Buttermilk Biscuits with Fried Apples (3-Ingredient Biscuits)
Tall, light, fluffy buttermilk biscuits made with just three ingredients: self-rising flour, cold butter, and buttermilk. Baked in a buttered iron skillet at 450°F, no rolling pin needed.
Serve them hot with a spoonful of cinnamon fried apples on top. About 45 minutes start to finish, and this is the recipe that finally worked for me after years of hard, tough biscuits.
The Biscuit I Couldn’t Make
This is the recipe that started it all here at Mary Katherine’s Table. It was one of the very first videos we ever posted, and I’m making it again for everybody who has joined us since then.
Here’s the honest truth: for years, I could not make a biscuit. They were dry. They were hard. They were tough. They just weren’t the light, fluffy biscuits I grew up eating. And I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong, because I was a really good cook and a really good baker. I just could not make biscuits.
I have watched women make biscuits without measuring a single thing, and it is such a fascinating process. But for a lot of us these days, I think we need measurements. That’s what this recipe does. It takes the methods those women used and puts them into something you and I can follow in our own kitchens.
Looking back, I think my problem was two things: too much liquid, and too much mixing. Both make a biscuit heavy and tough. Once I learned to add the buttermilk slowly and stop stirring the minute the dough comes together, everything changed.
If you saw the original video, there’s one thing I’m doing differently this time. I bumped the oven from 410°F up to 450°F. They cook quicker, they rise faster, and they stay lighter and fluffier with that higher heat. I know some people go all the way to 500°F. I’m a little scared to do that, but 450°F has been just right.
And since it’s apple season, I’m frying up a skillet of Granny Smith apples in butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon to spoon right on top. A hot biscuit with a little butter and fried apples is one of my daddy’s favorite breakfasts, and I think it’s going to be one of yours too.
Buttermilk Biscuits
Makes about 18 biscuits. Prep 20 minutes, bake 12 minutes.
Ingredients
- 4 cups self-rising flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) cold butter
- 2 to 2 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon butter, for the skillet
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted, for brushing the tops
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Put about 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch iron skillet and set it aside. You’ll melt it in the oven right before the biscuits go in.
- Measure the flour. Lightly spoon the self-rising flour into a measuring cup and level it off. Don’t pack it or scoop it. You want a loose 4 cups. Pour into a large bowl.
- Grate the cold butter directly into the flour using a hand grater. (You can freeze the butter for a few minutes first to make this easier.) Sprinkle a little flour over the grated butter so the pieces separate, then stir until the butter is evenly distributed through the flour.
- Add the buttermilk slowly. Start with 2 cups and stir gently just until the flour is moistened. If you still see dry flour, drizzle in a little more, a splash at a time, up to about 2 1/2 cups. Stop stirring the moment the dough comes together and there’s hardly any dry flour left. Do not overmix.
- Turn out and fold. Sprinkle flour on a clean counter and turn the dough out onto it. Sprinkle a little more flour on top and pat the dough down. Fold it over on itself and turn it about 3 or 4 times, adding a little flour underneath or on top if it gets sticky. This creates the layers.
- Pat, don’t roll. Using just your hands, press the dough out to about 1 inch thick. Leave it thick. They’ll rise beautifully in the oven.
- Cut the biscuits. Dip a biscuit cutter in flour and press straight down. Don’t twist. Twisting seals the edges and keeps them from rising. Cut as close together as you can. Gather the scraps, pat them out, and cut again.
- Melt the butter in the skillet. Put the skillet with the tablespoon of butter in the hot oven for about 2 minutes, just until the butter melts. Swirl to coat the bottom.
- Arrange the biscuits in the skillet, starting with one in the center. Leave just a touch of space between them. They’ll rise up instead of out, and they’ll fill in that space as they bake.
- Bake at 450°F for 10 to 13 minutes, until the tops are golden. Set your timer for 10 and check. Mine took 12 1/2 minutes.
- Brush with melted butter while they’re hot so it soaks right in.
Fried Apples
Serves 6. Prep 10 minutes, cook 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- 6 small Granny Smith apples (or 3 to 4 large), peeled and sliced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Slice the apples. Peel and core the apples, then slice them. (An apple slicer makes quick work of this. You can leave the peels on if you prefer.) Toss the slices with the lemon juice to keep them from browning and to balance the sweetness.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
- Add the sugars. Sprinkle in the granulated sugar and the packed brown sugar. Stir with the butter until the sugars dissolve and start to caramelize.
- Add the cinnamon and salt. Stir and let it go for about 30 seconds to a minute.
- Add the apples. Stir to coat, then cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring along the way, until the apples are fork-tender and coated in that caramel mixture. The sauce will loosen and liquefy as it cooks. That’s exactly what it’s supposed to do.
- Serve warm over a split, buttered biscuit.
My Tips for the Best Biscuits
- Cold butter, grated. This is the easiest way I’ve found to get butter evenly into the flour without overworking it. A pastry cutter works too.
- Add the buttermilk slowly. Too much liquid makes the dough heavy and keeps the biscuits from rising. Cup measurements of flour vary a little every time, so your liquid will too.
- Stop mixing early. This is what I was doing wrong all those years. Overmixing makes them tough.
- Fold a few times, then pat. No rolling pin needed. Folding gives you those pretty layers.
- Press straight down with the cutter. Twisting seals the edges.
- Hotter oven. 450°F cooks them faster and keeps them lighter than the 410°F I used to use.
- A little space between biscuits. They rise up instead of out, and they stay nice and round. If you like them touching, that works too. It’s a preference.
- No iron skillet? No problem. Bake them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. You can skip the butter on the bottom.
- Freeze the extras. Cut them out, flash freeze on a sheet pan for about an hour (don’t let them touch), then move them to a freezer bag. They keep 2 to 3 months and bake straight from frozen. Just add a few extra minutes. Perfect for a small household.
FAQ
Why are my homemade biscuits hard and tough? Almost always it’s one of two things: too much liquid or too much mixing. Add the buttermilk slowly and stop stirring as soon as the dough comes together. Twisting the biscuit cutter can also seal the edges and keep them from rising.
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of self-rising flour for biscuits? Yes. Self-rising flour already has the leavening and salt mixed in. If you use all-purpose, you’ll need to add baking powder and salt. About 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt per cup of flour is the standard rule.
What can I use if I don’t have buttermilk? Regular milk (what we call sweet milk here in the South) with a little vinegar. For each cup of milk, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of white vinegar and let it sit about 5 minutes. It’ll curdle just like buttermilk.
Why do you grate the butter for biscuits? Grating cold butter gives you small, even pieces that mix into the flour easily without warming up. Those little pockets of butter melt in the oven and help the biscuits rise light and flaky.
What temperature should I bake biscuits at? I bake these at 450°F for 10 to 13 minutes. The higher heat makes them rise faster and stay lighter. I used to bake at 410°F, and 450°F is a real improvement.
How thick should biscuit dough be before cutting? About 1 inch. Leave it thicker than you think. They’ll rise beautifully.
Do I have to bake biscuits in a cast iron skillet? No. A sheet pan lined with parchment paper works just fine. I like the buttered iron skillet because it gives you a little crispness on the bottom, but I bake them on a sheet pan often.
Can I freeze homemade biscuit dough? Yes. Cut the biscuits out, flash freeze them on a sheet pan for about an hour, then transfer to a freezer bag. They keep 2 to 3 months. Bake from frozen, no need to thaw, and add a few extra minutes.
What kind of apples are best for fried apples? Granny Smith. They hold their shape and their tartness balances the sugar. Any firm, tart apple will work.
Can fried apples be made ahead and reheated? Yes. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheat gently in a skillet or the microwave. They’re also good over pancakes, oatmeal, pork chops, or vanilla ice cream.
Give This One a Try
I know some of you saw that original biscuit video, but we haven’t done a bona fide three-ingredient buttermilk biscuit since then. If you’ve come on board since that time, I hope you’ll make this one, because I know you can do it. I have confidence in you.
If you love a good biscuit, take a look at our Cinnamon & Blueberry Biscuits and Garlic Cheese Drop Biscuits. And while the apples are good this fall, you might also like our Fresh Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze and Apple Crisp.
Thank you so much for joining me at Mary Katherine’s Table. And remember to go out today and find somebody who needs a little bit of kindness and give them some of yours.
Buttermilk Biscuits (3 Ingredients)
Ingredients
Biscuits
- 4 cups self-rising flour spooned and leveled
- 1/2 cup cold butter 1 stick, grated
- 2-2 1/2 cups buttermilk add slowly
- 1 tablespoon butter for the iron skillet
- 1 tablespoon butter melted, for brushing the tops
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Put 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch iron skillet and set aside.
- Lightly spoon the self-rising flour into a measuring cup and level it off. Don’t pack it. Pour into a large bowl.
- Grate the cold butter directly into the flour with a hand grater. Sprinkle a little flour over the butter to separate the pieces, then stir until evenly distributed.
- Add 2 cups of buttermilk and stir gently just until the flour is moistened. If dry flour remains, drizzle in more a splash at a time, up to 2 1/2 cups. Stop stirring as soon as the dough comes together. Do not overmix.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured counter. Sprinkle flour on top and pat down. Fold the dough over and turn it 3 to 4 times, flouring as needed, to create layers.
- Using your hands (no rolling pin), press the dough to about 1 inch thick.
- Dip a biscuit cutter in flour and press straight down without twisting. Cut biscuits as close together as possible. Gather scraps, pat out, and cut again.
- Place the skillet in the hot oven for about 2 minutes until the butter melts. Swirl to coat the bottom.
- Arrange the biscuits in the skillet, starting with one in the center, leaving a touch of space between them.
- Bake at 450°F for 10 to 13 minutes until golden on top (about 12 1/2 minutes in my oven).
- Brush the hot biscuits with melted butter.
Video
Notes
- Buttermilk substitute: For each cup of regular milk, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons white vinegar and let sit 5 minutes.
- No iron skillet? Bake on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Skip the butter on the bottom.
- Freeze extras: Cut out, flash freeze on a sheet pan for 1 hour without touching, then move to a freezer bag. Keeps 2 to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes.
- Why 450°F: The higher heat makes them rise faster and stay lighter than the 410°F in my original video.
- Don’t twist the cutter — it seals the edges and keeps the biscuits from rising.
Southern Fried Apples
Ingredients
- 6 small Granny Smith apples or 3 to 4 large, peeled and sliced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Peel, core, and slice the apples. Toss with the lemon juice.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
- Sprinkle in the granulated sugar and packed brown sugar. Stir until the sugars dissolve and begin to caramelize.
- Stir in the cinnamon and salt. Cook about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add the apples and stir to coat. Cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are fork-tender and coated in the caramel sauce.
- Serve warm over split, buttered biscuits.
Video
Notes
- Apples: Granny Smith hold their shape and their tartness balances the sugar. Any firm, tart apple works. Peels can stay on if you prefer.
- Lemon juice keeps the apples from browning and adds a little balance to the sweetness.
- Make ahead: Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat gently in a skillet or microwave.
- Also good over pancakes, oatmeal, pork chops, or vanilla ice cream.
