Every time I serve these biscuits, my husband declares they’re the best biscuits ever…
A declaration like that is worth its weight in gold! 😉
And thanks to Brandi, a Traditional Cooking School eCourse member, these buttermilk biscuits are oh-so-fluffy. She taught me how to fold the dough into luscious layers. My biscuits will never be the same again!
Soaked Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 tablespoons grass-fed butter cold, or solid coconut oil*
- 2-1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or 2-3/4 cups spelt flour**, cannot be warm from grinding
- 3/4 cup+ buttermilk
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
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Cut fat into flour.
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Mix with buttermilk to a dough that is just wet enough to hold together.
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Don’t overmix.
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Cover.
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Let soak for 8 to 12 hours at room temperature.
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Sprinkle on leavenings and salt, and fold over repeatedly to incorporate, without overmixing.
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Flour a cutting surface.
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Roll dough out to a 3/4” thick rectangle.
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Cut into squares.
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Put on baking trays.
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Bake for 8 minutes, or until golden brown.
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Serve with butter.
Have you tried the folding technique with biscuits? If you give it a try, let me know in the comments how yours turn out!
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How many tablespoons of fat?
Oops! Somehow that got deleted! 6 to 8 tablespoons.
Looks a lot like my biscuit recipe! Why do you use pastry flour?
Sylvia — I actually prefer spelt. But whole wheat pastry flour is so light and fluffy — much like white flour. So it works great for more delicate baked goods like biscuits, cookies, muffins, and things where you don’t necessarily want a dense texture.
I love spelt the best because it ends up delicate for things like biscuits, but it also makes great hearty bread.
If you are milling your own flour how do you get pastry flour?
Isn’t it a joy to have the appreciation of your husband? Mine is a food-hound, so he pretty much loves everything that I make. It’s when I make things that he says, “THIS is better than my MeeMaw (his grandmother) made!” THAT’S when I know I’m onto something good. The biscuits we learned to make in the fundamentals class are among the honored items, and I didn’t know it, but was making the folded layers because that’s just how I mix stuff in. Since the time I worked that lesson, I always made them a little thicker, and OH MY how wonderful they are!!! Thanks for sharing the buttermilk version!
Dani — Now that is high praise if you’re exceeding MeeMaw! 🙂
I used half buttermilk and half yogurt, freshly ground and cooled whole spelt flour, and 7 T of Melt (a coconut oil blend). I had to increase the baking time to 17 minutes at which point they were perfect. (This discrepancy may have been because I was using the convection option on my microwave because my regular oven is down.)
I thought they were great tasting except for a little too salty, so next time I’ll use1/2 t. salt and 1/4 t. soda. I’ll definitely be making these again!
Ooh, good feedback! We do like ours a bit salty. 😉
My husband just told me he likes them the way I made them so I guess I won’t be changing that recipe!
I have tried several soaked biscuit recipes and almost gave up until I saw these. Am definitely going to give these a try this weekend and let you know how it goes. I grew up in the South, so biscuits are like their own food group – ha ha! I have been using sprouted spelt flour to replicate my grandma’s biscuits, but sprouted flour is much more expensive. Can’t wait to give your recipe a try! Blessings, Kelly @ The Nourishing Home
Kelly — Oh, the pressure! 😉 I hope this one will live up to your expectations. Let me know, either way — okay?
I’ve made these biscuits using the fold technique and my family loved them as well, especially my older son Peter, age 12. I’m looking forward to trying it again soon since I’ve, as of recent, been able to tolerate spelt (PRAISE THE LORD!!)! I did bite into one when I made them. I spit it out since I was still reactive at the time, but was impressed at the light texture which I do not usually associate with whole grain products. I’m thinking spelt is my favorite grain now since this may open new doors for me in terms of nutrition for me and my family while satisfying my family’s desire for light soft baked goods. The buttermilk ingredient in this recipe gives me a place to use up the buttermilk leftover from buttermaking, so it’s a win-win recipe. I’m SO grateful you shared this one Wardee and Brandi!
Pam
Pam — Of course I love hearing that someone else likes spelt best! 🙂 And yes, Praise the Lord, that you’re tolerating it!
It makes me so happy that everyone likes the folding technique! Thanks Wardee for mentioning me. 🙂
Brandi — This is seriously one of the best things I’ve learned in the kitchen. Thank YOU!
Please, where can i find this folding technique? Do you have a video? I have a recipe so similar to this, but the cold butter gets poked in after you’ve soaked it, and added the levenings and let it rise a bit. But i must admit, it doesn’t rise every time. Any thoughts?
Hi Lori, we don’t have a video on this folding technique yet. 🙁 In the meantime, just fold over repeatedly to incorporate, without overmixing.
~ Vicki, TCS Customer Success Team
Can’t wait to try these! They sound fantastic.
Meg — I hope you like them. 🙂
Shalom Wardee,
How many biscuits does this recipe make?
Is there any chance of getting to see a (free) video demonstration of Brandi’s folding technique? I am a visual learner 🙂 Pweeze??
I have the flour, butter and dairy kefir resting right now and I’ll bake them off in the morning. I used hard white wheat. I’m excited to see how they turn out! Thank you for the recipe!
~~IN Messiah Yeshua,
Vickilynn
C. 6:8
Vickilynn — Let’s see! It really depends on how thick you roll them out and how big you cut them. 😉 I end up with between 12 and 18.
Thanks for the video suggestion! 🙂
I hope your biscuits turn out lovely!
Shalom Wardee (and Brandi),
OK, hands down, these are the BESTEST whole-grain biscuits I have EVER made, period!
Thank you for the great recipe Wardee and thank you Brandi for the fantastic technique! (I’m still not sure I did it right and hope one day to see a video of it! (hint – hint, LOL!), but it WORKED!
These babies rose high and light and hubby said they were “fantastic” and “the best.”
Thanks again!
~~IN Messiah Yeshua,
Vickilynn
C. 6:8
Vickilynn — That’s awesome!!!! 🙂
Vickilynn– I am so glad you and your husband enjoyed your biscuits! 🙂
I can’t wait to try these. Thanks!!
Many thanks for sharing the recipe!
Writing my shopping list…
Item 1 – Whole wheat and spelt flour (will try both ways)
Item 2 Buttermilk…
I very much enjoy reading your posts!
Blessings,
Didn’t know if people knew how to culture their own milk with buttermilk so that you don’t always have to buy buttermilk…..basically, if you put about a cup of cultured buttermilk in a quart jar and then fill with milk, shake it up and let it sit on your counter, it will culture and make you more buttermilk!
Debra — That’s right! 🙂
And we also teach it in the Cultured Dairy eCourse: https://traditionalcookingschool.com/ecourse/127.html
Does this mean you can use buttermilk from the store to start your own buttermilk culture? (add 1 c storebought buttermilk and fill jar with regular milk?)
Rhonda — Yes, you can. The buttermilk must have active cultures and it may not rebatch forever. But, yes, you can do this! Also — don’t use UHT (ultra-pasteurized) milk as it won’t support a culture.
Cool! Can’t wait to try it 🙂 How long does homemade buttermilk last in the fridge? (I will be using fresh raw milk)
I made these for breakfast today and they were tasty! I had been looking for a whole-grain biscuit that everyone in the family would like and now I have one! Only one question–when do you add the salt? I actually forgot to add the salt because it wasn’t in the directions, so they turned out a bit bland. Thanks for sharing!
I made these for breakfast today and they were tasty! I had been looking for a whole-grain biscuit that everyone in the family would like and now I have one! Only one question–when do you add the salt? I actually forgot to add the salt because it wasn’t in the directions, so they turned out a bit bland. Thanks for sharing!
We LOVE these biscuits! I made them for breakfast this morning and my husband couldn’t stop praising their pure goodness!!! I’m thinking they’d be great as a roll substitute at dinner too!
P.S. I used one cup of fresh ground (My husband bought me a Golden Grain Grinder for Christmas!!. . . oooh and thanks for your tips on food dehydrators! My Excalibur is on it’s way! I gift from my dad. I’m so thankful for God’s many blessings!) and one and a half of Bob’s Whole Wheat (still trying to use up what I’ve had- waste not, want not). Still turned out fabulous. Just thought I’d share for those who were worried about having the exact flour. =)
Why are these soaked if you use sprouted flour?
Pamela — I’m not using sprouted flour here? Please tell me where you got that impression so I can correct it. 🙂
Sorry, my mistake. I saw “spelt” and “not warm from grinding”, and assumed sprouted, too, because that’s what I’ve been doing this past few days…grinding sprouted spelt! LOL!
I am learning so much from you Wardee! I Would love to try these with coconut milk, because I am not supposed to have dairy. Would I use coconut milk and apple cider vinegar so it can soak overnight?
Kristie — Go for it! 🙂
Vickilynn– I am so glad you and your husband enjoyed your biscuits! Sylvia — I actually prefer spelt. Just thought I’d share for those who were worried about having the exact flour. Also — don’t use UHT (ultra-pasteurized) milk as it won’t support a culture.
Oh my word…these are the best biscuits I’ve made using fresh ground flour. The spelt worked wonderfully, WAY better than the soft white wheat! I used kefir because it’s what I had on hand. These biscuits are so light and fluffy!
I made these with fresh ground white wheat, butter, and plain yogurt/milk mixture (I live in China and have to use what I can find) and they were amazing! Better than any white flour biscuits I’ve ever had! Thanks so much for the yummy recipe.
I used half buttermilk and half yogurt, freshly ground and cooled whole spelt flour, and 7 T of Melt (a coconut oil blend). I had been looking for a whole-grain biscuit that everyone in the family would like and now I have one! Please tell me where you got that impression so I can correct it.
Have you frozen these? If so…or even if you have a suggestion, would I make it through cutting and then wrap & freeze individually?
Hello, thank you for the wonderful recipe! Could you give some advice for those wishing to avoid dairy (primarily replacements for the buttermilk). Maybe water kefir…? Thank you so much!
Thank you for this recipe. We all loved it!! Finally I can make biscuits that aren’t a flop because I didn’t use Crisco.
Which flour do you recommend if you are gluten free? Thanks!
Could you please define “whole wheat pastry flour?” I am still new with my grain mill and whole grain!
Sarah — Whole wheat pastry flour is from *soft* wheat berries. It’s a different variety of wheat than what you’d use for bread. The pastry flour is 100% whole grain but this variety of wheat makes a soft pastry-like flour. It’s great for cookies, cakes, muffins, and other desserts.
In our part of Eastern Europe (Bulgaria – the home of Lactobacilus Bulgaricum and real thick yogurt which unfortunatelyy is called Greek yogurt) there is no product like buttermilk. I usually bstitute it with diluted yogurt but I always feel at odds what to do, especially when the recipe seems quite specific as to the final result. Any suggestions? I’ll really appreciate that.
Hi Eva,
The yogurt should work fine as a substitute. 🙂
These are really, really, really good. It was soft and a little like bread.. not as crumbly as the biscuits that I know. I’m not sure if it’s because I overmixed the dough or what. It was interesting to see the gluten develop after the soaking period. I don’t think I have seen that with the biscuit recipes of years ago. We love these. It’s not hard to make, and I think we’ll be making these often!
I just wanted to let everyone know that I made these today with half lard, half butter, and added 1/4 cup of sugar. Then I used them as the topping for peach cobbler. So so delicious!!
Thanks Kassia!
I don’t see the folding technique?
Hi, Tamara.
It is in the written directions, “Sprinkle on leavenings and salt, and fold over repeatedly to incorporate, without overmixing.”
~Danielle, TCS Customer Success Team
Lol! Ok thank you I can’t wait to try these.
I made these with fresh milled wheat flour and butter instead of the coconut oil. These were the best whole wheat biscuits I’ve ever made! They were soft and just perfect! I will not have to look for another recipe!
We’re glad you like them Sandra. ~ Vicki, TCS Customer Success Team
I live in South Georgia, where good biscuits are a must! I tried these this weekend and my whole family loved them. They are so fluffy. I used fresh ground wheat flour and cut them one inch thick with my biscuit cutter. They were perfect. This will be my go to biscuit recipe from now on! I can’t imagine anything making them any better.
Clicked to vote and it hit 3 stars and won’t let me undo. Was trying to click five. Sorry!
So delicious and soft! Made these to have with sausage and gravy. I used the spelt flour. I will definitely make them again but will double the batch!