The Only 3 Ingredients You Need For Light And Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits

Buttermilk biscuits are a staple of Southern cuisine. They're perfect as a side to any meal of the day or eaten as the star of the show with butter and jam. You'll find a million different recipes claiming to be the best, each with a list of "secret" ingredients that make them stand out. But in reality, you can make the classic light and fluffy biscuits with just three ingredients: self-rising flour, buttermilk, and butter. While the ingredient list is short, this recipe is successful every time because of how each item works together.

Self-rising flour already contains baking powder and salt, which removes the need for added leavening agents. This mixture is commonly used in the South, and it is traditionally made with softer wheat for a lower-protein flour that results in tender and light baked goods. The acid in buttermilk works with the baking powder in the self-rising flour to contribute to the biscuits' rise — i.e., helps them puff up. And then there's the butter; it must be cold so that it stays in small pieces distributed throughout the dough rather than incorporated completely into the mixture. While baking, these pieces of butter evaporate into steam and create pockets of air to help achieve that key flakiness.

This recipe contains all the basic building blocks of light and fluffy buttermilk biscuits. The process couldn't be easier either; use a fork or pastry cutter to cut the ½ cup of cold butter into 2 ¼ cups of self-rising flour, add 1 cup of buttermilk, and knead gently until the mixture forms a cohesive dough. Quick and low-maintenance, this is the perfect go-to biscuit recipe in a pinch.

If you're feeling fancy and have a bit more time, you can make the Fluffy Southern Biscuits recipe that developer Jessica Morone shared with Tasting Table. She uses the same dough-making process and just a few extra, carefully chosen ingredients — a bit of sugar to encourage browning and add the slightest sweetness, cornstarch for the softest texture, and heavy cream brushed on top to ensure the biscuits stay moist and turn the deepest golden brown. Morone also opts for all-purpose flour and separately added salt and baking powder. Shortcut or more scenic route, these recipes have you covered for any biscuit needs.