5 Ingredient Biscuits

Flaky and tender homemade biscuits are so easy to make. All you need are five ingredients to make a batch!

This recipe is for you if you think biscuits are hard to make! You can produce warm, flaky, delicious biscuits with just five ingredients. They’re excellent with a pat of butter and a spoonful of jam, or serve them as a side dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

My grandmother always called these “baking powder biscuits,” but I call them the super-easy-to-make! They’re the ones I grew up eating, and now I make these easy biscuits for my family – they never disappoint!

Homemade is always better.

The best biscuits are tender and flaky, and this recipe delivers on both! The best part is that it’s not difficult to make a batch. I make these in the morning for breakfast and sometimes for dinner. Believe me; this will be your go-to recipe once you try it.

With so few ingredients (you only need five!), it’s essential to use the best ones, so for this recipe, I always lean on my trusted Crisco and Clabber Girl Baking Powder.

Both make a considerable difference in how the biscuits turn out – combine them with the other essentials, and you’ll make a batch of biscuits that no one will forget.

Ingredients

• Flour
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Shortening
• Milk

Baking powder not only helps your biscuits puff up while they bake, but it also gives them a lighter texture. You won’t end up with dense and tough biscuits when you use them.

Shortening is my other go-to ingredient to make biscuits. I love biscuits made with shortening because they are lighter and more tender.

I lean on both of these products throughout the year, especially during the holiday season when I am baking more than usual.

Recipe Steps

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. You can do this with a traditional sifter or use a fine-mesh strainer. Sifting helps mix the dry ingredients and also lightens the flour.

Next, add the shortening to the dry ingredients. I add slices, but you can also cut the shortening into chunks before adding it.

Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients. The easiest way is with a pastry cutter or a fork.

Work it into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse crumble. This method of mixing is what creates the flaky layers in the biscuits.

Add the milk and mix until just combined. You don’t want to overmix the dough – knead it long enough until the flour is absorbed into the milk and a dough forms.

Gather the dough into a ball and transfer it from the bowl to a lightly floured work surface.

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out, so it’s 1/2″ thick.

Use a 2″ or 3″ biscuit cutter to cut out the rounds. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake the biscuits for 10 to 12 minutes or until they are light golden brown.

Serve them warm from the oven with some butter brushed over the tops.

Recipe Tips

Use cold shortening: This will make cutting it into the dry ingredients easier, so you get those pockets of shortening. When the biscuits bake, that’s what will create the best flaky layers.

Type of milk: Whole milk will add fat and more flavor to your biscuits than 2% milk. Both will work, so choose your favorite.

Don’t overmix: The secret to light and tender biscuits is not to overmix the dough. If you overwork the flour, it can impact the texture, so mix until the dough forms. When you cut out the biscuits, try to cut as many out as possible so you don’t have to re-roll the dough.

Storage: There’s nothing better than a warm biscuit from the oven! But, if you have leftovers, they will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days.

I’ve been making this recipe for years, and it always turns out perfectly.

Flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar are staples at my house during the holiday season; what are yours?

More recipes to bake over the holidays; check these out.

Cinnamon Sugar Bread
Ginger Cookies
Coffee Cake
Pecan Rolls
Peanut Butter Blossoms

Don’t forget to pin this to your favorite Pinterest board to bake later!