Easy Homemade Light & Fluffy Biscuits Recipe

Craving warm, flaky biscuits but don’t have buttermilk on hand? No worries! These light and fluffy yogurt biscuits are the perfect solution. With their crispy bottoms, buttery tops, and pillowy centers, these biscuits are a versatile delight that can be enjoyed in countless ways.

Whether you’re serving them alongside a hearty stew, splitting them for a breakfast sandwich, or dressing them up for strawberry shortcake, these yogurt biscuits are sure to become a staple in your kitchen. Let’s dive into the world of quick breads and discover how yogurt can create biscuit perfection!

The Magic of Yogurt in Biscuits

Plain yogurt is the secret ingredient that makes these biscuits shine. It’s readily available, thick, and brings a subtle tangy flavor that complements the buttery richness of the biscuits. By using yogurt instead of buttermilk, we’re creating a recipe that’s accessible to everyone, regardless of what’s in your fridge.

The thickness of yogurt means we need to adjust the liquid ratio compared to traditional buttermilk biscuits. This recipe uses about 30% more yogurt to properly hydrate the dough. To balance the extra moisture and acidity, we’ll add a pinch of baking soda. This combination results in high-rising biscuits with a golden crust and no gumminess in sight.

Choosing the Right Flour for Perfect Biscuits

For the ideal balance between fluffiness and structure, we recommend using an all-purpose flour blend like Gold Medal. This type of flour combines both hard and soft wheat, giving you biscuits that are light and tender, yet sturdy enough to split without crumbling.

The Art of Butter Incorporation

The key to flaky biscuits lies in how you incorporate the butter. We’ll use cold butter cut into small cubes, then smash and rub it into the flour mixture. This technique creates a range of butter piece sizes, from small crumbs to Cheerio-sized bits, ensuring layers of flakiness in every bite.

Folding Technique for Flaky Layers

After mixing in the yogurt, we’ll use a patting and folding method to create delicate layers in our biscuits. This process replaces traditional kneading, developing just enough gluten to give the biscuits structure while maintaining their tender crumb.

Baking to Golden Perfection

Baking these biscuits in a cast-iron skillet gives them a beautifully crisp bottom. Arranging them close together in the pan helps them rise tall and proud. Thanks to the butter and yogurt, these biscuits brown beautifully on their own, no egg wash needed!

Light and Fluffy Yogurt Biscuits Recipe

Ingredients

• 9 ounces all-purpose flour, such as Gold Medal (about 2 cups, spooned; 255g)
• 1/2 ounce sugar (about 1 tablespoon; 15g)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (6g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use about half as much by volume or the same weight
• 4 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 8 tablespoons; 110g)
• 9 ounces plain yogurt, straight from the fridge (about 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons; 255g), see note

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and position the rack in the lower-middle. If your kitchen is warmer than 75°F (24°C), consider chilling your ingredients and tools before starting.
2. In a medium bowl, sift the flour and whisk in the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Add the cold butter cubes and toss to coat. Using your fingers, smash each butter cube flat and continue rubbing the butter into the flour until it resembles a coarse meal with a few larger, pea-sized pieces remaining.
3. Pour in the cold yogurt and stir with a flexible spatula. The mixture will seem dry at first, but keep mixing until it comes together into a shaggy dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
4. Gently pat the dough into a 1/2-inch thick square. Fold the dough in half and pat out again. Repeat this folding process two more times. After the final fold, pat the dough to a 3/4-inch thickness.
5. Using a 1 3/4-inch round cutter, cut out biscuits and arrange them close together in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Gently re-roll scraps to cut additional biscuits.
6. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the biscuits have risen and turned a beautiful golden brown. Allow them to cool in the skillet for 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

For best results, use plain, unsweetened yogurt without any added thickeners or stabilizers. Greek yogurt or strained varieties may lead to a denser texture.

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy these biscuits warm from the oven with a pat of butter and your favorite jam. They’re also fantastic split and filled for breakfast sandwiches or as a base for strawberry shortcake. Leftover biscuits can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week and revived under the broiler with a brush of melted butter.