How to Make Sky-High, Milk-Kefir (or Buttermilk) Biscuits

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Nothing beats a warm, flaky biscuit—whether it’s part of a lazy Sunday brunch, the star of a Saturday morning spread, or served alongside a cozy weeknight dinner. Let’s be honest: homemade biscuits are always a good idea.

Over the years I’ve baked a lot of biscuits—some towering and golden, some a little more…rustic. The good news? Even the imperfect ones are still delicious. If your first batch isn’t magazine-cover perfect, don’t stress. Biscuit-making is one of those forgiving kitchen skills that rewards practice, and before long you’ll be turning out flaky, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits like a pro.

This recipe originally appeared in my first cookbook, which has about 100 recipes you can’t find anywhere else: Insane in the Brine: The Official Cookbook.

The Secret to Flaky, Sky-High Biscuits

1. Freeze your butter.

This is non-negotiable if you want those distinct, flaky layers. I pop my butter in the freezer ahead of time and grate it straight into the dry ingredients. If you tend to have warm hands, consider wearing thin kitchen gloves to keep the butter from softening as you work.

2. Use real buttermilk—or kefir.

Classic store-bought buttermilk is absolutely fine, but if you have homemade kefir buttermilk such as in this recipe (or even regular milk kefir once it has separated, such as in this recipe), it adds a subtle tang and tenderness that pushes your biscuits over the top. It’s not required, but it’s one of those small upgrades that makes the biscuit world go ’round.

3. Don’t overwork the dough.

This is where most biscuit recipes go sideways. Mix just until the dough comes together, then pat or roll it gently.

4. Keep the dough tall—at least 2 inches.

This is the key to those impossibly tall biscuits you see in photos. Yes, taller dough means you’ll get fewer biscuits per batch, but you can always double the recipe if you’re feeding a crowd. At the same time, make sure they’re supporting each other by being placed fairly close together.

5. Cut straight down, never twist.

Use a tall biscuit cutter and press straight down into the dough. Twisting seals the edges and prevents that perfect rise. (For those really tall biscuits, I use either the biggest biscuit cutter, or the second biggest, from this biscuit cutter set.)

Yield:

8-9 biscuits (depends on size)

Shelf life:

1-2 days, room temp (in cling wrap); up to a week refrigerated (in cling wrap)

Equipment:

• Large mixing bowl
• Grater
• Wooden mixing spoon
• Basting or silicone brush
• Biscuit cutter
• Non-stick parchment paper
• Suggested: kitchen gloves
• Suggested: dough blender
• Basting brush

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g), plus more to generously flour working surface & dough as needed
• 1 cup cold buttermilk, Kefir buttermilk, stirred milk kefir, or even plain milk (retain 1-2 TBSP of whichever of these liquids you use, to brush on the biscuit tops)
• 1 (4 oz.) stick frozen unsalted butter, grated (or cubed)
• 5 tsp baking powder (aluminum-free preferred but not required)
• 1 TBSP sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• Optional: melted butter or honey (or honey-butter mix) for brushing out of the oven

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425F.

2. Measure out the ingredients. Add the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder to the mixing bowl and mix well.

3. Remove the butter from the freezer and grate. Add to the mixing bowl and mix in evenly.

4. Make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in the buttermilk. Using hands (with suggested kitchen gloves), or dough blender, work the dough until it comes together, but don’t overwork. The dough will still have some wet spots and be sticky.

5. Pour the dough and any bits onto floured surface. Sprinkle & rub some flour on the surface of the dough, and using floured hands, bring the dough together. Flatten it by hand or with a rolling pin, until it is about ¾”.

6. Fold one side of the dough into the center, then the other side. Turn the dough 90 degrees, flatten the dough to ¾”, and repeat the process. Again turn 90 degrees and repeat. The dough should be folded in this manner 3-5 times (go on the higher end for a biscuit with more layers, but don’t overdo it).

7. Cut the dough into circles with the biscuit cutter. Do not turn the cutter as this seals the edges and can prevent a full rise; just press straight down.

8. Place the biscuits close together (just barely touching) in a parchment-paper lined baking sheet or a 10” lightly-greased cast iron skillet. Brush the biscuit tops with 1-2 TBSP buttermilk (or any kefir product used).

9. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the tops are golden. For a darker top, bake for 22 minutes, and as needed, finish by broiling on low for around a minute or two. The internal temperature should be 205-210F. Check at least a couple to be sure of consistency.

10. Remove from the oven. Brush with the optional melted butter, honey, or honey-butter mix if desired. Best eaten still warm. Reheat later in microwave (about 15-20 seconds per biscuit) or toaster oven at 425F for a couple minutes.

Lil’ sausage, egg & cheese biscuit!! The biscuit is actually upside down lol. Here’s my Maple & Sriracha Breakfast Sausage Recipe!

My heart-burn friendly maple-turkey breakfast sausage recipe is here!

Notes: Biscuits can be frozen (best way to keep until ready to cook) but expect cooking time to be somewhat longer. Don’t thaw first.