Grandma Ruby’s Simple Buttermilk Biscuits

Simple Oven Fried Biscuits are comfort food at its best! Once you discover how simple and delicious this recipe is you’ll be making them all of the time, you might even put that little doughboy out of work.

A delicious, slightly tangy biscuit that is light and fluffy on the inside, firm and brown on the outside, with a scrumptious crispy bottom. Serve for breakfast with some sausage gravy or whip up a batch to serve with dinner.

This recipe is ridiculously simple to make. My husbands grandmother taught me how to make them back when we were first married and I have been making them ever since.

I recently realized, when I was putting together my weekly budget friendly meal plan that I have never shared her biscuit recipe. I’m really surprised that I haven’t because I make them all of the time. What makes her biscuits so amazing is not just the love that she put into them but how simple and inexpensive they are to make. My family can’t get enough of them. 

Buttermilk Biscuits

Only 3 ingredients, a little love and a cast iron skillet, this is how they do such amazing biscuits in the south, 

▪ Flour: Self-rising flour, this is what makes these biscuits so darn easy. We’re lucky enough to be able to buy self-rising flour at the store, but grandma use to make it herself, in bulk, probably because she served biscuits at almost every meal.
▪ Liquid: Buttermilk is what gives these biscuits that authentic southern flavor. It has a tangy, buttery flavor, somewhat similar to the taste of sour cream, it’s what makes these the most delicious biscuits you’ll ever have
▪ Fat: I’ve seen grandma use all kinds of different types of fat in her biscuits, lard, bacon fat, shortening. I prefer using shortening, but I have to say the bacon fat does add a really good flavor to the biscuits.

How to Make Buttermilk Biscuits in a Cast Iron Pan

Step 1: Preheat oven to 450°F. Place 2 tablespoons of shortening in a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Place the pan in the very bottom of the oven for 5 minutes.
Step 2: In a large bowl, combine 3 cups of self-rising flour and 1/4 cup of shortening. Using a pastry cutter and working as fast as possible, combine until mixture looks like crumbs.
Step 3: Make a well in the center and add the cold buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. Over working the dough will cause the biscuits to become tough.
Step 4: Lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with flour. Dip a 2-inch biscuit cutter in flour and using the sides of the bowl cut out the biscuit. Place in hot pan.

Step 5: Place pan directly on the bottom of the oven, bake for 10 minutes. Move pan to the center rack of the oven and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until the tops become golden brown.

Variations to the Recipe

For a more buttery flavored biscuit cut in 4 tablespoon of cold butter into the flour before adding the liquid.

For non-buttermilk biscuits, replace the buttermilk with milk. Milk is considerably thinner than buttermilk so you won’t need to use as much.

For cheddar bay biscuits: add 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley, 4 teaspoons of sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of Old Bay seasoning, 1 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup cold cubed butter. Cut the butter into the flour before adding the other ingredients.

Serving Suggestions

These biscuits can be served any time of day. They are great with a little jam, or topped with egg, cheese and sausage, for breakfast. For lunch, they can be topped with your favorite deli meat, some cheese and a little mustard. And of course, for dinner, they are amazing with just a bit of melted butter or used for soaking up gravy.

Tools You’ll Need

▪ Cast Iron Skillet
▪ Mixing Bowl
▪ Measuring Cups
▪ Biscuit Cutter

Storage Instructions

Not that there will be any leftover, but in case there are place them in  an air-tight container or a Ziploc bag. They will keep for about 2-3 days.

What is your favorite way to eat buttermilk biscuits?

5.0 from 3 reviews

Cast Iron Oven Fried Biscuits

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

A simple, delicious, slightly tangy biscuit that is light and fluffy on the inside, firm and brown on the outside, with a scrumptious crispy bottom.

Author: Robin | Fluster Buster

Recipe type: Side Dish

Yields: 8 biscuits

Ingredients

• 3 cups self-rising flour
• 6 tablespoons shortening
• 1½ cups buttermilk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Place 2 tablespoons of shortening in a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Place the pan in the very bottom of the oven for 5 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine 3 cups of self-rising flour and ¼ cup of shortening. Using a pastry cutter and working as fast as possible, combine until mixture looks like crumbs.
3. Make a well in the center and add the cold buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. Over working the dough will cause the biscuits to become tough.
4. Lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with flour. Dip a 2-inch biscuit cutter in flour and using the sides of the bowl cut out the biscuit. Place in hot pan.
5. Place pan directly on the bottom of the oven, bake for 10 minutes. Move pan to the center rack of the oven and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until the tops become golden brown.

3.5.3251

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Tips

✔ How to Make Self-Rising Flour: In a small bowl thoroughly whisk together, 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Make it in bulk to use it in your favorite southern recipes or recipes that call for self-rising flour.
✔ How to Make Buttermilk: In a small bowl mix together 1 cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar. Use the thickened milk and curds just like you would buttermilk.
✔ To brown the tops of the biscuits brush with a little melted butter.
✔ Avoid overworking the dough it will lead to your biscuits being tough.

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About the Author

Robin
A mother to three amazing boy, wife to an incredible husband and a former finance manager who traded in her spreadsheets for cookie sheets. I blog about things that make life a little more fun, a bit more manageable, slightly prettier, a great deal tastier and considerably cheaper.

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