttermilk on hand for those spur of the moment things. Many thanks for sharing these
All I could find was reduced fat buttermilk, which I wouldn’t ordinarily buy, but I want to make these for dinner tonight. Any ideas if it will affect the outcome?
I can’t find the dam reciepe!
Hi Brian, right below the article and above the Quick Tip there is a red Next Page link that will take you straight to the ingredients and instructions. 🙂
I am a southern girl and my mother always pinch ed her biscuits she used whatever greese she had and her biscuits were always the best i have ever eat I have tryed her reciept but i just used frozen biscuits they are very good.
These biscuits do look heavenly. I’ll give them a go, for sure!! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Is there a good gluten free suggestion for this recipe?
How many biscuits does this recipe make?