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Garlic Butter Biscuits Recipe
Ash Tyrrell

Garlic Butter Biscuits Recipe

I made a batch of these garlic butter biscuits last weekend, and I swear the whole kitchen smelled like an Italian restaurant within minutes. I wasn't planning on eating three straight off the pan, but here we are. There's something about warm, flaky layers with little pockets of garlicky butter that makes it impossible to stop at one.
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Total Time 40 minutes
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour – spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off; scooping straight from the bag packs in too much flour and leaves you with dense biscuits
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder – this is what gives the biscuits their lift so check the expiration date before you start
  • ½ teaspoon salt – balances the richness of the butter and sharpens the garlic flavor
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened – go for real dairy butter here, not margarine, since it browns better and tastes far richer
  • 3 –4 cloves garlic minced fresh – skip the jarred stuff if you can; fresh garlic has a rounder, sweeter flavor once it's cooked gently in butter
  • 1 cup buttermilk cold – the acidity reacts with the baking powder for extra rise and gives the biscuits a slight tang
  • 1 egg optional, for egg wash – brushed on top for that golden, bakery-style finish
  • 1 tablespoon water for egg wash

Method
 

  1. Melt a small portion of the butter in a pan over low heat and add the minced garlic. Cook it gently for about a minute, just until it turns fragrant and soft, being careful not to let it brown. Let it cool slightly before mixing it back into the rest of the softened butter.
  2. Spoon the garlic butter onto plastic wrap and shape it into a small log. Refrigerate it until firm, which usually takes about 30 minutes. Chilled butter is key here, since it creates those flaky little pockets once it hits the oven.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until fully combined. This step ensures the leavening agent is spread evenly, so your biscuits rise consistently instead of unevenly in spots.
  4. Chop the chilled garlic butter into small pieces and work it into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or your fingertips. Stop as soon as the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with visible butter chunks, since overmixing melts the butter too soon.
  5. Pour the cold buttermilk into the flour mixture and stir gently with a wooden spoon. Mix only until the dry streaks disappear, because overworking the dough at this stage makes the biscuits tough instead of tender.
  6. Turn the sticky dough onto a floured surface and pat it down gently with floured hands to about 1.5 inches thick. Avoid using a rolling pin, since patting keeps the layers loose and flaky rather than compressed.
  7. Use a sharp biscuit cutter to punch out rounds, pressing straight down without twisting. Twisting the cutter seals the edges and can prevent the biscuits from rising evenly in the oven.
  8. Arrange the biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush the tops with the egg wash for a golden finish. Bake at 375°F for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops turn a deep golden brown.

Notes

  • I always keep my butter and buttermilk cold until the last second, since warm ingredients melt the butter too early and flatten the rise
  • I never twist the biscuit cutter, because I learned the hard way that it seals the edges and stops the biscuits from puffing up nicely
  • I like placing the cut biscuits close together on the pan, which helps them rise upward instead of spreading out
  • I always test one biscuit from the batch first to check my oven's true baking time, since ovens vary a lot
  • I let the biscuits cool for just a few minutes before serving, so the garlic butter inside sets slightly and doesn't ooze out too fast