Flaky Southern Biscuits with Jam and Butter

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

• Yield: 8 biscuits, 8 servings
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes, including 10 minutes chilling

Quick Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup very cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 3/4 cup cold full-fat buttermilk, plus 1 tablespoon if needed
• 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, for brushing
• 4 tablespoons salted butter, softened, for serving
• 1/2 cup fruit jam, such as strawberry, blackberry, peach, or raspberry

Do This

• 1. Heat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• 2. Whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.
• 3. Cut in cold butter until the mixture has pea-size pieces and flat flakes of butter.
• 4. Stir in cold buttermilk just until a shaggy dough forms; do not overmix.
• 5. Pat, fold, and pat again 3 times, then shape dough to 3/4-inch thickness.
• 6. Cut 8 biscuits, chill 10 minutes, then bake 13 to 15 minutes until tall and golden.
• 7. Brush hot biscuits with melted butter, split warm, and serve with softened butter and jam.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Tender and flaky: Cold butter, buttermilk, and a simple folding method create lofty layers without fuss.
• Classic Southern comfort: Warm biscuits with butter and fruit jam are simple, familiar, and deeply satisfying.
• Made with pantry basics: You only need flour, leavening, butter, buttermilk, and your favorite jam.
• Perfect for breakfast or brunch: Serve them with coffee, eggs, bacon, fruit, or a quiet weekend morning.

Grocery List

• Produce: Fresh berries or sliced peaches for serving, optional
• Dairy: Unsalted butter, salted butter, full-fat buttermilk
• Pantry: All-purpose flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, fine sea salt, baking soda, fruit jam such as strawberry, blackberry, peach, raspberry, or fig

Full Ingredients

For the Buttermilk Biscuits

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus 2 tablespoons more for dusting the work surface
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, very cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3/4 cup cold full-fat buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon additional cold buttermilk, only if the dough is too dry

For Finishing

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, for brushing the hot biscuits

For Serving

• 4 tablespoons salted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup fruit jam, such as strawberry, blackberry, peach, raspberry, blueberry, or fig

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Heat the oven and prepare the pan

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. If your kitchen is warm, place the cubed butter in the freezer for 10 minutes while you measure the dry ingredients. Cold butter is one of the main secrets to tall, flaky biscuits.

Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. Whisk for about 20 seconds so the leavening is evenly distributed. This helps the biscuits rise evenly instead of forming dense or uneven pockets.

Step 3: Cut in the cold butter

Add the cold cubed butter to the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips to work the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with a mix of pea-size pieces and thin, flat flakes of butter. This should take about 2 to 3 minutes. Do not fully blend the butter into the flour; visible pieces of butter create steam in the oven, which forms those tender, flaky layers.

Step 4: Add the buttermilk and make a shaggy dough

Pour in 3/4 cup cold buttermilk. Use a fork or flexible spatula to gently stir just until the dough begins to clump together. The mixture should look shaggy, slightly floury, and uneven rather than smooth. If there are many dry patches at the bottom of the bowl, drizzle in up to 1 tablespoon additional cold buttermilk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the dough barely holds together.

Step 5: Fold the dough for flaky layers

Lightly flour a clean work surface with about 1 tablespoon flour. Turn the dough out onto the surface and gently gather it into a rough rectangle. Pat it to about 1 inch thick, then fold it in half like a book. Rotate the dough 90 degrees, pat it out again, and fold it in half. Repeat this pat-and-fold process 3 total times. Keep a light touch; pressing too hard can make the biscuits tough.

Step 6: Cut the biscuits

Pat the folded dough into a rectangle or round about 3/4 inch thick. Use a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut straight down through the dough. Do not twist the cutter, because twisting seals the edges and can prevent the biscuits from rising tall. Gather scraps gently, pat them together once, and cut more biscuits. You should have 8 biscuits.

Step 7: Chill briefly, then bake

Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. For soft sides, arrange them close together so they are just touching. For crisper edges, leave about 1 inch between each biscuit. Chill the pan in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Bake at 425°F for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are puffed, golden on top, and lightly browned on the bottom.

Step 8: Brush, split, and serve warm

As soon as the biscuits come out of the oven, brush the tops with 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter. Let them rest for 3 minutes, then split each warm biscuit with your fingers or a fork. Spread each biscuit with softened salted butter and spoon on a generous layer of fruit jam. Serve immediately while the centers are tender, steamy, and warm enough to melt the butter.

Pro Tips

• Keep everything cold: Cold butter and cold buttermilk create steam in the oven, which gives biscuits their signature lift and flaky texture.
• Use a light hand: Stir only until the dough comes together. Overmixing develops gluten and can make biscuits tough.
• Do not twist the cutter: Press straight down and lift straight up for clean edges and the tallest rise.
• Place biscuits close together for height: Biscuits that touch slightly help support each other as they rise.
• Serve them warm: These biscuits are at their best when split open just after baking, with butter melting into the tender crumb.

Variations

• Honey butter biscuits: Mix 4 tablespoons softened salted butter with 1 tablespoon honey and a pinch of salt, then spread over warm biscuits before adding jam.
• Berry breakfast biscuits: Serve with strawberry or blackberry jam and a few fresh berries tucked into the split biscuit for a brighter brunch plate.
• Peach jam and cream biscuits: Add a spoonful of peach jam and a small dollop of lightly whipped cream for a shortcake-style treat.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Biscuits are best the day they are baked, especially when served warm with butter and jam. Store leftover biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 6 to 8 minutes, or split and toast them lightly before serving. To freeze, place fully cooled biscuits in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen in a 350°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes. For make-ahead biscuits, cut the unbaked biscuits, freeze them on a tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen at 425°F for 16 to 19 minutes, adding a few extra minutes as needed.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate nutrition per 1 biscuit with 1 1/2 teaspoons salted butter and 1 tablespoon jam: 285 calories, 14 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 35 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 10 g sugar, 5 g protein, and 420 mg sodium. Nutrition will vary depending on the brand of butter, buttermilk, and jam used.