Homemade southern biscuits are made with just four ingredients and bake up buttery, flaky, and delicious in about 15 minutes.

This easy homemade biscuits recipe is perfect for serving with any meal and would make your grandmother proud.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. If you make a purchase, this site may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Biscuits often bring to mind an apron-clad grandmother rolling dough in a warm kitchen—bacon sizzling on the stove, the scent of fresh bread filling the air. While canned biscuits offer convenience, nothing beats the tender, flaky texture of a homemade biscuit made from scratch.

With only four ingredients and a short bake time, these southern-style biscuits are quick to prepare and deliver buttery layers and a golden crust. They’re ideal for breakfast, a comforting dinner side, or even a simple dessert topped with fruit and whipped cream.

More Simple Breakfast Recipes:

• Glazed Cinnamon Sugar Drop Biscuits
• Fluffy Pancakes Made with Self-Rising Flour
• Easy Homemade Blueberry Biscuits
• 30 Minute Cinnamon Rolls
• The Best Bisquick Biscuits
• Easy 7-Up Biscuits
• Appalachian Cathead Biscuits
• Air Fryer French Toast Sticks
• Pone Bread (Skillet Biscuit Bread)
• Bisquick Strawberry Biscuits

Southern Homemade Biscuits

Making biscuits from scratch is easier than most people think—and you likely already have everything you need in your pantry. This simple southern biscuit recipe uses only self-rising flour, milk, sour cream, and butter. No sugar, no fuss, and no need to wrestle with a can.

These biscuits are perfect spread with butter, jam, or apple butter, and they pair wonderfully with sausage gravy or a pot of chicken and dumplings. For a sweet twist, top one with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

The Secrets To Easy Homemade Biscuits

After testing and tweaking recipes, a few simple techniques consistently yield tender, layered biscuits. These tips will help you get the best results every time:

• Use cold ingredients – Keep milk and sour cream chilled and use cold butter. Cold ingredients help create flaky layers.
• Grate the butter – Grating cold butter makes it easy to distribute evenly through the flour without overworking the dough.
• Don’t overmix – Stir until ingredients are just combined; a slightly lumpy dough is fine. Overworking produces tough biscuits.
• Mix by hand – Hand mixing gives you more control. A pastry cutter, fork, or even clean hands work well.
• Limit extra flour – Use only a light dusting when handling the dough so the biscuits remain tender.
• Use cast iron – A cast iron skillet with a little melted butter creates delightfully crisp bottoms.
• Embrace sour cream – Sour cream adds richness, moisture, and tender crumb—often better than buttermilk for these biscuits.

How to Make Biscuits with Sour Cream

These southern biscuits come together quickly. Below is a clear overview of ingredients and steps so you can make them with confidence.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

• 1 cup milk (whole or 2%)
• 1/4 cup full-fat sour cream
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

How to Make this Easy Biscuit Recipe:

(Full printable recipe is available below)

Prepare the dry mix. Add self-rising flour to a large bowl.

Grate and cut in the butter. Grate 3/4 cup cold butter with a box grater and toss into the flour. Use a pastry cutter or fork to blend until the pieces resemble coarse crumbs the size of peas.

Combine the wet ingredients. Whisk milk and sour cream until smooth, then stir the mixture into the flour with a wooden spoon until a slightly wet, sticky dough forms.

Form the biscuits. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough over itself 3–4 times using a bench scraper or your hands, then press to about 1-inch thickness. Lightly dust with flour only as needed to keep the dough manageable. Use a floured biscuit cutter to stamp rounds, pressing straight down without twisting. Recombine scraps and repeat until all dough is used.

Bake the biscuits. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to a cast iron skillet and melt while preheating the oven to 450°F. Arrange the biscuits in the melted butter so they touch, then bake for 14–16 minutes until golden brown on top. Serve warm.

Enjoy warm biscuits fresh from the oven with your favorite spread.

Notes and Adaptations:

• If you don’t have sour cream, substitute 1 1/4 cups buttermilk for the milk and sour cream combination.
• If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can make a substitute by combining all-purpose flour with baking powder and salt to mimic self-rising flour.
• A cast iron skillet creates crisp, buttery bottoms, but you can bake the biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet if preferred.
• A 2.5-inch cutter yields about 8 biscuits; adjust expectations based on the cutter size you use.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container or freeze cooled biscuits in a freezer bag for longer storage.

Yield: Approx. 8-10 Biscuits

Easy Homemade Biscuits

These fluffy, buttery biscuits are perfect for breakfast or as a side dish with dinner.

Prep Time
10 minutes

Cook Time
14 minutes

Total Time
24 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 3/4 cup + 2 TBSP unsalted butter, divided

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Whisk together milk and sour cream until smooth; set aside.
3. Add flour to a mixing bowl. Grate 3/4 cup cold butter and toss into the flour. Cut the butter into the flour until pieces are pea-sized.
4. Stir the milk mixture into the flour with a wooden spoon until just combined; the dough will be slightly wet and sticky.
5. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to a cast iron skillet and place it in the oven to melt while you cut the biscuits.
6. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Fold it over itself 3–4 times, handling it as little as possible, then pat to 1-inch thickness.
7. Dip a biscuit cutter in flour and press straight down (no twisting) to cut biscuits. Recombine scraps and repeat.
8. Carefully remove the preheated skillet and swirl to coat the bottom with melted butter. Place biscuits in the skillet so they touch, then return to the oven.
9. Bake 14–16 minutes, until golden brown on top. Remove and serve warm.

Notes

• Substitute 1 1/4 cups buttermilk if sour cream is not available.
• For crisp bottoms, bake in a cast iron skillet; a parchment-lined baking sheet also works.
• Using a 2.5-inch cutter yields about 8 biscuits; adjust for different cutter sizes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 166
Total Fat: 5g
Saturated Fat: 3g
Sodium: 390mg
Carbohydrates: 25g
Protein: 4g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.