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An easy biscuit recipe doesn’t always translate to a really good biscuit. But this one, which has gone through the testing gauntlet, is both. My priority is always quality. Ease is a nice bonus, but if the recipe isn’t as perfect as can be, it doesn’t get published. Which is why I love this recipe so much. It’s an easy recipe for a large batch of biscuits, and you don’t sacrifice on flavor or texture. They come out with a golden, crisp top and soft, plush centers that you can peel off layer by layer. Truly, I can’t think of anything better than these buttery biscuits.
Biscuits for the Masses!
One thing I love about this recipe is you can make a half batch (serves 8) or a whole batch (serves 16) and the biscuits come out exactly the same. For a half batch, you’ll need an 1/8-sheet pan, and for a full batch you’ll need a 1/4-sheet pan.
Why Sheet Pan Biscuits
Biscuit rule #1 is don’t over work the dough. An overworked dough = a tough biscuit. So if you’re cutting out biscuits with a round cutter, then re-rolling and cutting the scraps, you’ll end up with a handful of overworked hockey puck biscuits. One way to avoid this is to just cut the dough into squares to avoid having scraps, which I do in my Cheese Biscuits and this sheet pan recipe.
The other benefit of sheet pan biscuits is they’re softer. They have a crisp top, but the sides stay just as soft and tender as the insides. So it simply depends on what you’re looking for. Want crisp, nearly fried edges all around? Make my Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits. Want soft, pillowy biscuits perfect for a breakfast sandwich, stay on this easy biscuit recipe.
Let’s Walk Through the Easy Process
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.
- Grate the frozen butter using a large-hole grater.
- Add the grated butter to the flour mixture and toss to combine. All of the butter should be evenly coated in flour and evenly distributed.
- Make a well in the flour mixture, then add the buttermilk and gently mix until a shaggy dough comes together.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and lightly press to bring together.
- Form into a thick rectangle (size of rectangle will depends on batch size you’re making). Fold the dough into thirds onto itself, like a letter, then pat back into a thick rectangle.
- Repeat the folding and shaping twice more.
- Roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment to fit the sheet pan you’re using (either an ⅛ or ¼ sheet pan). Transfer dough to sheet pan and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Cut the dough, in the sheet pan, into squares. Brush with buttermilk, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and bake until puffed and deeply golden brown on top.
Folding Biscuit Dough
The key with buttermilk biscuits is to achieve layers of butter. To do this, you’ll use a very abbreviated version of lamination (used in pastry making for things like croissants).
This process will form layers of butter and dough, creating a biscuit you can peel layer by layer.
Laid out in the steps above, you’ll pat the dough into a rough rectangle and fold the dough in on itself, in thirds, like a letter. It doesn’t have to be perfect! You’ll repeat the process twice more before you roll it out and transfer it to the pan.
Tips for Making Sheet Pan Biscuits
- Prior to using the butter, pop it in the freezer. Using very cold butter will allow you to evenly disperse the butter into the dough without it melting (the enemy of flakiness!).
- Avoid working the dough too much. The dough should be fairly shaggy with pockets of dry flour prior to dumping it out onto the work surface and forming it. As you form, fold and form it again, the dough will come together.
Sheet Pan Biscuits (quarter sheet pan)
Description
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Ingredients
- 24 tablespoons (3 sticks; 340g) unsalted butter, frozen
- 5 cups (625g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (28g) baking powder
- 4 teaspoons (18g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon (10g) kosher salt
- 1¾ cups (402g) cold buttermilk + more for brushing
- 2 teaspoons flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Line a ¼ sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, combine 5 cups (624g) all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons salt and 4 teaspoons sugar.
- Grate 24 tablespoons butter on a large hole grater.
- Add shredded butter to flour mixture and lightly mix with fingers until combined and butter pieces are completely coated in flour.
- Form a well in center of flour butter-mixture; pour 1¾ cups (408g) buttermilk into well. Using a spoon, mix dough gently until a shaggy dough comes together.
- Transfer dough to a work surface and lightly press dough into a rough/shaggy 8✕12-inch rectangle (about 1-inch thick)
- Fold rectangle into thirds (like a letter) and press down into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Repeat folding and pressing twice more.
- Roll dough out between pieces of parchment paper into an 11 ½ x8-inch rectangle. Using a bench scraper, transfer to prepared sheet pan; press into pan to reach edges. Transfer to fridge and chill 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, heat oven to 400ºF (204ºC) with racks set in middle and lowest positions.
- Cut biscuit dough, in the pan, into 8 even pieces. Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons flaky sea salt.
- Transfer biscuits to middle rack and place a ½ sheet pan below on lowest rack to catch any butter drippings. Bake biscuits until tops are golden brown and crisp, 31–34 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on sheet 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
- 12 tablespoons (170g) unsalted butter, frozen
- 2 ½ cups (312g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (14g) baking powder
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (204g) cold buttermilk + more for brushing
- 1 teaspoon flaky salt
- Line a ⅛ sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, combine 2 ½ cups (312g) all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar.
- Grate 12 tablespoons butter on a large hole grater.
- Add shredded butter to flour mixture and lightly mix with fingers until combined and butter pieces are completely coated in flour.
- Form a well in center of flour butter-mixture; pour ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (204g) cold buttermilk into well. Using a spoon, mix dough gently until a shaggy dough comes together.
- Transfer dough to a work surface and lightly press dough into a rough/shaggy 8✕5-inch rectangle (about 1-inch thick)
- Fold rectangle into thirds (like a letter) and press down into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Repeat folding and pressing twice more.
- Roll dough out between pieces of parchment paper into an 8×5-inch rectangle. Transfer to prepared sheet pan; press into pan to reach edges. Transfer to fridge and chill 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, heat oven to 400ºF (204ºC) with racks set in middle and lowest positions.
- Cut biscuit dough, in the pan, into 8 even pieces. Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt.
- Transfer biscuits to middle rack and place a ½ sheet pan below on lowest rack to catch any butter drippings. Bake biscuits until tops are golden brown and crisp, 30–33 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on sheet 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
