Gluten-Free Southern Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

These gluten-free buttermilk biscuits follow the Southern method: cold fat is cut into the dry ingredients, cold buttermilk is stirred in just until a soft dough forms, and the rounds are baked in a hot oven. The dough has no egg and no sugar. Xanthan gum takes over the job that gluten does in a wheat biscuit and keeps the crumb from falling apart.

The fat is a matter of preference. Butter gives the most flavor, shortening or lard gives a slightly taller and more tender biscuit, and a half-and-half combination sits in between. All of them are used in the same amount, and all of them must be cold so that small pieces of fat survive in the dough and melt into flaky pockets in the oven.

Gluten-free flours take up liquid more slowly than wheat flour, so the dough should look a little wetter than a wheat biscuit dough; it firms up as it is patted and folded. Use a blend without added gum, such as this gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, or leave out the xanthan gum if the blend already contains it.

Gluten-Free Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Tender gluten-free biscuits made with cold butter and buttermilk, folded for layers and baked at 425°F. Made without egg or sugar.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 18 minutes mins

Total Time 38 minutes mins

Servings: 8 biscuits

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups (280 g) gluten-free all-purpose flour blend without added gum, plus extra for dusting
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum leave out if the flour blend already contains a gum
• 1 tablespoon baking powder gluten-free
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes (or cold shortening, lard, or half butter and half shortening)
• 3/4 cup cold buttermilk plus up to 1/4 cup more as needed
• 1 tablespoon buttermilk for brushing the tops

Method

 

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the 2 cups flour blend, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Add the cold butter cubes. Cut them in with a pastry blender or two knives, or rub them in quickly with your fingertips, until the largest pieces are about the size of peas.
4. Pour in 3/4 cup cold buttermilk and stir with a fork just until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. If dry crumbs remain in the bottom of the bowl, add more buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 1/4 cup.
5. Turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with flour blend. Pat it into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick, fold it in thirds like a letter, and pat it out again. Repeat the fold once more, then pat the dough out 1 inch thick.
6. Cut out biscuits with a floured 2-inch round cutter, pressing straight down without twisting. Gently press the scraps together, pat out and cut again. There should be about 8 biscuits.
7. Set the biscuits on the baking sheet with their sides just touching. Brush the tops with the 1 tablespoon buttermilk.
8. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until well risen and golden on top. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes and serve warm.

Notes

Dairy-free option: replace the butter with cold non-dairy buttery sticks, shortening or lard. For the buttermilk, stir 2 teaspoons lemon juice or cider vinegar into 3/4 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk and let it stand for 5 minutes; use plain non-dairy milk for brushing and for any extra liquid.

Keep everything cold. If the kitchen is warm, chill the cubed fat for 10 minutes in the freezer before starting, and chill the cut biscuits for 10 minutes before baking.

Without sugar in the dough these biscuits brown lightly. Brushing the tops with buttermilk helps the color; do not wait for a deep brown or the biscuits will dry out.

Biscuits are at their freshest the day they are baked. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days and rewarm at 350°F for 5 to 8 minutes, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Make-ahead: freeze the unbaked, cut biscuits on a tray, then bag them. Bake from frozen at 425°F, adding 3 to 5 minutes.