Old Fashioned Soda Biscuits Recipe | CDKitchen.com (2024)

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These old-fashioned buttermilk biscuits are ready in a jiffy, perfect for dipping in heavy sausage gravy or mopping up runny eggs on a big, All-American breakfast plate.

Old Fashioned Soda Biscuits Recipe | CDKitchen.com (1)


serves/makes:

ready in:

under 30 minutes

16 reviews
1 comment


ingredients

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons shortening
3/4 cup buttermilk (see note)

directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Sift the flour then measure it to yield 2 cups. Sift it again with the baking soda and salt into a mixing bowl.

Add the shortening and using a pastry cutter or fork, work the shortening into the flour to form a crumbly dough.

Make a well in the center of the dough and pour in most of the buttermilk (reserve a couple of tablespoons). Stir the mixture to form a soft dough. If needed, add the remaining buttermilk to form a soft dough.

Place the biscuit dough on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with flour. Knead the dough 5 or 6 times, no more.

Pat the dough out into a 1/2-inch thick round. Cut the dough with round biscuit cutters and place on an ungreased baking sheet.

Place the biscuits in the oven and bake at 425 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

cook's notes

If you do not have buttermilk, you can make sour milk by adding 4 tablespoons vinegar to 3/4 cup of milk.

recipe tips


Do not overwork the dough to keep the biscuits light and fluffy.

For a golden crust, brush the biscuits with melted butter or milk before baking.

Space the biscuits about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

Serve the biscuits warm for the best flavor and texture.

Try adding herbs or cheese to the dough for a more savory flavor.

For a layered effect, fold the dough over a few times before cutting.

Use a sharp biscuit cutter and do not twist it to make sure the biscuits rise properly.

If you don't have a biscuit cutter, a round glass or cup can be used.

Serve with gravy, jam, or honey for a traditional Southern breakfast.

Always preheat the oven for the best baking results.

common recipe questions


Is there a substitute for shortening?

Butter or lard can be used as alternatives, but they may change the flavor and texture.

Can I make these biscuits without buttermilk?

Yes, you can use the sour milk alternative as mentioned in the cook's notes or use plain milk with a slightly different result.

How should I adjust the recipe for a sweeter biscuit?

Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar to the dry ingredients for a sweeter taste.

How do I store and reheat leftovers?

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days and reheat in the oven or microwave.

Can these biscuits be frozen?

Yes, freeze them before baking. Place the cut biscuits on a tray in the freezer, then transfer to a bag once frozen. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time.


nutrition data

240 calories, 9 grams fat, 33 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams protein per serving.



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reviews & comments

  1. laughingcook REVIEW:
    January 8, 2024

    I love soda bread so I was thrilled to find a soda biscuits recipe. Turned out perfect! Will make again.

  2. LiveLove December 19, 2020

    Looks good - pretty sure we'll like it at our house. My husband needs flat buns for his breakfast sausage!

  3. Belle REVIEW:
    August 21, 2020

    I made it as directed other than I used SOUR CREAM in place of the buttermilk. Next time I will replace salt with SUGAR and add 1 teaspoon of VINEGAR or lemon juice to activate the baking soda for more lift. Best biscuits I've ever made but thats not saying much... 5 stars

  4. Pobear REVIEW:
    May 1, 2020

    I used all the ingredients besides salt and buttermilk. But i did replace the salt with the sugar. And they turned out great

  5. Guest Foodie REVIEW:
    March 11, 2020

    My mom used to make baking soda biscuits from scratch and I loved them. This recipe tastes just like them you can the baking soda in them which is the perfect amount!! just like moms. THANK YOU!!!this is my favorite recipe for biscuits

  6. Anonymous REVIEW:
    December 24, 2019

    For those that mention too much soda, uh, they are called SODA biscuits. They are supposed to have a baking soda flavor to them (and this isn't overpowering at all - it's the right amount). These turned out perfect for me and I've made them twice now.

  7. Two-Eagle REVIEW:
    December 19, 2019

    Is work to find baking powder without Al here so I tried these. I folded the dough 30F & leaded gently 30F. Baked at 400F & watched for Browning. Put Indian Maid Products' DurumPopper Buttr on.. YUM! My new recipe for biscuits!

  8. Guest Foodie REVIEW:
    August 8, 2018

    Didn't Notice I needed to sift flour and I used butter instead but still turned out pretty good, my grandson helped me make them. Would make ag as in in a pinch. My husband sent wrong flour to my daughter's so we found it he recipe and trye

  9. Ziyadah1 REVIEW:
    July 29, 2018

    They would have been perfect,if they didn't have to much baking soda. Next time I'll use less soda, but they were still good. Thanks for the recipe.

  10. Tell REVIEW:
    April 26, 2018

    And they even tell you how to make sour milk!! Saves time and money!!

  11. Melissa REVIEW:
    April 21, 2018

    This morning's craving for fresh homemade biscuits was fierce! What, no baking powder? Bummer...until I found your recipe. A few changes and I was in buttery biscuit Heaven! Here are a few tips: Use fresh squeezed lemon juice to sour the milk, let rest 5 minutes(in place of buttermilk), replace shortening with unsalted sweet cream butter(use a grater to shred into flour and stir in lightly) Handle dough as little as possible and knead only 4-5 strokes, bake at same temperature in upper 1/3 of oven, brush tops with a little of the sour milk, only cook 8 to 9 minutes, DO NOT OVERCOOK. So light and fluffy with an exceptionally, spongy crunch on the bottom. Great taste and texture!

  12. Luke REVIEW:
    October 12, 2017

    Since I was using these with a pasta dish for dinner I cut back on the salt added garlic lowered the oven temp and they were awesome... Well for sure make these again

  13. bumblebeeisi REVIEW:
    September 14, 2014

    I think this would be a good recipe with a little tweaking I personally felt there was too much soda flavor, salt?, oven was to hot and biscuits were doughy on in BROWN on out. a lot of this is easy fixes. just need to work around the base

  14. Karis REVIEW:
    April 18, 2014

    Very good and simple recipe. Salt was left out of recipe (for these proportions 1/2 to 1 tsp. salt based on your taste should be correct. I prefer 1/2 tsp. sea salt) I think they made a mistake on temperature and it should be 425 Fahrenheit (~ 220 Celsius) for ~ 15 minutes. (Ovens always differ... watch your biscuits!) Also I hate shortening as partially hydrogenated oils are very bad for you. I substituted unsalted creamery butter. (Normal substitution for shortening is 1 to 1 or 1 to 1 1/4 butter instead of the shortening. I used 1 to 1 and it was fine)

  15. Joyce REVIEW:
    March 8, 2014

    These were very baking soda flavored. I added 1/4 tsp salt, because I worried they would be bland & I reduced the oven temp to 325 so they wouldn't brown so quickly. They looked pretty, but I couldn't even finish eating one because of the bitter taste.

  16. skittles REVIEW:
    November 6, 2013

    I baked at 450 and they still got brown too quickly. Good biscuits though.

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      The oven is supposed to be at 425 degrees F, not 450.

  17. luci68 REVIEW:
    November 3, 2012

    These were very good biscuits. I was out of baking powder and had to find a new recipe. These turned brown on top before I got them out of the oven, but they stayed extra soft, not hard at all. My babies loved them also.

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Old Fashioned Soda Biscuits Recipe | CDKitchen.com (2024)

FAQs

What makes Southern biscuits different? ›

They're Taller. Put on your science hat—things are about to get nerdy up in here! Southern biscuits made using flour made from soft red winter wheat are taller because of the lower protein content of the flour. According to Science Direct, the amount of protein is inversely proportional to the volume of the baked good.

Which liquid makes the best biscuits? ›

Selecting the liquid for your biscuits

Just as important as the fat is the liquid used to make your biscuits. Our Buttermilk Biscuit recipe offers the choice of using milk or buttermilk. Buttermilk is known for making biscuits tender and adding a zippy tang, so we used that for this test.

What does adding baking soda to biscuits do? ›

To counteract that risk, all we need is a pinch of baking soda to neutralize the excess acidity and give the dough a more powerful rise. That makes for high-rising biscuit with a flavorful and golden crust, with no heaviness or gummy layer in sight.

What's in Paula Deen's biscuit mix? ›

ingredients
  • 1 (1/4 ounce) package yeast.
  • 12 cup lukewarm water.
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour.
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda.
  • 12 teaspoon salt (see NOTE above)
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder.
  • 2 tablespoons sugar.
  • 34 cup solid shortening (recommend frozen Crisco)

What is the best type of flour to use for making southern biscuits? ›

Southern buttermilk biscuit recipes typically call for White Lily flour, a low-protein brand primarily available in the southern states that makes for ultra-tender, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits.

Why can't northerners make biscuits? ›

In the North, the flour was milled from hard winter wheat, which has a higher protein level — great for bread and other baked goods, but not ideal for biscuits, as it can make them tough.

What if I accidentally used baking soda instead of baking powder in biscuits? ›

If you accidentally add baking soda instead of baking powder to baked goods, they won't rise because there is not enough acid. To fix this, add about one tablespoon of white or apple cider vinegar for every half teaspoon of baking soda to the liquids before mixing with the dry ingredients.

What happens if you leave baking soda out of biscuits? ›

You technically can leave out baking soda in certain recipes (like chocolate chip cookies or pancakes) in a pinch, but you need to understand that your finished product will not be as light and fluffy as the recipe intended. Unless you have no other option, you really should use a leavening substitute.

How can I get my biscuits to rise higher? ›

Keep the oven hot.

When baking buttery treats like biscuits, the key is to bake them at a temperature where the water in the butter turns quickly to steam. This steam is a big part of how the biscuits achieve their height, as it evaporates up and out.

Can I use pancake mix instead of biscuit mix? ›

While pancake mix and Bisquick share many ingredients, the two are not the same. The main difference is that the pancake mix is sweeter. Most pancake mixes can be used in place of Bisquick and vice versa in sweet recipes. Compare your pancake mix with Bisquick's ingredient list before swapping.

What does cream of tartar do in baking powder biscuits? ›

As the biscuits rise, the carbon dioxide gas expands, creating pressure on the dough. This pressure can cause the dough to collapse without proper support. Cream of Tartar helps stabilize the dough structure, ensuring the biscuits maintain their shape and rise uniformly.

What's the difference between scones and Southern biscuits? ›

"Scones are typically made using a quick bread method with a higher ratio of liquid to flour, and sometimes no butter at all," says Snyder. In contrast, biscuits have a high ratio of butter, and the lamination process needed to achieve flaky layers is a key differentiator to scones.

What do the British call Southern biscuits? ›

A Biscuit (U.S.) Is a Scone (U.K.)

A British biscuit is not remotely similar to the fluffy and filling American biscuits made famous in Southern American cuisine. The closest British equivalent to those buttery miracles is a scone, which ain't too bad either.

What is the history of Southern style biscuits? ›

Southern biscuits have been a staple in Southern cuisine for centuries. It is said that biscuits were brought over to America by English and Scottishsettlers and were adapted to suit the ingredients available in the South.

What is the difference between northern and Southern flour? ›

Southern flour versus northern flour

Southern all-purpose flour is more similar to cake or pastry flour than northern all-purpose flour. Northern all-purpose flours are made from hard winter wheat and have higher percentages of protein and gluten.

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