A Biscuit Expert Shares Her Tips For Perfect Southern Biscuits

Where Erika Council grew up in North Carolina, baking an exceptional biscuit meant that you were a loved and respected member of the community. “Everyone who was revered could make really good biscuits and cornbread,” recalls Council. “I wanted people to talk about me like that, so the older I got, I tried to think of different ways to perfect biscuits as much as possible.”

Still, her passion for biscuits didn’t become her career until a few years ago. After spending 15 years as a software engineer in Atlanta, Council started participating in pop-up dinners and then running breakfast service at a local BBQ joint. That spawned a catering and delivery business, and finally, in 2021, her restaurant the Bomb Biscuit Co. Her first cookbook, Still We Rise: A Love Letter to the Southern Biscuit with Over 70 Sweet and Savory Recipes, is on sale now. 

Here, Council is sharing six of her best tips for baking and serving a perfect batch of biscuits that will send your loved ones running for seconds (and thirds).

No Buttermilk? Don’t Sweat It

While buttermilk does bring mouthwatering flavor to biscuits, Council says it’s not the end of the world if you don’t have any on hand. “I have recipes that use whole milk, evaporated milk, water and buttermilk powder, and even yogurt,” she shares. “Your biscuits will still turn out great.”

If the recipe you’re using calls for buttermilk, Council says whole milk will be the closest to a 1:1 swap. “You probably need a little less whole milk because it’s not as thick as buttermilk, but it will be roughly the same consistency,” she adds.

Speaking of ingredient swaps, the same goes for your fat of choice. “We use mainly butter at the restaurant, but the biscuits I had growing up were made with lard and Crisco,” shares Council, who says that while the flavor of your finished biscuit will change slightly, there’s no single fat that’s superior to the others. “Things like mayonnaise and sour cream can add creaminess, and duck fat can also give a really cool flavor,” she adds. Go with the one you like best. 

Don’t Be Afraid To Jazz Things Up

“If you have a really good base biscuit, you can add anything to the mix,” says Council, who encourages experimenting with add-ins like cheddar cheese, chives, rosemary, lemon zest, and even chocolate chips. “There’s a chocolate chip biscuit recipe in the book that was my daughter’s idea,” Council shares. “She saw me adding herbs and said I should do it with chocolate chips.”

To make sure you’re using the right amount of add-in, Council recommends the following strategy: Roll your biscuit dough out flat to about ¼-inch thick, sprinkle the dough with a layer of whatever you’re adding, then fold the dough over and roll it out again (if anything falls out, don’t try to shove it back in, as you probably added a little too much). You can repeat this process up to two more times to ensure your add-ins are well incorporated and your finished biscuits will have plenty of wow-worthy flavor.

Use Dictates Shape

Can’t decide whether to go with a roll-and-cut recipe or some easy drop biscuits? Think about how you’re planning to eat them and then go from there. “Drop biscuits tend to be super crumbly. They’re good to eat as is or with added cheese or flavor,” Council says. “I like to do roll and cut because I like to use biscuits for sandwiches.” If you’re doing a biscuit basket, go for drop. But if the main course for your brunch is bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches on biscuits, roll and cut is the way to go. 

Never Cut With A Cup

A metal biscuit or cookie cutter or a sharp knife is best for cutting out biscuits, never a glass cup. The reason: “The rim is rounded, so it’s just sealing the edges around the biscuit so you won’t see all the pretty flakes,” explains Council. If you’re really in a pinch, you could also use an open and empty (and clean) tin can.

Keep This Mix In Your Fridge 24/7

If you’ve ever gotten an impromptu call from your mother, daughter, or cousin on a Sunday morning that they’re coming over for brunch, the ensuing scramble can be stressful. This was a nearly weekly occurrence for Council, so she set out to create a home version of the biscuit mix she used for catering. The resulting mix (shared below) can be kept in the refrigerator for up to three months. When you’re ready to use it, all that needs to be added is a liquid and you’ll have biscuits ready in no time!

All Purpose Mix

Yields: about 8¾ cups biscuit mix (about 3 batches of biscuits)

• 8 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons baking powder
• 1½ tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 cup vegetable shortening, cold, cubed

1. Place the flour, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse for 10 to 15 seconds to combine.
2. Scatter the cubed shortening over the top of the flour mixture and pulse for 15 to 20 seconds, until well combined and the mixture resembles cornmeal.
3. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. 

Reheat In The Toaster Oven

Biscuits are at their best straight out of the oven, but on the rare occasions that you do have some leftovers, Council recommends using a toaster oven to reheat biscuits quickly and deliciously. “I’ll put the biscuit in a pan, brush some melted butter on top, cover it with foil, and it comes back to life in 5 minutes,” she says. If you don’t have a toaster oven, you can use the same method in the regular oven, though it will take a bit longer. Council also likes cutting open a biscuit and griddling it on the stove for a few minutes per side. Just never put it in the microwave. 

All-Purpose Biscuit Mix recipe reprinted with permission from Still We Rise by Erika Council, copyright © 2023. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.