Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits & Jelly

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Introduction

Buttermilk biscuits are one of the most iconic comfort foods ever created. Soft on the inside, golden on the top, tender enough to split with your fingers, and perfect for spreading with any jelly you love—strawberry, raspberry, grape, peach, or homemade preserves.

These biscuits are exactly the type baked in cast-iron skillets across the American South: buttery, flaky, warm, and deeply satisfying. Paired with jelly, they offer a perfect mix of salty, tangy, and sweet. This recipe walks you through everything step-by-step so your biscuits bake up high, fluffy, and irresistible.

Ingredients

For the Biscuits

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (optional but recommended for browning and flavor)
  • ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 to 1 ¼ cups cold buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter for brushing

For Serving

  • Any jelly or jam (strawberry, peach, grape, mixed berry, etc.)
  • Optional: honey or butter

Instructions

1. Prepare Your Workspace

Set your oven to 220°C / 425°F.
If using a cast-iron skillet, lightly butter the inside. If using a baking sheet, line it with parchment paper.

2. Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together:

  • flour
  • baking powder
  • baking soda
  • salt
  • sugar

Make sure these are evenly combined so the biscuits rise properly.

3. Cut in the Butter

Add the cold cubed butter. Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers:

  • Break the butter into pea-sized pieces.
  • Do not overmix. Visible bits of butter are crucial—they create steam pockets that make your biscuits flaky.

4. Add the Buttermilk

Pour in 1 cup of cold buttermilk.

  • Stir gently with a wooden spoon or spatula.
  • Add extra buttermilk only if needed.
    The dough should be shaggy, soft, and slightly sticky, not dry.

5. Shape the Dough

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
Gently bring it together and press it into a 1-inch thick rectangle.
Fold it in half. Press again.
Repeat this folding 3–4 times—this creates the biscuit layers.

Use a biscuit cutter or glass to cut out rounds.
Place them in the skillet touching each other—this helps them rise taller.

6. Bake

Brush the tops with melted butter.
Bake 15–18 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

For extra browning, brush again with butter after the biscuits come out of the oven.

7. Serve

Split the biscuits while warm.
Spread with jelly, butter, honey, or all three.

Tips for Perfect Biscuits

  • Cold ingredients are essential. Warm butter melts too soon and prevents flakiness.
  • Do not knead the dough. Gentle handling = fluffy biscuits.
  • A cast-iron skillet gives the best rise because it heats evenly and helps brown the bottoms.
  • Self-rising flour can be used — skip the baking powder and salt.
  • Freeze the butter for 10 minutes before using if your kitchen is warm.

Flavor Variations

Sweet Biscuits

  • Add 2–3 tablespoons sugar
  • Serve with jam, jelly, or whipped butter

Savory Biscuits

  • Add shredded cheddar
  • Add chopped herbs like chives, parsley, or dill
  • Serve with sausage gravy or honey butter

Buttermilk Drop Biscuits (no cutting)

  • Scoop the dough directly onto a baking sheet
  • Faster and rustic

A Short History

Buttermilk biscuits originated in the American South during the 1800s. Families used buttermilk because it was inexpensive and reacted beautifully with soda to create height. Cooking them in cast-iron skillets became tradition because cast-iron held heat and produced a crisp bottom with a soft interior. Their popularity grew, and biscuits became a breakfast staple served with butter, honey, molasses, jelly, or gravy. Today, they remain a symbol of homemade hospitality and comfort.

Benefits

  • Affordable ingredients
  • Quick to make (about 20 minutes of hands-on time)
  • Freezes extremely well
  • Pairs with both sweet and savory dishes
  • Perfect for guests, holidays, or weekend breakfasts

Conclusion

These homemade buttermilk biscuits baked in a skillet are the ultimate comfort treat. Soft, tall, buttery, and beautifully golden, they’re irresistible on their own but even better with a generous spoonful of jelly. With simple ingredients and easy steps, you can make bakery-quality biscuits right at home anytime you want.

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