Mama’s Buttermilk Biscuits

October 14, 2011 · by

Buttermilk biscuits are as prevelent in the South as our accents.  They are a ‘must’ at most Sunday dinners, and really at any other meal during the week.  If you are a regular viewer of my weekly menu plans, you will see buttermilk biscuits on every single one.

It’s like milk goes with cookies – but biscuits go with everything.  Mama’s biscuits though can go just by themselves.

Now, my Mama’s biscuits taste like none other.  They literally melt in your mouth.  I can finish off a whole pan of her biscuits.  Actually, I have.  And, when I say melt in your mouth – that is no joke.  My grandfather – PaPa Al (pronounced PawPaw) had his back teeth removed in the army.  He had to split every biscuit he ever ate in half to remove all the ‘dough’ with the one exception of Mama’s biscuits.  


 
They are buttery, flaky, and the most magnificant thing you will ever have the pleasure of putting in your mouth.  

  • 2 cups self rising flour (Mama swears by White Lily)
  • a heaping 1/4 cup vegetable shortening (like Crisco)
  • 3/4 cup – 1 cup full fat buttermilk
  • a little less than a half stick of butter
  • a pizza cutter (yes, that’s right.  That’s Mama’s unique technique!)

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.

Using your fingers, work the shortening in with the flour in a large bowl until the flour appears crumbly, about the size of little peas.  Stir in the buttermilk with a wooden spoon.  Start with 3/4 cup & add a little more if need be.
Lightly dust your countertop with a little flour.

 

Now, here is when the pizza cutter comes in! Pat the dough down into a neat rectangle – no reason to do any kneading really. Using a pizza cutter, slice the biscuits into 8 or 10 squares.  Place the biscuits into a greased cast iron pan or if you don’t have one, a round cake pan or casserole dish will do, with the sides of the biscuits just touching.


Melt 3 tablespoons of butter & pour that on top of the biscuits.  Bake for about 12 minutes, until lightly browned.

Melt a couple more tablespoons of butter & brush that on top of the freshly baked biscuits.

Eat them all at one sitting.  Bake another batch.  Repeat.


Print
Mama’s Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients

  • 2 cups self rising flour (Mama swears by White Lily)
  • a heaping 1/4 cup vegetable shortening (like Crisco)
  • 3/4 cup – 1 cup full fat buttermilk
  • a little less than a half stick of butter
  • a pizza cutter (yes, that’s right. That’s Mama’s unique technique!)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.

Using your fingers, work the shortening in with the flour in a large bowl until the flour appears crumbly, about the size of little peas. Stir in the buttermilk with a wooden spoon. Start with 3/4 cup & add a little more if need be.

Lightly dust your countertop with a little flour.

Now, here is when the pizza cutter comes in! Pat the dough down into a neat rectangle – no reason to do any kneading really. Using a pizza cutter, slice the biscuits into 8 or 10 squares. Place the biscuits into a greased cast iron pan or if you don’t have one, a round cake pan or casserole dish will do, with the sides of the biscuits just touching.

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter & pour that on top of the biscuits. Bake for about 12 minutes, until lightly browned.

Melt a couple more tablespoons of butter & brush that on top of the freshly baked biscuits.

Eat them all at one sitting. Bake another batch. Repeat.

Like what you see here on the Mrs? Never miss a thing! Subscribe to my RSS Feed, follow me on Facebook, Twitter and/or Google+. You can also follow my boards on Pinterest!

Filed Under: Bread, Breakfast, Cooking, Holidays, Sides, Southern Classics ·
  • Nan

    Would this work with lower fat buttermilk? I’m from a family of notoriously BAD biscuit makers. Definitely going to give this a try.

    • http://mrshappyhomemaker.com/ Mrs Happy Homemaker

      Yes, it would work – but full fat makes a more decadent biscuit :)

  • Joyce

    This is the ONLY recipe for biscuits I will ever use now. I made substitutions with my first batch and was very disappointed. NAN, do not use low-fat buttermilk or stick Crisco. Follow the recipe exactly and you will have perfect biscuits. They will look just like the picture.Now I’m anxious to try the ones with cheese and garlic.

  • Cakemommee

    I just made this biscuits today and they were definitely the best biscuits I’ve ever made. My husband and the kids loved them as well. I made them exactly as it says on the recipe. Thank you for the recipe!

  • Pingback: Thanksgiving Recipe Round Up - Mrs Happy Homemaker