Butter Swim Biscuits

Perhaps the greatest thing about butter swim biscuits is that they're the easiest biscuits you'll ever make, aside from Drop Biscuits, which don't require any cutting. Instead, butter swim biscuits are baked as one large biscuit in a pan, then sliced after they're baked, just before serving.

The final result: buttery biscuits with a crispy outside that's the result of the edges cooking in the butter. They are the perfect balance of salty and sweet, moist and tender with a buttery, flaky crust.

Learn how to make butter swim biscuits, and don't save these for breakfast. These would be wonderful with many weeknight dinners.

Butter Swim Biscuits Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: This provides the perfect texture and crumb for these fluffy buttermilk biscuits.
• Granulated sugar: Adds just a hint of sweetness, and helps the biscuits bake up golden brown.
• Baking powder and baking soda: Two leavening agents that give the biscuits some rise while baking so they'll be tall and fluffy.
• Kosher salt: Necessary to get the right flavors.
• Whole buttermilk: Adds moisture and tanginess. We don't recommend using regular milk because you need the richness of buttermilk in these biscuits.
• Unsalted butter: Some butter goes in the biscuit dough; the rest is used to bake the biscuits.

How To Make Butter Swim Biscuits

You won't need the biscuit cutter for these quick breads. Just grab a baking dish and lots of butter. Here's a brief outline of how you'll make butter swim biscuits:

• Step 1. Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• Step 2. Add buttermilk: Fold in the buttermilk and some of the melted butter, and mix until the dough is just combined.
• Step 3. Add butter to baking dish: Pour the remaining melted butter in the baking dish. Spread evenly around the pan.
• Step 4. Add dough to dish: Spread the biscuit dough in an even layer in the dish. Use a spatula to press the dough to all edges if needed.
• Step 5. Bake: Bake at 450°F until the edges are brown and the center is baked. Remove the dish from the oven, and let the biscuits sit until they absorb the remaining butter. Cut into eight portions, and serve.
  

How To Store Butter Swim Biscuits

Butter swim biscuits are best served warm, right from the oven, but if you have leftovers, you can store them at room temperature, covered, for up to three days.

How To Freeze Butter Swim Biscuits

Freeze leftover biscuits, wrapped in aluminum foil and stored in a ziptop bag. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then heat in the oven when ready to eat at 350°F until warmed through.

Our Tips for the Best Butter Swim Biscuits

We made several pans of these biscuits in the Southern Living Test Kitchen, and we learned a few things as we went. Here are our best tips for getting these biscuits just right:

• Don't overmix the biscuit dough, or it will become tough.
• Room-temperature buttermilk keeps the butter from seizing up in the batter, allowing an even distribution of butter throughout the biscuits. 
• Reheating these biscuits provides the best leftovers experience; the cooled butter can make the biscuits seem greasy, so a quick heat-up in the oven or microwave is encouraged.

Ways To Serve Butter Swim Biscuits

There's no wrong way to eat a biscuit, but we suggest a few great ways:

• Sprinkle tops with flaky sea salt.
• Serve with breakfast, and slather with jam and butter.
• Make Ham Biscuits with leftover ham.
  

More Biscuit Recipes

We have plenty more biscuits to go with these, whether you're craving sweet or savory:

• Biscuit Beignets
• Blueberry Biscuits
• 2-Ingredient Biscuits
• Cinnamon-Raisin Biscuits
• Angel Biscuits