Biscuits. They seem like such a simple addition to the meal, but in reality, the secret to making good biscuits has eluded many a good cook, largely because this is a dish for which just throwing in the exact ingredients won’t necessarily work. You have to practice to learn how the dough should look and feel.

In the South, biscuits are a go-to not just for breakfast but also for dinner. We like them slathered with butter, filled with homemade jam, or smothered in creamy sausage gravy. Sometimes, we want them plain with just a smidge of butter. There’s no right or wrong way to enjoy a good biscuit!

A basket of fluffy Southern biscuits.Photo bySouthern Food and Fun

The Southern Biscuit

The origin of the Southern biscuit dates back to pre-slavery days. Some say biscuits evolved from the hard tack European settlers ate on ships as they traveled to America. Other historians liken today’s biscuit to the scones that Scottish settlers introduced in the 1700s. Enslaved people made a version of biscuits that required beating the dough for up to an hour to work in air bubbles and create a lighter texture.

With the introduction of commercial leavening agents like baking powder and baking soda, biscuits became easier to make and commonplace in Southern kitchens. The local flour, made from soft winter wheat, was perfect for producing lighter biscuits. Cooks added buttermilk and lard, resulting in a much tastier biscuit version. Biscuits soon became a mainstay at every meal, often supplanting cornbread as the bread of choice.

Beyond the buttermilk biscuit

These days, old-fashioned buttermilk biscuits are ubiquitous and lend themselves to endless possibilities for creative cooks. One of our favorite local bakeries produces a to-die-for Jalapeno Bacon Cheddar Cathead Biscuit. Mix-ins are popular, but there are also different methods for making the biscuits.

• Drop biscuits: These are made with a wetter dough that is dropped by spoonfuls onto the baking sheet. They won’t achieve the fluffy rise of classic buttermilk biscuits, but they taste good and are quick and easy to make.
• Angel biscuits: These delicate biscuits use yeast and an additional leavening agent (or two) for a high rise and a light and airy texture.
• Shortcake biscuits: Slightly sweetened and often made with cream, these biscuits are the perfect base for a classic strawberry shortcake.

Tips for making biscuits

• Cold is key: Cold butter and cold buttermilk are essential. They create steam in the oven, which helps the biscuits rise and become flaky.
• Don't overwork the dough: Resist the urge to knead it too much. Overworking develops the gluten in the flour, leading to tough biscuits.
• Hands-on: Don't use a biscuit cutter! Instead, scoop and shape the dough with your hands to create rustic, fluffy biscuits. This also helps to ensure that you don’t overwork the dough.
• Freeze them: Make a big batch and freeze the unbaked biscuits for later. Just pop them in the oven straight from the freezer, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.

What do you need to make biscuits:

• 4 cups White Lily all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 sticks cold unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cups buttermilk

How to make the best biscuits

Preheat the oven to 500° F. Don’t be scared of the heat—the high temperature helps the biscuits rise.

Get your dry ingredients ready: In a large bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder (if using all-purpose flour), and salt.

Cut in the butter: Here's the key to flaky biscuits. Take cold butter and cut it into the flour mixture. You can use a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers. Keep working until it looks like coarse crumbs — think pea-sized bits of butter mixed in with the flour. We like to flatten some of the butter pieces to help with flakiness.

Add the Buttermilk: Make a slight well in the flour, pour in the buttermilk, and start stirring with a fork. You want the dough to just come together. Don't overmix! A few lumps are okay. If it seems too dry, add more buttermilk, but go slow.

Shape and Bake: Lightly flour a clean surface and dump out your dough. Gently press it into a rough rectangular shape. Bring one long side to the center, then the other long side. Then, do the same with the short sides. Do this a couple of times. Once you’ve developed a feel for the dough, you can do the kneading part right in the bowl.

Now, here's the secret technique: Scoop up a generous handful of dough and gently shape it into a round mound about the size of a golf ball or even slightly larger. Place the dough balls close together (about ½ an inch apart) on a baking sheet. Once you have all the dough balls on the baking sheet, flatten them just enough so the sides are touching. This helps the biscuits get those tall, fluffy sides.

A homemade buttermilk biscuit filled with peach preserves.Photo bySouthern Food and Fun

Serving Southern biscuits

There are so many ways to serve biscuits! If you’re having breakfast, add some sausage gravy or just butter and homemade strawberry preserves or local honey. If you’re having dinner, you might make some brown gravy.

And, of course, there’s the favorite way to serve biscuits: make a biscuit sandwich filled with bacon, egg, and cheese.

Remember: Practice makes perfect. Don't get discouraged if your first batch isn't what you envisioned. Keep trying, and soon, you'll be baking biscuits that will have everyone asking for your secret recipe!

A version of this article first appeared on Southern Food and Fun.