Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits Made with White Lily Flour

Buttermilk Biscuits

Biscuits are a hallmark of Southern cuisine, celebrated for their tender, fluffy texture and delightful flavor. They’ve graced tables for generations, complementing hearty meals like fried chicken, serving as a breakfast staple, or being savored warm with butter and jam. While some biscuit recipes are complex and time-intensive, a simple buttermilk biscuit made with the right ingredients can deliver exceptional results in under 30 minutes. The secret lies in mastering key techniques and using quality ingredients. Here, we’ll explore how to create White Lily Buttermilk Biscuits, a recipe that combines ease with authentic flavor for a batch of golden, irresistible biscuits.

The Secret to Standout Biscuits
The star ingredient in this recipe is White Lily Self-Rising Flour, a blend of flour, salt, and baking powder that eliminates the need for additional leavening agents. Paired with cold butter and tangy buttermilk, this combination creates biscuits that are both light and tender. Let’s uncover the magic of these ingredients and learn how to craft perfect biscuits from scratch.

Essential Ingredients for Success

This recipe relies on just three primary ingredients—White Lily Self-Rising Flour, unsalted butter, and buttermilk. Their quality plays a crucial role in achieving bakery-worthy biscuits.

1. White Lily Self-Rising Flour

Renowned for its fine texture and soft grind, White Lily flour is a Southern favorite. Designed specifically for biscuits, it includes baking powder and salt, ensuring optimal rise and flavor without extra effort.

2. Unsalted Butter

Cold, unsalted butter is key to creating the flaky layers that define a great biscuit. As it melts during baking, it forms pockets of steam, producing a tender, airy texture. Unsalted butter also allows precise control over the biscuit’s saltiness.

3. Buttermilk

Buttermilk’s tangy flavor enhances the richness of the biscuits while its acidity reacts with the baking powder in the self-rising flour, creating a beautiful rise. It also contributes to the biscuit’s moist, tender crumb.

Optional: Melted Butter

Brushing melted butter on the biscuits after baking adds a golden sheen and enhances their flavor, making them even more enticing.

Step-by-Step Biscuit Making

Though making biscuits might seem intimidating, the process is straightforward and quick. Follow these steps to master biscuit-making at home.

Step 1: Chill the Butter

Start by preparing your butter. Slice it into small cubes or grate it using a box grater. Then, chill the butter in the freezer for 15–20 minutes. This step is critical—cold butter creates flaky layers in the baked biscuits.

Step 2: Preheat the Oven

While the butter chills, preheat your oven to 475°F (246°C). The high temperature helps the biscuits rise quickly, forming a golden crust while keeping the interior soft. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet to simplify cleanup.

Step 3: Sift the Flour

Sift White Lily Self-Rising Flour into a large mixing bowl.Sifting aerates the flour and removes lumps, ensuring a smooth, light dough. This step provides the perfect base for the biscuits.

Step 4: Incorporate the Butter

Add the chilled butter to the flour. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into pea-sized pieces, or rub it in gently with your fingers. Be careful not to overwork the mixture—you want small bits of butter dispersed throughout the flour to achieve a crumbly texture. These butter pockets will create flakiness as the biscuits bake.

Step 5: Add the Buttermilk

Pour the buttermilk into the flour mixture and stir gently with a spatula until the dough just comes together. Avoid Overmixing can result in tough biscuits, so aim for a dough that is soft and slightly sticky.

Step 6: Shape and Fold the Dough

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll it into a rectangle approximately 9×5 inches and ¾ inch thick. Fold one short end toward the center, then fold the opposite end over it, like folding a letter. Repeat this folding process five times to create layers in the dough, which will help the biscuits rise and remain tender.

Step 7: Cut the Biscuits

After folding, pat or roll the dough to about ½ inch thickness. Use a 2 ½-inch round biscuit cutter to cut out the biscuits, pressing straight down without twisting to maintain clean edges. Re-roll the scraps and cut out additional biscuits until all the dough is used.

Step 8: Bake the Biscuits

Arrange the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a slight gap between them. Bake for 12–15 minutes, until the tops turn golden brown. The biscuits should be fluffy and slightly crisp on the outside.

Step 9: Finish with Butter

Brush the warm biscuits with melted butter immediately after removing them from the oven. This adds shine, enhances flavor, and keeps the tops soft. Serve the biscuits warm for the ultimate experience.

Pro Tips for Biscuit Success

Keep Ingredients Cold: To achieve flaky layers, ensure the butter and buttermilk remain chilled until incorporated.

Avoid Overmixing: Handle the dough as little as possible to prevent tough biscuits. Mix just until the ingredients come together.

Be Gentle with the Dough: When shaping and folding, use a light touch. Excessive pressure can flatten the dough and hinder the biscuits’ rise.

Don’t Fear High Heat: Baking at 475°F ensures the biscuits puff up quickly, creating a beautifully golden exterior without overcooking the interior.

The Reward of Homemade Biscuits

There’s something truly satisfying about baking your own biscuits. With just a handful of ingredients and a few easy steps, you can enjoy warm, tender buttermilk biscuits straight from the oven. Whether you’re serving them as part of a hearty breakfast, pairing them with dinner, or enjoying them with butter and jam, these White Lily Buttermilk Biscuits are sure to impress.

Give this recipe a try, and you’ll soon see why biscuits have remained a beloved staple of Southern cooking for generations.