Homemade Biscuits

Biscuits are a table staple. It is not uncommon to find biscuits on the breakfast, lunch and dinner table. This recipe will show you how to make your own homemade biscuits without milk!

Love biscuits but don't have any milk?

You're in luck! This recipe is for homemade biscuits without milk. It's a little different from the traditional recipe, but it tastes just as good and can be made with ingredients that are easy to find. Give this one a try!

These fluffy, buttery biscuits will fill your stomach and warm your soul on cold winter mornings or when you need something comforting to eat. They go well with eggs, bacon, ham or sausage for breakfast and they're a delicious side dish to any meal. Some people think that biscuits can only be made from scratch using milk but this is not true!

This recipe is an adaptation of the classic buttermilk recipe, but tweaked for people like me, who's kids drink all the milk!

This easy homemade biscuits recipe is dedicated to tweaking.

Jump to:

• Tips + Tricks
• Key Ingredients
• How To Make Biscuits Without Milk
• No Food Processor? No Problem!
• Round Or Square?
• Make Ahead Biscuits
• Batch + Storage Information
• Variations + Substitutions
• Recommended Equipment
• 📖 Printable Recipe

Tips + Tricks

No. 1 --> Keep your butter cold. It's the most important part of this process. Cold butter actually steams inside the buns creating that irresistible flaky texture you just can't beat!

No. 2 --> To help keep the butter nice and cold, we're using ice cold water. This is important, as handling the dough with warm hands will start to melt the butter, and we can mitigate some of that by using super cold water.

No. 3 --> Flaky layers are the direct result of the pat and fold technique. Avoid using a rolling pin if possible! Pat the biscuit dough into a rectangle, fold the short sides into the center, then repeat.

Key Ingredients

All purpose flour: All purpose flour is the main ingredient in biscuits because it's got less protein than bread flour, which helps the dough to develop a softer, more tender texture.

Butter: Butter is used in biscuit recipes because it contributes a rich flavor and helps maintain the dough's moisture. Butter also provides fat, which is necessary to give the biscuits a tender texture.

Baking powder: Baking powder acts as a raising agent in biscuits, helping them to turn out fluffy and rise higher. Baking powder also adds some flavor, but it will not make the biscuits taste salty or sour.

Salt: Salt is an important ingredient in biscuit dough because it adds flavor and also affects how well the baking powder works to produce a fluffy texture and rise. Salt also gives your biscuits a savory taste without adding any buttery flavors.

How To Make Biscuits Without Milk

MAKE THE DOUGH:

1. Combine 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the bowl of your food processor. Add 1/2 cup cold, cubed butter and pulse 5 - 8 times, until the mixture starts to look coarse and crumbly. See below for manual directions.
2. Add 3/4 cup cold water and pulse another 5-8 times - avoid over-mixing here!

FORM THE DOUGH:

1. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and press the dough together. Knead slightly, if required, but the dough should be somewhat dry and crumbly, you're just folding it onto itself until it's mostly in one piece.
2. Press the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Fold the dough into thirds, short edges into the middle. Rotate a quarter turn, press the dough into a rectangle and fold again.
3. Cut the biscuits as desired. I prefer square but you may prefer round.

BAKE THE DOUGH

1. Gently transfer the biscuits to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pop the biscuits in the fridge for 20-30 minutes while the oven preheats.
2. Preheat oven to 425f.
3. Once the oven has reached the temperature, remove the biscuits and bake them on the second from the top rack at 425f for 15-20 minutes, or until golden. I like to bake mine for 15 minutes, then brush with butter, then bake another 5 or so minutes until the tops are golden brown.
4. Serve warm!

No Food Processor? No Problem!

If you don't have a food processor, don't fear! This recipe comes together beautifully by hand as well.

Simply cutting the butter into the flour using a pastry blender, two knives, or forks.

It's going to take longer, but it is the old-fashioned way!

Round Or Square?

I'm gonna catch some flack for this from the round biscuit crowd, but I believe in cutting my biscuits square. There are so many reasons to bake square biscuits, and none of them (except the last one is due to laziness!)

Cutting round biscuits means off-cut dough that must be re-worked before being cut. The more you work biscuit dough, the less likely it is to be flaky and beautifully layered.

Squared-off biscuits make better sandwiches, and increased real estate for whatever you're slathering on it; be it whipped honey butter, gravy, or a fried egg and bacon.

It's actually quicker and less work to cut a rectangle into smaller rectangles. Gotta hit the easy button whenever you can!

Make Ahead Biscuits

This recipe is easily adaptable to make ahead biscuits.

Instead of chilling the biscuits in the fridge while the oven preheats, place them in the freezer and allow them to freeze for 2-3 hours, or until solid. Transfer the frozen biscuits to a freezer-friendly airtight container or freezer ziplock bag.

Your frozen biscuit dough should be used within 2-3 months for best results.

To bake the frozen biscuits, remove them from the freezer and allow them to thaw on a parchment-lined baking sheet while the oven preheats. You'll need to tack on a few extra minutes of bake time.

Batch + Storage Information

Batch:

This easy homemade no milk biscuit recipe makes 8 beautiful biscuits. This recipe can be easily doubled or halved. If halving, use 6 tablespoons of ice-cold water!

Storage:

Biscuits are best enjoyed fresh and warm, but they can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

If you've got way too many biscuits (As if that's possible!), they can be placed in a single layer on a cookie sheet in the freezer for 2-3 hours until completely frozen. Transfer the frozen biscuits to an airtight bag or container for up to 3 months.

Variations + Substitutions

• Most biscuits are made with milk or buttermilk, so the water can easily be subbed for milk.
• Add a tablespoon of sugar for a sweeter, breakfast biscuit.
• Add some fresh chopped herbs or spices to your dough before baking for a savory treat.
• Whole wheat biscuits: substitute up to 1 cup of all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.
• Dairy free biscuits: sub the butter for cold shortening - I have not tested this personally, but I do believe it will work!

Recommended Equipment

Food processor: I have a Cuisinart Food Processor that is probably 10 years old, and it's a total workhorse! This unit is great for grinding up jalapeno salt, shredding pounds and pounds of cheese, whipping up hot chocolate mix, and even making biscuit dough.

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