Mama’s Buttermilk Biscuits
Follow step-by-step, photo illustrated instructions for making these mouth watering Southern Buttermilk Biscuits. We’re making them from scratch, just the way mama taught us years ago. Only three ingredients are needed and we do it all by hand without using a cutter. You can finally make biscuits you’ll be proud to serve. Printable recipe included.
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Southern Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe:
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When I get to Heaven, I suspect mama will be waiting for me with a big old pan of her biscuits somewhere close by. What would I give to have another one of those? It’s a happy dream for me for sure.
My mother passed away at age 72 and I can’t begin to imagine how many biscuits she must have made in her time here on earth. Even though she said daddy taught her how to cook, I don’t remember him ever making biscuits, that was mama’s specialty. She didn’t roll her dough and cut them out with a cutter either, they were all done in what many folks refer to as “cathead” style biscuits. She pinched off a hunk of dough and rolled it out in the palm of her hand before placing it on a baking sheet and popping them into the oven.
Mama would make about two dozen biscuits for Sunday dinners. We always had about 12-15 people each Sunday which included all the family and usually our preacher and his family. Did I mention I ended up marrying one of those preachers daughters? Must have been the biscuits.
When my wife and I opened a small restaurant later in life, mama got up around 3:00am and made biscuits for us. Everyone always talked about how good they were, something we had known for a lifetime. When she had to have an operation for cancer, mama called us over to her house and we stood at her kitchen table as she showed me exactly how she made them. Sure, I’d watched her do it but this was serious, one-on-one instructions.
The next morning at the restaurant, I made my first pan of biscuits and sold each and every one of them… and more. From then on, I made biscuits at our little place and thankfully folks continued to talk about how good they were. I’ve always said mama prayed her talent for making biscuits over to me because I never felt like she made them quite the same after that. I just hope she would be proud that I’m passing this information along to you. It’s the way she taught me to do them and I do hope you’ll try them. I’ll look forward to your comments further on down the page and hope you’ll share some of your biscuit memories with me as well. Ready? Let’s Get Cooking!
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Mama’s Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe: Three ingredients are all you’ll need.
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You’ll need a good HOT oven so go ahead and preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Yep, that’s right… FIVE HUNDRED DEGREES.
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Begin by filling a sifter with Self-Rising Flour. This is right at 4 cups of Flour.
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Sift all the flour into a large mixing bowl. This is one of mama’s bowls. Sadly, it cracked over the years but I still use it to make biscuits.
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Take your hand and move the flour to the outside edges of the bowl, making a well in the center of the flour.
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Grab some Lard. This is the way mama did it. She just knew how much she needed.
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But, I figured you would want more exact measurements. It measured out to 1/4th cup. That’s all you’ll need.
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Add the Buttermilk right in the middle of the well.
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Reach in and grab the Lard and squish it through your fingers. This is the fun part and just like playing in mud when you were a kid. Squish it good.
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Continue to squish the Lard between your fingers until it breaks down into small lumps. Just keep working it with the Buttermilk and keep squishing. It will only take about a minute if even that. As a note, I keep my Lard and of course the Buttermilk in the refrigerator. It doesn’t matter if its room temperature or cold from what I can tell. It will warm up anyway once you start squishing it between your fingers.
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Place your fingers straight down in the middle of the bowl, all the way to the bottom. It’s time to stir it all up.
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Keep the tips of your fingers in contact with the bottom of the bowl as much as possible. Start making small circular motions in the middle of the liquid and continue to do this, working in a little of the flour as you go.
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Think of this kind of like one of those rides at the state fair. Your fingers are making small circles but your hand is also making a larger circular motion as it moves around the bowl. You want to gather in just a little of the flour from the edges of the liquid as you continue to do this, working the dry flour into the wet mixture. This whole process should take about one to two minutes to complete before you build it into a large ball of dough.
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It’s not likely that you’ll use all of the flour but you will use a good portion of it. Once you’ve about stirred out, you will have a large ball of dough in the bowl like this.
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Take a little of the excess flour and sprinkle it over the top of the dough.
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Fold the dough over on top of itself a time or two as you gently knead it into a smoother package. You’re still working a little more flour into it to take away some of the tackiness of the dough. You will want it slightly tacky but not wet. Turn the dough ball over, sprinkle a little more flour on top and knead it a time or two more. This will take about 30-35 seconds so don’t over work it.
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Work the dough just enough until it isn’t sticky and it’s fairly smooth on the outside.
CLEAN YOUR HANDS: Before you move to the next step, you need to clean off all that dough that is sticking to your fingers. Gather a handful of flour and step over to your trashcan. Rub the dry flour all around in your hands and between your fingers. The dough will start falling off and you’ll have clean fingers in no time.
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With the sticky dough off your fingers, get some more clean flour and dust both hands a bit.
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Gently shape the dough into a thick rectangular shape like this.
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Scoop some dough between your fingers and pinch off a ball of dough a bit larger than a golf ball but smaller than a tennis ball.
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Of course, you can make your biscuits as large or as small as you want them to be.
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Place the dough ball in the palm of your hands and roll it around just as you would in making a meatball or hamburger patty. Start out with a little firm pressure and as it starts feeling sticky, lighten up on the touch. This part may take a little practice but you can do it, hang in there.
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You should end up with a round ball of dough like this. Notice it’s pretty smooth on the outside at this point. Rolling it around in your hands should smooth out any splits or folds in the dough. If it has places like that, roll it around a little more. Use a light touch and don’t press the dough together very hard.
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Drop the ball of dough back into the flour and roll it around just enough to lightly coat it again.
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Give the dough ball another quick roll around between the palms of your hands. It will only take about one second to do this part then, flatten it out by pressing it just a little. Again, this is pretty much like shaping a hamburger patty.
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You will need to lightly grease your baking pan with a little lard or butter. You can use a flat baking sheet or a cast iron skillet. Just keep repeating the process of shaping the biscuits until you’ve filled the pan or run out of dough. I prefer to have the sides touching as it makes the edges softer. If you space the biscuits an inch or so apart on a baking sheet, they will have more of a crust around the edges as they bake up. It’s a personal choice and up to you as to which you prefer. Try it both ways and see which you like best.
I opted to bake these in one of mama’s old cast iron skillets. It is of course my favorite and most treasured kitchen item. When mama baked biscuits for Sunday dinner, she made about two dozen or more biscuits at a time. She would bake those on large baking sheets instead of the skillet. I thought you’d like to see them in the skillet though.
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Use the back of your fingers and gently press down on the tops of the biscuits. This will pack them in a little tighter and helps keep the centers from baking up uneven. These biscuits are probably about half an inch thick at this point.
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Here they are… ready to bake. Place them in the oven but don’t go too far away.
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Yep, that’s 500 degrees. Oven’s vary so you’ll want to keep a close eye on them. After about 8 minutes, start sneaking a peak at the tops of the biscuits. Don’t open the oven door all the way but just enough to see them. They should have risen up nicely and will start to brown around this time. Since the oven is so hot, they can burn really easy. Once the tops turn a light golden brown all over… they’re ready.
CAUTION: No matter what you’re baking biscuits in, the pan gets really HOT. Especially a cast iron skillet. You’ll need much more than a towel or a pot holder to remove a cast iron skillet from a 500º oven. Trust me on this one. You’ll also need a good spot to sit the pan once it comes out of the oven.
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Right after you take them out of the oven, brush the tops with some melted Butter. Let it run down around the edges and in between the biscuits.
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Cover the hot buttered biscuits with a clean towel and just let them rest for a few minutes or until you’re ready to serve them.
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Look good? Serve them up warm and Enjoy!
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Biscuits are good about any way you would like to serve them. I do hope you’ll try making biscuits the way mama taught me to do them. I think you’ll find it to be one of the easiest ways to make delicious biscuits that you and the family will enjoy many times over. Don’t let it intimidate you, you CAN do it, even if you’ve never tried, or even if you’ve failed numerous times before.
What are some of your fondest memories about biscuits? What’s your favorite thing to enjoy with them? I do hope you’l try these and I look forward to you sharing your memories and comments below. I’d also like to invite you to check out my step-by-step, photo illustrated recipe for making Sweet Potato Biscuits here on Taste of Southern. Those are pretty awesome as well.
Be Blessed!!!
Steve
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Mama’s Buttermilk Biscuits
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 - 10 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Follow step-by-step, photo illustrated instructions for making these mouth watering Southern Buttermilk Biscuits. We’re making them from scratch, just the way mama taught us years ago. Only three ingredients are needed and we do it all by hand without using a cutter. You can finally make biscuits you’ll be proud to serve. Printable recipe included.
Ingredients
- 4 cups Self-Rising Flour, sifted
- 1 ½ cups Buttermilk
- ¼ cup Lard
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500ºF..
- Lightly grease a baking pan or skillet with lard or butter.
- Fill a sifter with flour, about 4 cups. Sift flour into a large wide bowl.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour with your hand.
- Add Lard
- Add Buttermilk
- Squish the lard and buttermilk together with your fingers until lard is in small clumps.
- Place fingers straight down into the center of the bowl and start making small circles.
- Continue to stir, in small circles, while gradually working in flour from the sides of the bowl.
- You’ll work in most of the flour but probably not all it.
- Sprinkle the dough ball with more flour and fold dough over on top of itself a time or two.
- Knead the dough only a few times until it’s fairly smooth then shape into a rectangle.
- Clean any dough off of your hands before proceeding.
- Flour both hands prior to starting to shape and form the biscuits.
- Use your fingers and pinch off a section of dough just a little larger than a golf ball.
- Roll this ball in the palms of your hands to smooth it out using slightly firm pressure at first and then lighter pressure as it becomes a bit sticky again. Try not to over work the dough at this point.
- Drop the ball back in the flour and coat lightly with flour.
- Roll the ball in the palm of your hand another second or two and then flatten it like a hamburger patty.
- Place the biscuit dough on your greased baking sheet or in a cast iron skillet.
- Sides should be touching for a softer biscuit edge or separated one inch for a crispy edge.
- Repeat the process until the dough is used up or your skillet is filled.
- Use the back of your fingers and gently press down on each biscuit.
- Place the pan of biscuits in the preheated oven and bake 8-12 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
- Use caution because the pans are hot as you remove the baked biscuits from the oven.
- Brush melted butter on top of each biscuit.
- Cover the biscuits with a clean towel and let rest for a few minutes prior to serving.
- Serve while still warm and Enjoy!
Keywords: Mama's Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe, made from scratch, lard, buttermilk, our state magazine, southern recipes
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Your Comments: Do you make your own biscuits from scratch? Have you tried and just given up because they never turn out right? Do you have memories of your mother or grandmother making biscuits? I’d love to hear your comments about our Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe. From the response we received from posting this recipe on the Our State Magazine website, a lot of folks have great memories of homemade biscuits from their growing up days. What are yours?
It will only take a minute or two for you to share your thoughts and comments with us. And, if you give the recipe a try, be sure to let us know how it turned out for you. Make any changes to our recipe? Your comments could help someone else to decide to try the recipe. I do hope you’ll come back and let me know how they turn out for you. Please know that all of our comments are moderated. That just means that I personally read each and everyone of them before they are approved for our family friendly site here on the Internet. I also respond to as many of your comments as possible, so be sure to check back soon for my reply. I’d greatly appreciate it.
Sign Up for our Free Newsletter: While you’re here, be sure to sign up for my FREE Newsletter. I try to send out a short reminder each time we post a new recipe here on Taste of Southern, or anytime anything else of importance takes place. It’s just a brief note to encourage you to check back with us and I promise I will not fill up your Inbox with a bunch of Email. It only takes a minute and you’ll find the Sign Up box below, or in the top right hand corner of each page here on our website. Let me just say Thank You in advance for doing so and if you’ll tell your friends and family about us, that will be good as well. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.
Be Blessed!!!
Steve
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Category: Breads
Just wondering-what do you do with the flour you have left over in the bowl? Do you keep it to use later in the same bowl? If so, how long would you be able to keep it like that before it goes bad?
My mom used to make biscuits just like this. She never measured, but tried her best to teach me. I’ve never been able to make my biscuits taste like hers. My mom passed a little over 6 years ago, and I find myself longing to talk to her and cook with her again. These were almost exactly the same as hers, right down to the technique (She just never did the butter on top. )Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe! I look forward to making it for years to come.
★★★★★
For years, I felt like I was ‘biscuit handicapped’ and never noticed any positive reactions when I’d make some. After searching to the ends of the internets, one day I squinted at your page as though it was a distant mirage in the middle of an expansive desert.
Now, after several years of making biscuits the way your Mama made them, my own family has many fond memories and I never hear about someone being on a special diet when I serve them. Your story behind the recipe warms my heart and is always in the back of my mind when following it. Thank you very much for sharing what is such a blessing for our family and many others! God bless.
★★★★★
This is a very good article. Thank you for sharing. I look forward to publishing more such works. There are not many such articles in this field.
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Thank you for sharing your great information. I read your blog daily . It give me so much knowledge and ideas.
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You have no idea how long I have been looking for this recipe. My grandmother used to make hers like this but she passed away and I didn’t have the recipe. Thank you!!
Great biscuits. Just like my mom use to make, thank you for filling that void.
★★★★★
Absolute gem. Took me about 6 times to get the right “touch” of swirling/folding. I make these for my 80 yo mother who cannot believe how well done her little boy cooks. An my great grandmother’s pan is proud. Once a month treat in this house.
Thanks, Steve for your wisdom.
★★★★★
These look just like my Grandma Casey in Butler Co, MO. She lived back in the woods in a tar paper shack. She put home rendered lard in her’s, as well as clabbered milk from her cows. And your photos looked like I was watching grandma making them. Thank you so very much!
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Hi Don, It’s my pleasure to share the recipe. I bet Grandma Casey made an awesome biscuit, especially with the homemade lard and milk from her own cows. Thank you for sharing your comment and memories. I greatly appreciate your visit. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
This is the way my mama made biscuits. As I read the recipe I was waiting for the ending! And there it was! The back of the fingers. Gently pressed on the top of the biscuits. My mama’s mama died when she was 14 years old and left 9 children. Their Papa raised them by hisself. He taught mama to make biscuits and he showed her how to pat them with the back of her fingers. Years later her sister was giving birth to one her children at home and Papa told mama that she would have to cut the cord. Mama balked and Papa told her that they would both die if she didn’t do it and explained to her how to do it, which she did. My mama was born in Attalla, Al in 1911. I loved the stories she shared with me about her childhood. This recipe made me smile. Thank you!!!
★★★★★
I usually make scones but thought I’d try these for a change (I love buttermilk). They were absolutely to die for. Light and fluffy, hardly any work and done in no time. I used a scone 2 1/2 inch cutter. They were so delicious. Thank you so much for sharing your Mum’s recipe. They were especially good with a hearty winter stew to wipe up all that sauce. cheers
★★★★★
My word, you must be related to my husband! My mother-in-law, Lucille, made what she called cat head biscuits, just exactly like your mother did. Lucille even had the exact same wooden bowl (she gave me one, too), and the same sifter! And she didn’t roll the dough with a pin, but pinched off a hunk and rolled gently in her palms, then dipped it back in the flour. After putting it in the large baking pan (cookie sheet), she used the back of her fingers to pat each one down. She made them exactly like your mother, and she showed me how as well. At large family gatherings, each person had their favorite biscuit “location”. I liked the ones on the corner, as they were the most crispy. The men mostly liked the internal softer edged biscuits that were touching each other.
I’ll never forget how a few years after she’d shown me how, during a visit to her, I told her I would make the biscuits. She was skeptical, but during the meal, she barely spoke out loud, “Well these are better than mine”. My husband and I chuckled later, and still do at times. She was definitely the biscuit queen, in my book.
I have never made biscuits before in my life, (I’m no spring chicken, either), but my mother, older sister and various aunts always made them from scratch and they were so good. I’ve procrastinated for years until I found your recipe and made biscuits for the very first time. I made your Mama’s Buttermilk Biscuits last night and they came out perfectly! I never have buttermilk, so use Cultured Buttermilk Blend by Saco Pantry, which is a powder to mix with water to make buttermilk, used White Lily flour and Crisco shortening and baked them in a cast iron 9” skillet. (I used plain Crisco, but wonder what you think about using butter flavored Crisco)? They were SO good and I intend to make them frequently now. Many of your recipes are so much like my mother’s, but she passed away when I was 19 yrs. old, so am always looking for recipes which are close or the same as hers, so I’m happy to have found your website. Thank you!
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Hi Julie from VA. Thank you for making me smile today. I was so happy to read your comments and to know that you tried our Mama’s Buttermilk Biscuits recipe. I’m glad they turned out well for you. You did good by using the White Lily Flour. Smile. I’ve never tried them with the Butter Crisco, but don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Let me know if you try it. I’m truly thankful that you found our home on the Internet and I appreciate your visits. Thank you for taking the time to share your story. I do hope you’ll try some of our other recipes and that you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Best way to make them right here!
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Hi Deborah, Thank you for sharing your comment with us. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. I’m thankful for your visits and do hope you will visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I remember my Granny made biscuits like this. Can you tell me where to get a good biscuit bowl to make them in and a baking sheet?
Hi Lisa, You don’t need a special bowl to make the biscuits in, just something large enough. I suggest you search Walmart or something similar for a good sized mixing bowl. But, you can also find the old vintage wooden dough bowls on Ebay and Etsy if that’s what you’re looking for. A bit higher in price and you want to make sure it’s in good shape. The old Texas Ware Melamine type bowls are also good. You’d just need to search for something like you’re looking for. I do hope this helps. I have two bowls, but one is cracked and I have yet to find another one like it. Smile. Good luck with your search. Thank you for stopping by today. I appreciate your visit and trust you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
My mother passed away 2 years ago. She was only 54. I miss her biscuits so much and mine never quite turn out like hers. So on the 2 yr anniversary of her passing, I found myself craving HER biscuits and decided to see if Google had the answer. I came across your recipe and found what I was missing. It’s in working the dough. Thank you so much for bringing a little bit of my mama back!
Hi Natasha, I’m truly sorry to hear of your mom’s passing. I know you miss her. I’m happy to know you found our recipe and tried it. I do hope they turned out well for you and glad they brought back some good memories. Keep up they great work, they will improve over time and a bit more experience. Smile. Thank you for your visit today and I do hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
My aunt used to make her biscuits this way. She also made ginger bread this way but I can’t find a gingerbread recipe anywhere, where it is made like biscuits. Do you have a recipe for gingerbread biscuits?
Watch ” MOUNTAIN ROOTS REVIVAL” MOMMAS DOUGH BOWL BISCUITS! this is how my momma made them. I miss her so bad. I can now make hers. I have tried and tried. Now I remember how she did it. I usually hung out with dad and his projects. I now wish I watched her more. She was a great cook! I make alot of things she did but she was famous for her biscuits. She said it takes practice. Make them like thos video and you will never go wto g again! Buttermilk is key. And a small amount of oil with the crisco or lard. Happy biscuits!!
This is a good recipe. The biscuits are tender and light and I will definitely keep this in my cookbook. I have always rolled out my biscuits and this was a new way for me and now I wonder why I went to all that mess to roll them out when I can do it this way. Thanks so much for sharing your family’s recipe.
Thank you so much. My Mother was also 72 when she passed away, lung cancer. My mouth still waters when I think of her thin crispy biscuits, hers we’re never big and doughy like restaurants serve today. I am excited to try your Mother’s way.
★★★★★
After all my failed buttermilk biscuit recipes I stumbled upon yours, thank you! These were by far the absolute best I’ve ever accomplished. I didn’t have lard so I substituted shortening, I will be buying lard for my next go around also a quality rising flour. Your method of working the flour definitely helps with the urge to over work the flour. Thank you so very much!
★★★★★
Hi Texan GB, Thank you for trying our Mama’s Buttermilk Biscuits recipe. I’m glad you found it and that you were able to try it. Happy they turned out well for you. Just keep making them, and you’ll have it down in no time. I think you’ll also like the difference some real lard will make. I appreciate you taking the time to share your results with us. Hopefully it will encourage someone else to give them a try. I do hope you’ll visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
This is the way my mother made them, only making a well in the middle of the flour that didn’t leave the bottom showing. I have been trying to duplicate her biscuit making. They don’t turn out as light as hers, but still pretty good. I want her biscuits. I got on this site to mainly see the proportions of flour to lard. I’m pretty sure I am overworking them even though I try to handle them as little as possible.
My sister and I went to see mother often when she became more disabled with her back. She would start talking about what did we want in the house. She was so afraid that the three of us would create a rift in the family..she had seen it in others. I also think she was watching too much Dr. Phil and court TV to pass time. These diiscussions happened often. So I made a index card with cut out black letters from magazines and it looked threatening ” Beware of children bearing smiles…they may be after you for your biscuits” …not furniture…anyway she loved it and put it on her refrigerator.
Needless to say there were no fights when the days came. But I now have that card on my refrigerator and am trying to make her biscuits. My kneaded dough is not as smooth and she would flip it and begin pinching of the exact same size biscuits.I watched often..she could make them quickly in the old flour bowl from her mother.
Hi Jane, Thank you for sharing your story about your mom. I’m sorry to hear she is no longer with you. I’m sure she is dearly missed by you and your family. I do hope you will continue with your biscuit making efforts. Without someone standing beside you to guide you along, I know it can be a bit difficult. I was truly blessed that my mother taught me how she made hers. You’ll get the hang of it if you just keep working with it and before you know it, you’ll be making biscuits your mom would be proud of. I’m thankful you found us and do wish you all the best with your future biscuit making efforts. I appreciate you taking the time to share your story and I do hope you’ll continue to visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
So, I sent this recipe to my mom…asking if this is how grandma made her biscuits every morning she was alive. My mom quickly responded…no, but this is how her grandmother made them and they were better. I don’t cook much but I did try this recipe. The first attempt didn’t rise because I didn’t follow all the steps…still tasted good. The second and third time…omg, I’m the hero for Sunday breakfast. Thanks for the recipe. Mom says that lard always makes a better biscuit.
Hi Jason, Congratulations “Hero.” I’m glad you stuck with it and kept working on your biscuit making skills. That’s awesome. I’m happy they turned out well for you. I think it’s the lard that makes them best myself. I’m glad you tried the recipe and I appreciate you sharing your results. Thank you for your visit and I do hope you’ll visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I am 57 years old and have never made homemade biscuits before. Your Mama’s recipe came out really great for me! I was so excited. Thank you for the step by step instructions and great recipe. I may never buy canned biscuits again!
Hi Candice, Thank you for trying the recipe. You’re learning something new so young. Smile. I’m really glad they turned out well for you and hope you’ll keep up the good work. It’s my pleasure to provide the step-by-step. I do appreciate your comments and your visit, and I trust you’ll visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Glad to see you are still using White Lily SR Flour. I was dis-appointed when the company sold, but still use it with about the same success. Love the winter wheat.
Hi Fran, RED BAND flour was always the flour of choice, but of course, they no longer make that brand. I use a variety of flours these days, often just buying what’s available or on sale. White Lily is good stuff for sure, and it makes great biscuits. Thank you for your comment and for your visits, I hope you’ll visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Oh I have a bowl exactly like the one here….it belonged to my Mom! Now I have to make these biscuits for sure !! I am trying the Pork Tenderloin recipe tomorrow. Maybe i should do these biscuits too.
Hi Sandra, I love my bowl, but I’ve always wanted one of those old timey wooden dough bowls like Grandma probably used. Maybe I’ll break down and buy one some day. I hope the tenderloin recipe turns out well for you, and I also hope you’ll give the Buttermilk Biscuit recipe a try. I look forward to hearing how you like them both. Thanks for your visits, be sure to stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
ok, I made your biscuits last night for supper. See, I was out of butter, which I normally use in my buttermilk biscuits, but only had shortening (not lard) and I remembered that I had your mama’s recipe. So, I used your recipe. They turned out beautifully, and delicious. I liked them just as much as my butter ones. It took me a bit to get the hang of mixing the flour into the buttermilk like you showed, and I had a bit of a mess, but soon worked it out. These are delicious !! Thank you for your detailed instructions. I am positive I will make these again. Oh, And I also had your pork tenderloin recipe last night too…minus the onions and apples. It also was perfect. Thank you so much for these great recipes.
Hi Sandra, It’s my pleasure to share the recipes and it makes my day when someone says they have tried one with great success. I’m happy you took on making the biscuits and glad you enjoyed them. Thank you for taking the time to share your results, maybe it will encourage someone else to give it a try. I do appreciate your visits and hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Just like my momma’s biscuits, lard bucket, sifter, and “well”. She kept her flour bowl in the flour bin. Wish I had it. Kinda got lost with all the movin’, and all. Never washed it that I know of, didn’t need to; the dough never touched the sides or bottom. Momma did add a spoonful of sugar if she had it to spare, and most times, clabbered milk, instead of buttermilk. You’re on lucky guy to have learned from the best. Thank you for the wonderful website, for honoring your mom and the love she shared through her food, for keeping her memory alive. I’m sure she was very proud of her son.
Momma pinch them off like you do and pat them out, using the back of her hand to flatten them down gently in the cast iron skillet. She also had a wide, grease/gravy spoon that she dipped in to the bacon grease can, rested on the back of the stove, and she sat that grease-laden spoon down on each biscuit, and swirl it around to grease the top. An old wood-fired stove to bake in, and to cook on. At the time, didn’t know I was so lucky.
Hi Bill, Thank you for your comments. It’s my dream to one day be able to make these biscuits and bake them in a wood-fired stove. Maybe one day. Thank you for your visits and I hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
That’s the way my momma did it Bill and they were wonderful. Wish I could duplicate them.
Hi Steve, glad I looked this recipe up again, I had forgotten it, and I need to get the grandbabies in the kitchen sometime soon for these !!! I can still see my Grandmother at the counter with her walker, reaching under the counter into the “lard bucket” to scoop it out and mix it with the flour and buttermilk ! I never saw a recipe for her biscuits, but this sure looks like it !! Thanks again, love your site, your stories, your encouragement. God bless you..
Hi Gina, Did your grandmother have one of those big 5 gallon sized silver lard buckets? I’ve got a 5lb bucket and just leave it sitting on the counter for most parts. I might slip it in the refrigerator during the summer months. I do hope you’ll teach those grandkids how to make biscuits. They will always remember you for it. Be sure to let me know how they turn out for you. I appreciate your comments and your visit today, and I hope you’ll visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Can you (or anyone out there) tell me how much baking powder I would need if I used all-purpose flour instead of self-rising? Would it require any baking soda and/or cream of tartar?
Hi Roxanne, You can make self-rising flour from all-purpose flour pretty easily. Add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt to each cup of all-purpose flour. It may not be quite as tender but it will work well for you in most applications. I hope this helps. Let me know if you try our biscuits, and be sure to visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Thanks Steve.
thank you for this recipe . this is exactly like i remember mama doing it. i have been looking for a long time for this. Mom is 80 now and has alzheimers and cant ever remember making biscuits!
Oh, my! I was sitting here thinking of my Grandmother “Mama”. Her buttermilk biscuits were the best; we thought the recipe was gone forever, but decided to do one last search and VOILA. This is so much like her recipe… can’t wait to try it! Thanks so much.
I saw your biscuit recipe and it reminded me so much of my father’s biscuits. He was a baker in the army during WWII and he made a ton of biscuits. After he and mama married he continued making a ton of biscuits to feed his six kids, relatives and friends. As many times as I watched him, I never tried to make them. This morning after seeing your recipe and the step by step guide I did. My daughter said they were the best biscuits she had ever ate and added they were the “bomb”.
I was number 3 on her list for making biscuits, now I’m number 1!
Thank you for taking the time to do this website. I’ve been looking around on it and a lot of your recipes reminds me of my family’s cooking.Please keep up the good work.
Hi Dee, Thank you for sharing your biscuit memories with us. I’m glad you found us and decided to try the recipe. Congratulations on being the Number 1 Biscuit Maker now. We appreciate your fathers service to our country. I do hope you’ll try some of our other recipes and that you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Mawmaw passed away unexpectedly when I was 15. I grew up in her kitchen, watching her make the most delicious food the whole family has ever had. I was too young and naive to think I could possibly lose her before writing everything down. It’s hard to write things down from someone who never measured anything in her life anyway. Now that I am 27 and pregnant with my second baby, all I’ve been craving is her food, especially her biscuits. I’ve been sobbing all morning thinking about her and those biscuits. I’ve been googling recipes and yours look so much like hers, from the 3 ingredients to the cathead style. I’ll be trying your mama’s recipe in the morning for breakfast. While they won’t have my Mawmaw’s special touch when I make them, I sure hope they come close.
Hi Jessica, Congratulations on the baby on the way. I hope all goes well for you. Thank you for sharing your memories of your Mawmaw. I do hope you’ll try the Buttermilk Biscuits and I hope they turn out well for you. Keep me informed. I appreciate your visits and hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
They were really good and awfully close! I think I may need to adjust the amount of buttermilk or lard. I think she might have used a bit more!
This is exactly how my momma makes them! Only difference is she can never give me measurements. I even video recorded her doing it and I still get it wrong. Little tip…these make the best dumplings for chicken and dumplings. My momma rolls her biscuit mix out (the same here) into a circle and cuts vertically and than across horizontally making little strips. It’s the best. Thank you for sharing. Hopfully measurements do the trick.
I tried these buttermilk biscuits this week and they were as close to perfect that I’ve come to – thank you for sharing. And they freeze well too – being in FL not much keeps well on the counter – so, wrapped individually and put into freezer. I put a couple on the counter to ‘thaw’for 30 – 40 mins and then into microwave for quick warm up. By the way, your Buttercream Frosting freezes beautifully as well – ‘thawed’ in fridge and used it with some gingerbread cookies my husband baked – very good. Thanks.
I am so glad I stumbled across this recipe, this is the Holy Grail biscuit recipe I have been searching my whole life for. So simple, yet so delucious! Thank you for taking the time to do such a fantastic write up with pictures, this was so helpful in making sure I was doing it right. This morning’s biscuits were huge and fluffy, and the taste and texture is just right. Great Grandma would be proud.
These look realy good and simple. My grandfather always had a tin can of bacon grease on the stove and made bacon fat biscuits. I do t know if he use it instead of lard but will experiment and find out thanks.
This is exactly how my mom makes biscuits. It feels like a visit home to see your pictures. I will be working on perfecting this process. Thanks for making this available The only restaurant I have trid that makes biscuits as good as my mom’s is in Tennessee – The Loveless Café. If you have never eaten there – it is worth the trip!
Hi Annette, Thank you for stopping by. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe and the pictures. It’s always good to know that I’ve reminded someone of their family members before them. I’ve actually been to the Loveless Cafe. It was a very nice place with great food. And, loved their biscuits with jam as well. I hope I can make a return trip one day. Thank you for your comment, and for visiting Taste of Southern. I do hope you’ll visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! – Steve
I try to make them tonight I wanted my grandchildren to try the best biscuit in the world. But I fail bad. I set the oven at 500, biscuit was not browning, and the inside was raw tasting, I don’t know what iam doing wrong. My sweet mother in law used to make these now she making them in heaven. But I want my girls to taste them. What iam doing wrong
Hi Chris, Thank you for trying our Buttermilk Biscuits recipe. I’m sorry they didn’t turn out well for you, but I hope you will not give up and that you will keep trying. You might want to check the rack position in your oven. Maybe its at the bottom and you can move it up more towards the center. That might help. Just continue to work on it and I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it before very long. I appreciate you trying and wish you the best the next time you try them. I appreciate your questions and hope you’ll visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Don’t do as I did at 5:00 this morning! I grabbed up all-purpose flour instead of self-rising flour. Epic fail! Hope to be awake next time I try this recipe!
Hi Lynn, Thank you for the smile today. I’m glad you’re trying the recipe, but the flour DOES make a difference. It’s easy to understand making the mistake that early in the morning. May I suggest you set out the flour before you go to bed at night. Smile. Thank you for sharing your comment, and I do hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
My mom has been trying to make her mamaw’s biscuits for years. I suggested we google lard and buttermilk biscuits to see what she might not be doing quite right. I shared this post with her and she said, yes! That’s it! And now I see what I wasn’t doing right. And she was so tickled to see your name bc her mamaw was Willie Gordon! I guess Gordons must make the best biscuits! Thanks for sharing your wisdom 🙂
No doubt that your mother and my mother will be waiting for us in heaven with a load of homemade biscuits! My mother taught me to make biscuits the same way your mother taught you. It makes me miss her even more watching you make biscuits. Thanks for sharing..
Nothing like homemade biscuits, fried salmon and fried okra. YUMMY
Hi Steve,
I’m from NJ…and I love your food. My Mom made everything just about the same as your Mother, except – our salmon patties were croquets with rice mixed in and topped with stewed tomatoes – talk about good! Looking back, my Mom put them “jersey maters” in bout everything!
Another thing, in NJ, we never heard of Dukes mayonaisse so my Mom insisted on Hellmans in everthing…everytime someone had a party, my Mom had to make the potato salad & macaroni salad & deviled eggs. Yum.
Love your blog, stay blessed!
Bette in Raeford, NC
I saw your recipe a few months back and finally got around to making it. So glad I did. These biscuits are so good. After my husbands first bite he said you can through all the other recipes of biscuits out and I agree. I did do one thing different. I used leaf pig lard. I put in and the buttermilk in the food processor and blended it well. Then I poured it into the well of the flour in the bowl and mixed the rest. There is a knack to getting the right amount of flour in the dough as working it in. I will be getting more practice on the next batches.
Thank you so much for sharing your Mamma’s biscuit recipe!!
I am so happy I finally found your website! My husband and I “escaped” from Connecticut to Tennessee two years ago…best thing we ever did!
I want to learn to cook authentic Southern dishes, and your site will give me that ability.
Do you have a recipe for Hushpuppies? I can’t seem to find one on your site.
I will let you know how my sausage gravy and biscuits turn out after I make them. Thank you and God Bless!
Hi Marcie, Congratulations on the “escape.” I’m thankful you found Taste of Southern, and I do hope you’ll try some of my recipes. I’ll look forward to hearing how they turn out for you. I’ll see what I can do about getting a recipe for Hushpuppies online. Thank you for suggesting it. I do appreciate your visit and trust you will visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Hey Steve! I am so happy to have found this wonderful site! I have made biscuits in the past that weren’t exactly edible so I never tried again. That is, until now. I was looking for a simple buttermilk biscuit with self-rising flour recipe and I stumbled across yours. Well, I made them this morning and my family LOVED them! Thanks a billion! I LOVE your site and I did subscribe. I love your beautiful personality also!
Hi Steve, I just wanted to say your Mama & mine must have stood side-by-side learning to make biscuits! Mama grew up in south Mississippi & biscuits were part of everyday life. I have worked hard trying to get mine similar but never felt they could hold a candle to hers. I was redeemed a few years ago, though. On a visit she asked me to make a pan. After eating them, she said I could make them for her on all my visits! At 94, she still makes biscuits for my Dad and herself. Nothing better than a hot biscuit & some mayhaw jelly! Thanks for sharing your memories & recipe!
Hi Chris, Loved your story. I’m happy you’ve mastered the biscuit. Maybe I should create an award for anyone that does the same. (Smile) Thank you for sharing, and do visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Would that be a 10″ skillet?
Hi Janet, You would be correct on that. It belonged to my late mother, and is my most treasured piece in the kitchen. It stays on my stove top all the time, and get’s used almost daily. Thank you for your visit to Taste of Southern. I’m happy you found us and trust you’ll visit often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve PS: Sailboat huh?
Hello Steve, after reading your fabulous post on your Mother’s pickles…I new I had to make them !! As we speak they are sitting and resting…waiting for the big dip into the vinegar and seasonings…I love pickles, You mentioned the other pickle recipe that is sometimes tricky to make…what kind of pickle is this and can you post the recipe?? I used to make my “Civil War” pickles every year. Its a recipe my Grandfather handed down to me, being the pickle person and cook !! In those days the soldiers had to be tough to eat one of these babies !! Of course the directions alone are hysterical to read…”Getting your fire roaring hot on your cook stove” !! They boiled them far too long. Used what they had on hand..lots of vinegar…I mean LOTS of vinegar. Ive jazzed up the recipe so it is palatable !! I look forward to hearing from you and maybe seeing your Mothers other pickle recipe. These treasured people that were in our lives make us what we are today. Thanks, Britt
Hi Brittain, Thank you for sharing the story. I’ve never heard of Civil War pickles, but they sound “interesting.” Must be sour. I’ve not shared the recipe for the sweet pickles. It’s not one of the “approved” recipes, so I don’t want to make anyone sick or cause any problems. I have success with it one time, then not the next time. As it happens, I started a batch this year and they went bad, so I had to toss them. The second batch seems to be okay. Maybe one day I’ll get comfortable enough with it to share it here on Taste of Southern. Thank you for asking. I appreciate your visit and hope you’ll stop by often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Just followed your recipe for buttermilk biscuits and they turned out just about perfect. Thank you. I grew up making biscuits with step-by-step verbal directions from my mother – never making them by myself. Thought it was second nature, but after her passing, I could not make a decent biscuit! My father would tease about my biscuits being hockey pucks. I’ve always set the oven to 450 so upping it to 500 was at least part of the difference. Now I’m curious to try some other brands of flour to see if that brings any difference. I have no idea what flour my mother used. Whatever she bought was just dumped into the flour cannister. Thank you, again.
I used Pillsbury. They came out fantastic but I will give the Lily a try next time to see if their is a difference.
I love this recipe! They even turn out perfect at high altitude (>7,000 ft) with the only adjustment being I had to bake them slightly longer!!
Question- what do you do with the unused flour in the bowl?
Hi Julir, I don’t usually have but just a little flour left, so I use it to clean my fingers and throw it away. I don’t make biscuits often enough here at home to save it. In the old days, women had wooden dough bowls. They would sift any remaining flour, leave it in the dough bowl, and add fresh flour with it when they made more biscuits. They often made biscuits two to three times per day. I know it’s a bit wasteful to throw it out, but as mentioned, it’s usually just a very small amount. Forgive me? Thank you for your visit and question, I do hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Love your recipe. The way you don’t roll out your biscuits but just pinch off some dough.
This is exactly the recipe and measurements as well as the method my mother used for the thousands of biscuits she cooked in her eighty years. Great illustrations too! Wanda
I just found your Buttermilk biscuit recipe in time to make for breakfast tomorrow to go with fresh venison sausage. What happy and dear memories it brought me. My mother kept her big bowl in a “flour drawer” with the old sifter in it. I can still see the little red wooden handle! She died nearly 30 years ago but waking up in an old cold house and entering that warm kitchen with its wonderful buscuit smell takes me back like it was yesterday. Precious Memories how they ever flood my Soul ~~ like our old Southern Baptist Church song went. Thank you!!
Hi Steve,
Finally, a recipe that bakes up tall, fluffy and flavorful biscuits! Thank you for sharing. I have a question about vintage dough bowls. I won an old wooden dough bowl from an auction and it is well worn. Do you know how I should care for it? Do I need to oil it or can I use it in its current condition?
Hi Patti, Congratulations on your win. That’s a nice prize and one that should be cherished. If only it could talk… right? I’d suggest you only wipe it out with some warm water at the most. Don’t submerge it in water totally. Just wipe off any sticky stuff. If you have dried bits, scrape them out with a spoon or something similar. If it’s really dry, or after you’ve dried it well after washing, you might want to apply a thin coat of mineral oil. Rub it both inside and out, then let it dry for a day or two before using. After that, just wipe it out after each use with a dry cloth and enjoy it for many more years to come. I trust this will help. Thanks for the question. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Lord have mercy. I know this is an old post but I am really thankful I found it. My sweet mama passed away on August 28, 2015 just twelve days short of her 92nd birthday. So now it’s Thanksgiving and she always made her home made dressing with day old home made biscuits and cornbread. Panic set in until I found your recipe because it is the absolute closest thing to mom’s I’ve seen…in fact it is identical except she used shortening instead of lard. So I just made the batch of biscuits using your technique and they are PERFECT, I mean looks, texture, TASTE. I am blown away…thanks so much for sharing. You saved Thanksgiving!
Steve, THANK YOU so very much for this recipe. I’ve always wanted to know my grandmother’s recipe for her buttermilk biscuits but when she would share it with me she would never give me measurements. She would just “know” how much to put in. We lost her earlier this year and I would love nothing more than to have all of her recipes. I’m so glad I found your site because now I can recreate all of those “secret recipes” my grandmother made for many years. 🙂
Thank you buddy the recipe is easy to follow and let me tell you they are delicious THANK YOU THANK YOU.You now have a friend in North Carolina.
These are my mothers biscuits, down to the backs of the fingers to press them down, she was from north Georgia. I remember seeing those three little ridges in every biscuit she put into the oven. I had forgotten that, thanks for reminding me. I’m the youngest of four girls and the really the only one interested in learning to make biscuits, I always watched and since I was the baby, my mother always promised me the baby biscuit, you know the very last one made from the leftover dough. I sure did feel special that I always had my own personal biscuit. I’ve been trying to recreate her biscuits for the last 18 years since she passed, you finally helped me solve the mystery. She never measured anything, so I had my proportions all wrong. Way to much shortening…they tasted good but crumbled. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me this great gift. Blessings to you By the way, she always put a touch of sugar in her vegetables too, but never in the cornbread, that was sacrilege. 🙂
I’m in my 70’s and have a reputation for making the worst ever biscuits…well I have lost the title. I tried your recipe and, it’s a miracle, my biscuits were great. I shared them with my neighbors and they ate them!!! So, thanks for sharing.
Yes, these are the real thing. I come from Roanoke, Virginia, and my step grandmother used to make these. She used to put just a teeny bit more lard on the top instead of the butter before she baked them.
Oh, and she used Virginia’s Best Self Rising flour.
My grandmother, born in 1899 in central Texas, and had her first child the same month she turned 17, never made buttermilk biscuits that I can recall. During my lifetime, she used Crisco and sweet milk with all-purpose flour (White Lily was not available in Texas), Clabber Girl double acting baking powder, and salt. None of which were measured of course. Mixed by hand, rolled with an old bottle, cut out with a glass, and baked in an old dark pan(s) that had melted shortening in which she coated both sides of the biscuits. The biscuits were soft and fluffy with soft tops and slightly crunchy bottoms, and appeared to resemble your mother’s biscuits both before and after baking. I can make soft and fluffy, but not the soft tops which may be due to too much shortening. I use a cast iron skillet. To do that well I have to use White Lily self-rising flour. I do use buttermilk, but do not add any baking soda as some do. Sugar masks the flour taste. I do freeze some after patting out by hand and cutting out with a vented metal cutter, and they are ok when baked, just not quite as good as when baked fresh. Self-rising flour does have baking powder in it. One thing, Crisco was originally made with 100% cotton seed oil. That is one reason things do not taste the same as they did back in the 1950’s. Thank you for the recipes.
After some more trials, and obtaining some reasonably priced high quality leaf lard on eBay from a fella in Pennsylvania, I found that 2 Tb frozen salt free butter chopped up and stirred in and 2 Tb shortening per 2 cu White Lily self-rising flour and 3/4 cu buttermilk give me the highest rise. Using half lard and half butter result in the best taste, the just do not seem to rise as much. Also, my biscuits are never done in the middle if I cook higher than 450 (I usually use 425). The technique you show is the best by far for several reasons. I have seen it on a few videos on YouTube, but they are hard to find. I also add a teaspoon of baking powder. I tried placing the dough in the refrigerator as some have mentioned and The Loveless Cafe in Nashville do, but the rise was not as good as one would expect.
I’ve been making biscuits for years, everyone but me always liked them. I have been looking for and trying new recipes for quite some time. I came across this recipe purely by accident. I made them for supper the other night and my husband asked me if I’d time traveled and asked his grandmother how to make biscuits like her! He was impressed and I was too. Thank you!
Steve, this recipe is awesome. My grandma died a few years ago and never wrote down her recipe at all. All I remembered is she used butter, buttermilk, flour, and lard and one other special ingredient LOVE. Thanks for helping bring back a big part of my childhood.
I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart, my grandmother passed about three years ago and her recipe box burned up in a house fire one year ago. Finding this just made me tear up, I’ve already put it on an index card for my box that I will give my grand-daughters some day. Thank you.
Good morning-
I would love to try this recipe this morning to surprise my husband with breakfast in bed, but I only have all purpose flour and if I leave the house to get self rising he would surely notice my absence and blow the surprise, so can I use the all purpose flour and add baking powder and salt? If I can, how much should I use? Thank you so much in advance. 🙂
Have a blessed day,
Hope
Thank you !!!!! where is your restaurant?
I have been trying for years to make these biscuits, again, and always failed. They would be hard, or flat, or greasy. See my mother taught me how to make biscuits just like these when I was, well I don’t even know how old I was I just remember having to stand on a chair. I remember one time when I was about 12, we had went out of town to visit some relatives and there were several of us cooking breakfast, dried beef and gravy, eggs, and if course biscuits. Mom told me to make the biscuits. There were many objections to me, the 12ish year old kid making one of the main breakfast items, but Mom had my back, she told them I made them better than she did( which I’m sure was not the case)and I WAS going to be the one to make them. I think she wanted to show me off. There were still voiced doubts weather they would be worth eating or not but everyone agreed that I could give it a”try”. I can still remember that feeling of pride when I pulled that pan out of the oven and that prior grumbling turned into compliments, “they smell good and look good”, but you could not have slapped the smile from my face after they started eating. “These are great, you really can make a delicious biscuit, well done.” But over the years I stopped making them and simply forgot how. I’ve tired many times, some we could at least eat, haha, but we’re never really very tasty. I am SO happy I found your recipe. I appreciate the time you took to go step by step to insure that anyone, with practice can make the best biscuits that anyone could ever put in their mouth. I will be making these for breakfast in the morning for sure and at long last I feel confident that they will all be eaten. Thank you and God bless. Just one more note, I can not wait to check out and try many of your other recipes.
Hi Michelle, Thank you for sharing your biscuit story with us. I do hope your next batch turns out well, and I’ll be anxious to hear all about it. I appreciate you taking the time to share your comments and trust you’ll visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Thanks for this! i watched my mom do this many times and knew the ingrediets But couldnt remember what temp she cooked them at. I will be making these tonight.
What a beautiful tribute to your Mom, I really felt that! She’s probably in Heaven in the kitchen with my Mom Theresa cooking up a storm. Out of all the biscuit recipes I’ve seen, this one really reminds me of my Mom’s cooking.
God Bless~
I have been making these in my grandmothers and great aunts iron skillets now for 3 mos. Just the very best. No substitute for the lard or buttermilk–my mother was shocked how quick I knocked out biscuits and with almost no mess.
Your sweet potato biscuits are equally delicious and easy. Made 150 silver dollar sized with shaved country ham and hot pepper jelly for a party. People ate about 5 at a time.
Thanks so much for keeping the art alive!!!!!
I tried these biscuits this morning for breakfast. I had not made homemade biscuits in several years. They turned out perfect. It reminded me of my grandmother’s biscuits. My husband was a happy man. Next, cheese biscuits and biscuits and chocolate gravy like grandma use to make. Thanks for sharing!!
Hi Ann, I’m happy to hear the biscuits turned out well for you. Thank you for trying our recipe. I keep wanting to do a Biscuits and Chocolate “Gravy” recipe here on Taste of Southern, but just never seem to get around to it. When I was young, it was my favorite treat that Mama prepared for us. We always just called it Biscuits and Chocolate Syrup. I could never find where anyone else tried this, until a few years back, when I saw it called gravy instead. Good stuff though, either way.
I appreciate your comment and do hope you’ll visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Your biscuit making brought back amazing memories of my mama and oldest sister (she was 22 years older than me) making biscuits with Mrs. Tucker’s lard and homemade buttermilk. My sister had 9 children and we all lived in the country so she bought flour in 25lb sacks and Mrs. Tucker’s in 5 gallon buckets. Mama made her teacakes the same way. I can almost see her squishing that lard and milk and flour through her fingers! One thing they did and I also do is to put enough oil or melted shortening in my skillet and lay the biscuits in the oil and flip them over to coat them in oil. I think it makes a better crust on the top.
I make chocolate gravy the same as brown gravy except I use butter and add some cocoa in with the flour. After I stir in the milk and thicken the gravy I add sugar and cook just long enough to melt the sugar. Add a little vanilla if you like. Lordy, I think I will have to get up and go make biscuits and chocolate gravy!!
My grandma made chocolate gravy too! Yummy!
Yes I’m writing on behave of your buttermilk biscuits. I was wondering if instead of lard which I do not have,could I use vegetable oil and will it be a quarter of a cup. That seems like a lot of oil. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Hi Buddy, You would need to use something like Crisco Shortening to get the desired results as opposed to vegetable oil. Try it, and let me know how it turns out for you. Okay?
I’m thankful you found Taste of Southern, and I sincerely appreciate your visits. Be sure to stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I am reading so many stories similar to mine in the comments. My mother died last year at the age of 82. I gave her eulogy and spoke of all the lessons she had taught us. The last things I said was that there was one lesson no one every learned … how to make the biscuits.
Just this past week, I was at her house cleaning things out, getting ready for selling it, my childhood home. In the pantry, there was the wooden bowl, the sifter, still flour from the last time she made biscuits. I brought it home and started looking up biscuit recipes. I am SO glad I found this page! This is exactly how my mother made them. I always knew she used a small amount of shortening ( lard back in the day but I saw her use Crisco shortening most of the time) and all the recipes I had found called for at least twice as much, if not more.
I made my first batch of biscuits last night. They were very good … a tinge tough so I must have overworked them a bit. This morning, I made up the biscuits and they were almost perfect. Mine were not quite as smooth but I am hopeful. I can’t wait to surprise my brothers with her biscuits in a few weeks. Thank you So much for the detailed instructions and photos. And I feel like my mother’s spirit is within that bowl and sifter.
Hi Cynthia, Thank you for sharing your memories about your mom. I’m sorry to hear that she passed away, and I know you must dearly miss her.
I visited your site, saw the picture of the wooden bowl, and read your writings. That was pretty awesome, keep up the good work.
I’m glad you tried our recipe, and would encourage you to keep working on them. I bet they’re just about perfect by now. Please let me know when you get the chance. I appreciate your visits, and I’m thankful you’ve found Taste of Southern. I hope you’ll visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I have been making biscuits this way for about 60 years. Mama taught me when I was old enough to stand up to the counter in a chair. I have tried to explain this way to friends but I get the I don’t get it look. Thanks for showing step by step. Mama always had left over flour in her pan and she would sift it and use next time she made biscuits. She always said you could tell how good a housekeeper was by the way she kept her biscuit pan. Thanks
I have been making biscuits like this for about 60 years. Mama taught me when I was old enough to stand up at the counter. I have tried to explain this method to various people and they give me that look like they have no idea what I am talking about. I love the photos of each step. Mama always had flour left over which she sifted and used the next time she made biscuits. She always said you could tell how good a housekeeper was by the way her biscuit pan looked. Thanks for the site.
I saw this recipe posted in a cousins facebook page today and when I saw it I was in awe! I am 40. You see, my granny that passed away some years ago used to make these for breakfast, lunch and supper, every single day, without fail!!! She lived on a farm with my Great Uncle who owned the farm and was pretty much a Grandaddy to me, another great-uncle, a great-aunt and before she passed away when I was around 10, a great-great-aunt. This along with my uncle and aunt which are close to my age so they are more like cousins to me.
Anyways, I would spend ALOT of weekends and parts of summers over there with granny and the rest of them in that old wooden house and besides the old Railroad powdered snuff she would dip and sometimes give to me, her biscuits were the best!!! All I remember was she used lard for sure. Matter fact she had 5 gallon jugs sitting under the dining room table.
Long story short, I asked my aunt (my grannys daughter who is the same age as me) just a week or so ago if she recalled how Granny used to make them biscuits and now I come across ur website! Thanks for the recipe and the great memories it brought back of the farm growing up!
Hi Tim, Thank you for sharing YOUR memories of your Grandmother’s biscuits. You reminded me that my own Grandmother use to dip snuff as well. I hadn’t thought about that in awhile. I never tried it myself though.
I’m thankful you found Taste of Southern. Hopefully you’ll give our recipe for Buttermilk Biscuits a try and see if they taste anything like what you remember. Please let me know if you do. Thank you for sharing your memories, and for your comments. It’s greatly appreciated. I do hope you’ll visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I have always been known as the “skeet shoot”maker in my house. I have a pan of your biscuits in the oven now!! Wish me luck!
No bricks here today!! Yay!! Thanks so much for all the effort you put in to illustrating your biscuit making. I love them and plan to make many more, now that I can!!
Steve,
My wife made your mama’s biscuits this morning. They were extremely delicious! We’ve tried other’s biscuit recipes, but we couldn’t find one that we could say we’ll keep. Now, we can say we found one! Thank you very much for posting this recipe. And I appreciate the hard work that went into making this article.
Hope you have a great day.
I made these biscuits for breakfast this morning. They were so easy to make with your instructions and my husband and son said they were the best biscuits they’d ever eaten! Thanks for making me look good.
My thoughts exactly! I am so happy I stumbled on this site! His recipes are great!
Hello,
I’m 63 years old. I watched my mama and grandma make homemade biscuits I know over 10,000 times growing up.
Neither one of them left their recipe written down before passing away. I’ve eaten biscuits out of the can from the dairy case and the plastic bag from the frozen food section of the grocery stores over the years. And I bet I’ve tasted over three dozen other peoples homemade biscuits over the years. None of them came close to my mama’s or grandma’s biscuits.
On January 11, 2015 at 5:00 PM I started making some biscuits using your mama’s recipe. I took my time and followed her direction to the letter. The only adjustment I had to make was to leave the biscuits in the oven for fifteen minutes so they wound get that golden brown color on top. I was using an electric stove instead of gas.
The biscuits didn’t look as pretty as my mama’s but they smelled like my mama’s. I took the biscuits out of the oven and cut three of them open and inserted a big slab of butter in each. I stood right there at the kitchen counter and ate all three biscuits for supper just using a glass of sweet tea to wash them down. They tasted just like my mama’s and grandma’s.
THANK YOU, The taste of their homemade biscuits is just one thing out of a thousand I don’t miss anymore by not having them around.
John C Amerson Jr.
Hi John, Thank you so much for sharing your memories with us about Buttermilk Biscuits. It’s comments like these that make my day and keep me adding more recipes here on Taste of Southern. I’m thankful you found us.
I’m really happy that you decided to make some on your own. That’s Awesome. They do smell really good once they’re about done don’t they?
Keep up the good work, and keep on making biscuits. I appreciate your visit and do hope you’ll visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I have never been able to make biscuits, unless you consider the rock hard, deadly lump and capable of serious injury mess I have made in the past a biscuit, until today. I even threw all caution to the wind and used smaller amounts of ingredients. With the words, “Lord please help these hands”, one bowl, two hands, one pan and a very hot oven, I made 6 delicious biscuits for breakfast for my 93 year old mother and myself.
Steve, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Blessed are those who share!
Hi Debbie, It’s my pleasure to share the recipes. Thank you for sharing your results with us, I’m happy to hear you liked the Buttermilk Biscuits. Keep up the good work, and be sure to stop by for another visit with us… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Oh how I wish you had a pinterest button. I would love to pin these to my breakfast board. This is exactly how my Mississippi grand mother made her biscuits. I’ve not had much luck with other recipes but I’m going to keep trying with this one.
Hi Steve!
I have searched and searched for a homemade biscuit recipe using lard that turn out good! My husband has always talked about how his Memaw made “cathead” biscuits using lard and they were the best. I tried these out and he LOVED them. Thank you so much for sharing!! 🙂
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful and delicious recipe!! These are not as hard as I thought they would be to make and came out great. I do believe the next time make them I wont “play” with them as much.
Great Posting! Steve, these remind me of my Pops Catheads. I used whole milk buttermilk, and bacon grease for lard, and we eat them right out of the skillet, after they have been brushed heavy with real salted butter. The less the dough is worked the softer the biscuit. Thank you Steve for putting me on the right path, Merry Christmas, and Sweet Blessings, from a man from Tennessee.
Steve, I am sure you have tried this so help me out. What is best way to make a bunch and freeze to save some time in the am? I have tried couple different recipes and none have worked for us. They are always really flat. I will be trying a skillet of these tonight!
Thanks
Hi Rob, I’m sorry to report that I haven’t tried to freeze any of the biscuits. They’re pretty quick for me to make, so I always make them fresh. I have kept some leftover one’s in the refrigerator for a day or two, but never froze any.
It’s my understanding the biscuits made with baking powder freeze the best. These don’t have any. Still, I’d bake them as directed until they rise and just start to get a little color on top. Take them out, let them cool, then freeze them. When you were ready to use them, just pop them in the oven straight from the freezer. Bake them until done and enjoy. I think I’d try this route first. Let me know if you do freeze some this way and how they turn out for you. I’d be interested to know. I appreciate your question, and your visits. I hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Steve,
My biscuits were horrible…. TIL NOW. I want to know how the recipe can be increased for larger batches. Thank you.
Hi Tiffany, I’m happy to hear you like our Buttermilk Biscuit recipe. You could double the recipe, but I wouldn’t go any larger than that. If you get too large of a batch, you’ll overwork the dough and the biscuits will turn out tough, and might not rise as well. The more you work with it, the quicker you’ll be able to make them. I hope this helps. I do appreciate the question, and I’m thankful you’ve found Taste of Southern. Thank you for your visit today, and be sure to stop by again for another visit… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Thank you. They are not perfect but they are much better than my previous attempts. I’ve literally made a batch daily since finding your recipe so I to work on rolling them out properly by hand.
Good evening! Found this site by accident trying to find a recipe for buttermilk biscuits made with lard. So glad I did! I’m born and raised in Georgia and have been cooking “southern” my entire life, but I’ve always had a problem when it came to biscuits. I made your recipe for your momma’s buttermilk biscuits without changing a thing and they turned out phenominal! Finally!!! I can make biscuits that don’t put your eye out if you throw them at somebody. These turned out so light and fluffy and taste oh so good! Thank you so much for sharing your momma’s recipe! She sounds like she was a really good momma and I know you must miss her a great deal. Will definitely try more of your recipes!
Sincerely,
Mary
Savannah, GA
I made 2 pans (cast iron skillet) of these biscuits and they turned out soooo yummy!! I’ve made some good biscuits, but these by far, are the best! Thank you for your recipe! 🙂
Hello Steve I am a southern man from Mississippi but relocated to Pennsylvania 26 years ago. But I still remember my mothers cat head biscuits for breakfast or any time for that matter. My question is can you use sweet milk instead of buttermilk? I don’t recall my mom using buttermilk. And also as much as I would need I need to buy at least half gallon and trust me up north there isn’t a big call for cooking with buttermilk. Also will it change the flavor of the biscuits that I’m trying to reproduce ?
Hi Buddy, Thank you for the question. You can make a pretty easy substitute for the Buttermilk using a little vinegar and regular milk. Add ONE TABLESPOON of white vinegar to one cup of sweet milk. Give it a stir, then let it sit for about five minutes, and you’ve got your Buttermilk. Use it in the same proportions as any recipe calls for when you need Buttermilk. And, they say lemon juice will do the same, if you don’t have the white vinegar. Haven’t tried it, but I understand it works just as well.
I do hope you’ll try our Buttermilk Biscuits, and I’ll look forward to hearing how they turn out for you. I appreciate your comments and hope that you’ll stop by for another visit with us… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Greetings from Arkansas!! I really enjoyed reading the story about these biscuits. I made them tonight, but for some reason they did not turn out for me. I am sure it is me, and not the recipe since it has gotten rave reviews. For some reason mine were really flat and never got fluffy. They seemed doughy after baking well over ten minutes. Do you have any suggestions? I am still learning when it comes to cooking. I am a young mom and I have been teaching myself to cook. I am doing really well, but for some reason I am not the greatest at bread making. I have tried many times, but I will not give up. I want my kids to grow up with memories of their mothers good home cooking. I am all about home cooked meals and I am determined to not give up. I have had much success with slow cooker meals and sauces made from scratch. I just hope to improve my baking skills one day. Thanks so much for the recipe! I hope to try it again with some tips.
Hi Camille, I like your determination, and the best advice I can give is to just “keep at it.” The more you try to make our Buttermilk Biscuit recipe, or any others for that matter, the better you’ll get. Keep on trying! Make sure you’re using a good flour, not sure what’s available to you in your area. Also, work the bread with a soft touch, so as not to overwork the dough while you’re mixing it all together. You might also want to purchase a decent oven thermometer to make sure your oven is baking at the temperatures it says it is. But again, just keep trying. You can do it, and the kids will always be proud of you.
I’m thankful you’ve found Taste of Southern, and that you’re willing to try our recipes. I do appreciate your visits and hope you’ll stop by for another visit with us… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Hi, I’ve tried yr recipe for the first time and it turned out great! I’ve tried other recipe before but fail, over worked on the dough. when I found yr recipe, I love it because it’s simple and easy to follow. my husband loves them. I haven’t tried again yet but hope to be able to create the great one as my first time, Tx for sharing this. I have one question if I may, I have some flour left from this and felt a waste to throw away, I tried adding lard and buttermilk hope to do a few more but couldn’t, any thought on how not to waste the flour?
Hi Kitty, I’m happy to hear you jumped right in and tried our Buttermilk Biscuits. Mama would be happy to know you made them, and that they turned out well for you. I am too.
In the older days, folks made their biscuits in a wooden bread bowl. They made bread so often, they would just sift the leftover flour and leave it in the bread bowl until they made the next batch, which was usually at the next meal. After you make them a few times, you’ll learn a little more about how much flour to use, so you will not be wasting as much, if any at all. You could make a slight adjustment in the amount you start with after that.
If I’m going to be baking something else soon, I’ll often sift any leftover flour and reserve it for the next recipe. This takes out the lumps an reserves just the flour, but I wouldn’t want to let it hang around for much more than a day or two after making a batch of biscuits with it. I hope this helps.
I’m thankful you’ve found Taste of Southern, and tried our recipe. I do hope you’ll try some of the others, and that you’ll stop by for another visit with us… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
My mother made fabulous biscuits because she grew up on a farm in NC in the ’20’s and ’30’s with seven hard-working brothers and she, her sister and her mother made biscuits twice a day. She said sometimes they made biscuits and cornbread for the same meal. I learned a lot about cooking from her but I have never been able to make a decent biscuit. I watched her sqeeze of a hunk of that dough and roll it in her big hands many times but I never could duplicate it. I never get them to rise like hers. I am going to try this with this hot, hot oven temperature and see if I can finally make a good biscuit. Thanks.
Hi Becky, I’m thankful you found Taste of Southern, and Thank You for sharing your comments with us. I do hope you’ll try our Buttermilk Biscuit recipe. You just have to stop telling yourself that you “can’t” make biscuits, and start telling yourself that you CAN make biscuits. You can do this, I know it. I think you might just be trying too hard. Give them a light, gentle touch, and you’ll be fine.
I’ll look forward to hearing your success story with biscuits. Keep up the good work. Thank you for your visit, and be sure to stop by for another visit with us… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I may have overlooked it but I didn’t see an amount for the buttermilk in the biscuit recipe
Hi Ron, You’ll need about 1 and 1/2 cups of Buttermilk. It’s listed in the printable recipe at the bottom of the step-by-step instructions.
I do hope you’ve tried our Buttermilk Biscuits, and that they turned out well for you. Thank you for your question, and be sure to visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Hi….I have been searching & baking biscuits for 30yrs!! I have never found a recipe even close to what my Grandma would make. She had this cabinet, and in one of the drawers there was flour, and never measured. I know she added buttermilk and lard, but I have never been able to replicate her biscuits. She’d throw those together in a minute, and they melted in your mouth!!!! Thank you so much for this recipe!!!! It is exactly what she made….I wanted to cry when I pulled them out of the oven and they actually browned, something I could never get my biscuits to do. They are fabulous!!! Thank you so much. You’re Awsome!!!!
This is exactly the way my mama made her biscuits and of course I learned from the best and make them like this, too! This is the first time I have ever seen a recipe that instructs one to squish the lard into the buttermilk and then work in the flour as you instructed! That is the way my mama and now I have always done it! I have always wondered if anyone else did it that way and now I know. So glad I discovered Taste of Southern and I will be subscribing to your newsletter.
What an inspiration! Thanks for the laughs and the cries.
Have been so deeply touched by reading the recipes and stories on your site. So-o-o glad I found it. I have cancer and expect to go to be with our dear LORD before too long. (I’M 62) Have ended up with a few of those “Meals on Wheels” since my youngest daughter (age 39) doesn’t cook much. Today, she heated up and brought me a “meat loaf dinner” that was so-so. She said it reminded her of when she was younger and I sometimes used to buy frozen TV dinners to have on hand for those days when time was just too tight to cook a good dinner. Her favorite was Salisbury steak, mine too, though it really was not all that great – it was just one of the best tasting cheap ones out there that a working mom could afford. So I told her that I would go online and look up a recipe for it to help her fix tonight. The chemo I am on keeps me from eating/drinking/touching anything that is fridge/freezer cold, so she will be mixing up the meat. But I will be doing the biscuits to go with the gravy. She doesn’t eat “wet bread” but being raised in the south, you just can’t have gravy without biscuits to sop it up! So of course I just had to look up YOUR recipe to go with the steak and gravy.
My mother was born in 1918 in Illinois and moved to Orlando, FL when she married my dad the year of the big Ohio flood. (1930s) She made EVERYTHING from scratch including egg noodles, but she was very stingy with her recipes and never taught me. I would sneak around and try to watch her – she never measured anything, so I learned how much a handful was, or a pinch. I still cook that way when I have the energy. Her biscuits were as light and fluffy as the crescent rolls that Pillsbury sells – so flaky. Have never been able to duplicate it. After reading and viewing your photos, I am obviously overworking the dough. Mine are good, just not as flaky as moms. She used all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, then stirred real well to get that powder really well mixed in. She made a well in the center and poured in buttermilk, then a little Crisco oil. She mixed it up using all the flour and not much working of the dough now that I think about it, then she pulled it out onto a floured board, dusted it with flour then cut it with a glass. She baked hers in a glass or metal pie plate with a little oil poured in, placing them in and then turning them over so both sides were coated. I do remember she baked ’em hot, at 475 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. And they were ALWAYS perfect. We had homemade buttermilk biscuits and gravy at almost every meal. Her gravy was always a mix of buttermilk and water, poured over flour she had cooked into whatever pan drippings there was from the meat cooked that night, then she added salt and pepper. No fancy herbs, just good home cooking. And of course, like you said, always fried chicken on Sunday after church. My mom fixed it like yours, just salt, pepper flour and oil.
So we are having salisbury steak and gravy with mashed potatoes, salad and daughter wants broccoli (though I would prefer some nice cooked greens), and of course biscuits. Had to laugh about “Julie” who is also up here in the northwest from the south. There are very few places up here to go eat that know what good southern food is like. Thank you, thank you and thank you again. God bless and keep you and yours always in the palm of His gracious hands.
Sincerely,
Marce
(oh, did subscribe and will definitely be back)
Hi Marce, All this talk about gravy and biscuits has made me hungry this morning. It’s already 10:00am here, and I haven’t had breakfast yet. I might have to make some biscuits today myself. (Smile)
I’m very thankful that you found Taste of Southern, and I’m happy to know that you enjoy our recipes and ramblings. I appreciate your compliments.
Thank you for sharing your memories of your mom and watching her cook. I trust you are sharing your recipes with your own daughter. She’ll never forget them.
Salisbury Steak was my favorite TV Dinner also. I must admit that I’ve had a few of those in my life as well. I think it was just the gravy that sort of masked the taste of the mystery meat that made up the so called “steak.” I’ve tried not to buy those any more though.
My mom underwent Chemo herself. I remember just sitting and looking at her, head hung down, as she was obviously going through some tough times. Thankfully, she pulled through it and shared many more years with us. I’ll always be grateful for that time. She was very a very special lady.
62 is just a youngster. I can appreciate your courage and I hope you’re fighting this battle with everything within you. Promise us that you’ll never give up. God is still in charge and still in control. Always has been, Always will be. His word says “By his stripes, we are healed,” and we’ll keep praying and believing that promise for you. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “we all want to go to Heaven, we just don’t want to go today.” (Smile)
You’ve made my day with your comments, compliments, and YOUR story. I do appreciate your visit, and I trust you’ll continue to stop by for many, many more visits… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Thank you, Steve. He has done some really great things during this past year and made it much more bearable for me. I truly do not know how people go through everyday life, let alone something like this without Him. And no, I haven’t given up. It is all up to God and though the Drs and their numbers say I have a one in ten chance of surviving five years, I just remember Gideon and his battle against the numbers that the Lord made the victory His – numbers do not mean much to Him – He created them and can do with them as He wishes. Thank you for your prayers, that means a lot to me.
The Salisbury Steak was AWESOME. BOTH my daughter and I wolfed it down – a new fav at our house now. She doesn’t like to cook and I have tried to teach her, but cereal, ramen, and hamburger helper type things is about all she wants to do.
You have mentioned “mystery meat” a few times and so I thought I would let you know what it is – or at least what it used to be. I worked at a grocery store in the meat dept when I was 18 and watched them grind “hamburger.” They used the scraps of meat and fat left over from all the other cuts, then brought in these frozen three to four foot rolls of dark meat, about three inches across. These were thawed and cut up then added to the hamburger as it was put through the grinder a couple of more times. I asked what it was, and was told that it was beef from Argentina. They explained that it was stringy and tough and the only thing they used it in was hamburger. I never bought any of it, and still sometimes wonder what is in the hamburger I buy at the store. But maybe I don’t really want to know, right?
I am sure many people have told you that you look like “Santa.” And a very sweet one at that, we just love your sense of humor. Keep laughing and cooking, Steve. And we’ll keep following you.
Exactly how my mama made them! They look absolutely scrumptious! I make them now and everyone loves them. I’m a Georgia Peach and loving the fact that great recipes like this are still being shared. Thank you!
Hi Annette, It’s my pleasure to share the recipes. It’s always encouraging to hear that folks are trying them and enjoying them. Now, if we can just get more families back to the dinner table, we’ll be making some progress.
I hope you enjoyed my story about how I came to be a biscuit maker. I recall that you mentioned that God gave you the cooking skills of your mom even after you didn’t grow up cooking with her. God is good.
I appreciate your visits and all of your comments. Be sure to stop by for another visit with us… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Can I use Crisco instead of lard?
Hi Mae, Many folks use Crisco to make biscuits, you shouldn’t have any problems with it. Let me know if you try it, and how the Buttermilk Biscuits turn out for you. Thank you for your question, and be sure to stop by and visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
What a touching story! Are these the biscuits that you would put molasses in (you mentioned something about molasses and biscuits in your baked beans recipe)? I don’t use molasses very much…so do you just spread some on like jam, or is there something else to it? These look delicious! I’m definitely bookmarking your blog for future recipes to try :-).
Hi Amber, Thank you for your comments. YES, these are the biscuits we’d often punch a hole in with our finger, then fill it up with Molasses. Or, you could split the biscuits open, add a pat of butter, then drizzle some Molasses over the top of that. It was good eating as a youngster, and I still enjoy it every once in awhile these days. I do hope you’ll try some of our recipes and let me know how they turn out for you. I appreciate the Bookmark. Did you signup for our FREE Newsletter? It’s a weekly reminder when we post a new recipe. Check it out. I appreciate your visit and do hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
This is the way my Mama always made biscuits! I’m originally from Fairmont, NC, now living in exile in Colorado. Thanks for helping carry on the traditional methods and tastes!
Hi Bebe, I’m sorry you had to leave the great state of North Carolina. We’ll still let you back in anytime though. Ha! Thank you for your comments. Do you make your own biscuits? I appreciate your visit and do hope you’ll stop by for another visit with us… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Hi Steve,
I was looking for a recipe for salisbury steak, and found your web site. I am thrilled, since I grew up in the south, and live in the northwest now. I miss the southern food, and now I can make it, and enjoy the food I grew up to love. Can not wait to try the biscuits. Thank you so much for sharing with others.
Hi Julie, It’s my pleasure to share the recipes. It’s just the good home cooking I was raised on. I’m happy to hear that you found Taste of Southern and do hope you’ll try some of our recipes. I appreciate your comments and trust you’ll stop by for another visit with us… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I have been talking about my grandma’s biscuits for weeks. She passed away before I developed a love for cooking and my mom, her daughter is sick and not strng enough to cook. My grandma’s biscuits were made just like this. Can remember her using just lard, buttermilk and flour. I wondered why my grandma’s biscuit tops didn’t look like the other recipes…….then I remembered, she used lard and not butter. Can’t wait to try this…thank you!!!!!!
Hi Nikkie, I’m glad you’ve developed a love for cooking. I’m happy you’re carrying on some of the old traditions. I do hope your mom is doing well and can give you some pointers along the way. Keep up the great work.
I’m glad we could bring back a few memories for you with the recipe. Let me know how the biscuits turn out for you if you try them. Thank you for sharing your comments and do visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Well done, Steve!
Of the things I’d gotten my dad to teach me how to make before he passed away a few years ago, homemade buttermilk biscuits were the one thing I’d never gotten a lesson on; and I’ve regretted it all this time. I’d seen both my mom and dad make them a million times as a kid, but that was a long time ago.
Fast forward to today, and your recipe was spot on. Nothing beats a good cast iron skillet biscuit, and your recipe was everything I remembered it to be from my childhood. Light, fluffy and just enough firmness on the underside crust. In a word – perfect, and they got good reviews from my family too! (FWIW, I used Crisco and baked at 475 deg for just a bit longer because of that.)
God bless you and thank you for bringing a bit of childhood back!
Hi Kevin, Thank you so much for sharing your comments and memories with us about the biscuits. I appreciate the compliments and I’m delighted that we could provide the recipe and bring back some great memories for you.
I’m very happy to hear that you tried the recipe and that it turned out well for you. Keep up the great work.
I do hope you’ll try some of our other recipes and that you’ll stop by for another visit with us… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Reading this recipe actually made me cry. In a good way. And I’m not much of a crier, but I feel like I met your mama just reading it. I’m gonna go make these biscuits as soon as my banana bread is out of the oven. Thank you for sharing your memories and method!
Hi Amanda, You touched my heart today with this comment. It made my day, and I know mama would be just as happy. I do hope you tried the recipe and the biscuits turned out well for you. I appreciate your comments and your visit. I do hope you’ll find some other recipes that you’d like to try, and that you’ll stop by for another visit with us… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
So excited!!! Have always wanted to make homemade biscuits, but was reluctant to try (heard how hard it is and was afraid I would make hockey pucks). Surprise, surprise. Came out perfectly on my very first try.
Can’t tell you how happy I am and looking forward to making another batch later today (buttermilk expires today). Looking forward to trying some of your other recipes. Thank you and God Bless!
Hi Betsy, I’m thankful you’ve found Taste of Southern and happy to hear that your biscuits turned out well for you. Hopefully your comments will encourage someone else to try our recipe as well. Be sure to keep up the good work.
I appreciate your visit and your comments. I hope you’ll stop by for another visit with us… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Hey Steve,
Can’t wait to try your buttermilk buscuits. I have always regretted that my Mama wasn’t able to teach me how to make her biscuits from scratch. She got too old and sick to make them anymore before any of us thought to ask her to teach us. Shame on us kids.
Her yummy biscuits were baking powder buscuits, and she never measured anything. She tried to talk me through it a couple of times without success–hockey pucks. I gave up. It was a waste of good ingredients, not to mention the embarrassment.
I have to tell you my eyes bugged out, my jaw hit the floor, my heart skipped a beat, and utter futility hit me once again when I saw the step with the hand full of unmeassured lard in your hand. Inside I was groanjng, “O noooo, not again!!!”
Thank God I continued to the next step and saw the meassuring cup in your hand! Very funny, Steve! I had to take a break to laugh out loud from relief!
I have to try it. You make it look so easy. I know from personal experience that it is not. But your step by step instructions have encouraged me to get back on my biscuit-making-horse even though many years have passed since my biscuit disasters have occured.
With a grateful heart I thank you and accept this blessing. May God continue to bless you, Steve!!! –Barbara
Hi Barbara, Thank you so much for sharing your story. I do hope you’ll give the Mama’s Buttermilk Biscuits recipe a try. You can make them, and you’ll be happy that you didn’t give up on trying. Just be sure to come back and let me know how they turn out.
I fully accept the “blessing,” and hope that you will stop by for another visit with us… real soon. I’m thankful you found us. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Hello Steve I wanted to thank you for sharing your recipe. My Granny and my Aunt Myrtle made the best biscuits in the world. They taught me when I was little and I could make biscuits by the time I was 12. However I stopped making them because of the big healthy eating movement when I moved up North, now I am back in my homeland and found that while I remembered how to make the biscuits I needed a refresher. The only difference you have here is that you use a small bowl to make them our family always had a Pre-sifted “biscuit bowl” at the ready with 5 pounds of self rising flour in it we just made the biscuits right in the bowl and then scooped out the top layer, anyway, after looking at your pics I jumped right back in there and made my Granny’s biscuits like a pro. Maybe she was watching over me
Thank you
Hi Barbara, Thank You for your compliments. It’s my great pleasure to share the recipes and I’m glad that we could serve as a refresher course for you in Biscuit Making 101. Smile.
I enjoyed your story about the flour and the biscuit bowl. It’s always interesting to learn how other folks did stuff back in the day. I’m sure your Granny and Aunt Myrtle would be happy to know you’re back into biscuit making. Keep up the good work, and share your skills with someone else.
I appreciate your visit and do hope you’ll stop by for another visit with us… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I was searching the internet for a boston butt cooked in the oven and came across your recipe and its cooking in the oven as we speak. I can’t wait. I decided to check the entire web site out, and I see my mamma’s biscuits. Wow I felt like crying. I stated looking at other recipes and it was like speaking with my mother. I will be using this site often.
Hi Jessie, WOW, can you see me smiling? You just made my day!
I’m thankful you found Taste of Southern and can’t wait to hear how you like our Pulled Pork BBQ in the Oven recipe. Please let me know how it turns out.
Thank you for your comment on our Mama’s Buttermilk Biscuit recipe as well. Are you going to give it a try? I hope so. Let’s just hope we make our moms proud… OK?
Thank You again, and I do hope you’ll stop by for another visit with us… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Hooray! A biscuit recipe! This would go great with the recipe for Sausage Gravy. I think I’ll whip them up together, but I have a quick question. Does the baking temperature need to be at 500 degrees? I know it may sound like a silly question when it’s written there in black and white, but my regular oven is temporarily out of commission and all I have is my electric roaster oven and its max temperature is 450 degrees. Based on your expertise, do you think it would still be possible for me to make it with a slightly lowered temperature than what is written here?
Also, I’m with Karen Allen on getting a fried chicken recipe. I’ve always wanted to learn how to make it and you’re just the person I want to teach me how.
🙂
Hi Nicole, You shouldn’t have any problems baking the biscuits at 450º. Just watch them and don’t let them burn, and you’ll be good. The high temperature helps the biscuits to rise quickly once they go into the oven, and they can bake out from there.
Thank you for the compliment about the fried chicken. It’s also on my list and I hope to do it soon. Thank you again, I do hope you’ll visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Do you have a fried chicken recipe. We use to fry chicken after church every sunday ….any suggestions on how ..thanks
Hi Karen, Thank you for your question. I guess I’ve put off adding a recipe for Fried Chicken. Mama had it every Sunday at our house when I was growing up. She would usually start it before she left for church, then finish it up when she got back. I don’t recall that she ever soaked her’s in buttermilk as so many folks seem to do. She would just salt and pepper the chicken, dredge it in flour and then fry it up in a large glass topped electric frying pan during the later years. She sort of alternated between that and the cast iron skillet, but she always made some mighty good chicken in my opinion. It was fried in lard, sometimes Crisco. My mother-in-law always did about the same but she always used the butter flavored Crisco.
I appreciate the recipe request, I’ll try to get one up very soon so keep watching for it… OK? Thank you again for asking and I do hope you’ll visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Glad to find this site! Have always wanted to try making biscuits. Mama’s are ok but always a bit hard, so Bojangle’s has become my biscuit of choice. She uses crisco instead of lard and seems to not have excess flour, I wonder if those could be factors? Will be trying these for sure :)If your recipe’s have been in Our State, they’re bound to be good!
Hi Meghan, BoJangles makes a pretty good biscuit, no doubt about that. I’ve seen copycat recipes of their biscuits that include a spoonful of powdered sugar. Mama put granulated sugar in most of her vegetables, but she never added sugar to her biscuits. Maybe we should try it.
I’ve seen lots of TV folks make biscuits without any leftover flour. I doubt that’s your mom’s problem, and the Crisco should work pretty good if you can’t find lard. She might be over working the dough a bit too much.
I hope you’ll make some soon and come back and let me know what you think. I’ll be waiting to hear from you. Thank you for your visits and do continue to stop by often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve