Easy Homemade Biscuit Recipe without Baking Powder
The only thing better than smelling a warm homemade biscuit is eating one. Today, I’m sharing the easiest homemade biscuit recipe that is made without baking powder. This recipe is so basic that they even qualify as no egg biscuits, too. Yet, they are so delicious!
One of the first breads that I baked were biscuits.
It can be intimidating to tackle a bread recipe, as they tend to be a bit fussy and particular, but this easy biscuit recipe is a winner for beginner home cooks.
It uses basic ingredients and can be paired with sweet, or savory, dishes.
One of the best things about this recipe is how adaptable it is. Plus, they taste great as a homemade bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit or as a side to my comforting chicken pot pie and southern chicken and dumplings.
There are several variations and tips and tricks at the end of this post, so be sure to read all of the way down so you can get the most out of this great recipe.
What to look for in a Homemade Biscuit
Not all biscuits are created equal. The best biscuits are warm and flakey on the inside, while being crisp and buttery on the outside.
This easy recipe is your traditional, good old fashioned biscuit that you picture your grandma baking.
The layers in the biscuit are what allow them to be easily split down the middle so they can be covered in butter, gravy, or strawberries and cream. Yum!
How to get nice flaky layers in a biscuit
The key to nice flaky biscuits is to make sure your butter is COLD.
The best way to do this is to grate, or slice, your butter and let it chill in the freezer for 30 minutes before cutting it into your dough.
The cold butter, coupled with a piping HOT oven is where the flaky magic happens!
How to make Homemade Biscuits without Baking Powder
Making biscuits without baking powder requires one key ingredient- self-rising flour.
This is a staple in our home as we love self-rising biscuits.
If this isn’t an ingredient you use often, stick it in your freezer to keep it fresh and away from pests.
Simple Biscuit Recipe without eggs
Another great part of this recipe is that it doesn’t include eggs. Sometimes, you want biscuits, but your last egg was used at breakfast.
Or, maybe someone in your family has an egg allergy.
Well, no fear because this is a delicious, eggless biscuit recipe that takes so few ingredients, yet it delivers major flavor.
You can have a biscuit recipe with no egg and have them still turn out fluffy and melt in your mouth good, just from using a few simple ingredients.
How to Bake the Perfect Buttermilk Biscuits
While you’re gathering your ingredients, get your oven preheating to 475 degrees.
Having a hot oven is very important in creating the layers of your biscuit, as the cold butter and hot air in the oven coming together are what help to create those airy layers.
To chill your butter, slice it on a small plate and pop it in the freezer to chill for 30 minutes while you are getting the rest of your ingredients ready.
How to Store Leftover Biscuits
If you have leftover biscuits, put them in an airtight container and store them on the counter for up to 4-5 days.
You can also cool them completely and store them in the freezer in a ziploc bag for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat Biscuits
When you want to reheat your biscuits, you can warm them two ways.
- Microwave- place on a microwave safe dish and dampen a paper towel. Lay the towel over the biscuits and warm them for 15-30 seconds, depending upon how many biscuits you have.
- Oven- Preheat your stove to 300°F and layer your biscuits on a sheet of tin foil. Sprinkle water over the tops of the biscuits and then fold the foil over top to create a package of biscuits. Warm them for 20 minutes and enjoy!
Easy Biscuit Recipe without Baking Powder or Egg
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl, Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 6 cups self-rising flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup salted butter
Instructions
- Preheat a 475 °F oven and slice butter into thin slices. Put the butter in the freezer.
- Sift flour and salt into a large mixing bowl.
- Once chilled, add the butter into the flour mixture and cut it in with a pastry cutter or fork. It should resemble coarse crumbs when it’s ready.
- Add the buttermilk to the dry ingredients and mix it with a wooden spoon until just combined.
- Turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it 10 times, or until it creates a soft dough.
- Roll biscuit dough out, using your fingers or a rolling pin until 1/2 inch thick.
- Cut biscuits with a 2 inch biscuit cutter.
- Place on a parchment lined baking sheet to where their edges are barely touching.
- Brush buttermilk onto the tops of the biscuits (this is optional).
- Bake 10-12 minutes (longer if you have larger biscuits). The tops should be golden brown.
- Brush with melted butter (this is optional).
Notes
A Quick Biscuit Recipe without Buttermilk
Don’t have buttermilk? No problem. A quick fix for creating an easy homemade biscuit recipe without buttermilk is substitute 2 1/3 cups regular whole milk PLUS 3 Tbsp of white vinegar to create a soured milk. Mix the milk and vinegar and allow it to sit for a few minutes. You will see a “slick” on the top of the milk mixture and you’ll know it’s ready.
Another substitute for baking biscuits without buttermilk is to add lemon juice to the regular milk. Basically, you need acidic ingredients, such as vinegar or lemon juice, to create the soured nature of the buttermilk.
Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Cutting in Butter– One of my favorite tricks if I have to cut in a lot of butter is to use a food processor and let it do the heavy lifting for me. I will chill my sticks in the freezer for 15 minutes and use the “cheese” grater attachment on my processor to grate my cheese. If you don’t have a food processor, a regular box grater will work great, too! It makes cutting in the butter a breeze!
- Place Biscuits Close- You don’t want the biscuits squished, but placing them on the cookie sheet to where they are barely touching helps them to grow tall and not spread out. It also keeps them moist as they bake!
- No Salted Butter– If you don’t have salted butter, simply use unsalted butter and add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to this recipe. That means you will need 1 1/2 tsp salt, instead of just the 1 tsp. Simple fix!
- No Self-Rising Flour- This recipe calls for self-rising flour, which eliminates the need for baking powder. If you don’t have this type of flour and you can’t wait to run to the grocery store to whip these fluffy biscuits up, combine 2 tsp baking powder for every cup of all purpose flour. You would need 12 tsp baking powder to make these perfect biscuits.
- Don’t Overwork the Dough– Knead the dough on the counter until the tackiness is just gone from the dough. You want to be able to roll them out without them sticking to the surface or rolling pin, but don’t overwork it. Overworking the dough leads to a crumbly dough and stiff biscuits.
- No Biscuit Cutter– If this is your first time baking biscuits and you don’t have a biscuit cutter, grab a glass or mason jar lid and cut them with that.
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