Southern Biscuits Are Better Because of THIS (2024)

Updated: Mar. 20, 2019

Years of practice aren't the only thing that make Southern cooks so adept at making biscuits. Here's the not-so-secret ingredient!

Southern cooks have several tricks when it comes to making tender and delicious biscuits, from the cutters they use, to the type and amount of liquid incorporated, to the number of kneads required to turn out a perfect dough. The not-so-secret ingredient they rely upon is soft wheat flour. Soft wheat thrives in temperate, moist climates like that of the mid-Atlantic, so cooks in those areas have had access to its special flour for a long time.

Why Is Soft Wheat Flour So Magical?

It all comes down to gluten. Gluten is the material that gives things like breads and cakes their elasticity and structure, and it gets formed when water mixes with flour and causes the proteins to bond together. So, since hard wheat flour (bread flour) has about twice as much protein as soft wheat flour, it will yield more gluten and make a chewier final product. That does not make a tender biscuit!

With less protein and therefore weaker gluten formation, soft wheat is ideal for making biscuits and other items with a delicate texture. It gets milled into pastry flour, which is composed of 9-10% protein, giving it slightly more strength than cake flour (ideal for fine-crumbed cakes and muffins) but making it less sturdy than bread or all-purpose flour, which makewonderfully chewy breads. The gluten formed from the use of pastry flour yields a flaky biscuit with just the right amount of structure.

The Brand You Should Buy

Interestingly, the go-to product for Southern biscuits is an all-purpose flour made by White Lily, though it is essentially pastry flour because it has a very low protein content. If you can’t find White Lily or any pastry flour at your grocery store, you can make your own version with equal parts cake flour and all-purpose flour. Bear in mind that even armed with the magic of pastry flour, making flawless biscuits takes an incredible amount of experience. This is a case where practice truly makes perfect!

Try Soft Wheat Flour to Make a Batch of Biscuits

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Easy Cheesy BiscuitsI'm a big fan of homemade biscuits, but not the rolling and cutting that goes into making them. The drop biscuit method solves everything! —Christina Addison, Blanchester, OhioAlso, tryDolly Parton’s buttermilk biscuitswhichare easy to make, soft, and tender.Go to Recipe

Golden Sourdough BiscuitsI got this recipe from a friend when we were exchanging sourdough recipes a few years ago. These soft sourdough biscuits are best enjoyed straight from the oven. — Stephanie Church, Delaware, Ohio

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Taste of Home

Sour Cream-Leek BiscuitsThese biscuits are a wonderful pairing for soups. I've made them with all-purpose white flour as well as whole wheat, and both work equally well. —Bonnie Appleton, Canterbury, Connecticut

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Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe photo by Jamie Thrower for Taste of Home

Homemade Buttermilk BiscuitsThe recipe for these four-ingredient homemade buttermilk biscuits has been handed down for many generations. —Fran Thompson, Tarboro, North Carolina

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Cinnamon Fruit Biscuits Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Cinnamon Fruit BiscuitsBecause these sweet treats are so easy, I'm almost embarrassed when people ask me for the recipe. They're a snap to make with refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, sugar, cinnamon and your favorite fruit preserves. —Ione Burham, Washington, Iowa

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Flaky Whole Wheat BiscuitsWhole wheat flour gives these biscuits a nutty, homey flavor. Ever since I started making these, white flour biscuits just don't taste as good! Pair them with soup or slather them with whipped cream and sweetened berries for a dessert treat. —Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho

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Taste of Home

My biscuits won the prize for best quick bread at my county fair. One of the judges liked them so much, she asked for the recipe! These buttery, savory biscuits go with just about anything. —Gloria Jarrett, Loveland, Ohio

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Taste of Home

Mom's Buttermilk BiscuitsThese fluffy buttermilk biscuits are so tasty slathered with butter or used to mop up every last drop of gravy off your plate. I can still see Mom pulling these tender gems out of the oven. —Vera Reid, Laramie, Wyoming

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Taste of Home

Apricot Cream BiscuitsMelt-in-your-mouth good when warm, these shortcut biscuits with a hint of orange prove that the right mix really can offer homemade taste. —Betty Saint Turner, Attalla, Alabama

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Makeover Cheddar BiscuitsHere's our crack at the never-ending biscuits from Red Lobster. Made from scratch with lighter ingredients, they're just as cheesy and buttery as the original. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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Apple Cider BiscuitsMy family enjoys these tender, flaky biscuits warm from the oven. We have a lot of apple trees, so we're always looking for apple recipes. This is a tasty way to use some of our cider. —Harriet Stichter, Milford, Indiana

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Cheddar Corn BiscuitsEveryone asks for these cheesy corn biscuits, especially when I serve soup. If you're lucky and have leftovers, rewarm them and pass the butter and jam. —Susan Braun, Swift Current, Saskatchewan

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Gluten-Free BiscuitsBasic gluten-free biscuits are fantastic with brunch, dinner or even a bowl of soup for an easy lunch. This recipe is perfect for tweaking—stir in your favorite ingredients like shredded cheddar and garlic powder, Swiss and chives, or Parmesan and Italian seasoning. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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Taste of Home

Glazed Cranberry BiscuitsMy family likes biscuits for breakfast. One Sunday, I decided to make those golden goodies extra special by adding white chips, dried cranberries and a simple orange glaze. —Lori Daniels, Beverly, West Virginia

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Ginger Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Ginger Buttermilk BiscuitsAfter we had cinnamon-topped biscuits at a restaurant, I came up with my own version at home. I keep crystallized ginger on hand so I can whip up a batch at a moment’s notice!—Rebecca Littlejohn, Vista, Califiornia

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Lemon Blueberry BiscuitsLemon and blueberries make such a fresh and flavorful combination in all kinds of baked goods, especially these biscuits. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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Taste of Home

Old-Fashioned Buttermilk BiscuitsMy family gobbles up these biscuits, which are low in fat, cholesterol and sugar. I almost always make these now instead of my old shortening-based recipe. —Wendy Masters, Grand Valley, Ontario

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FAQs

Southern Biscuits Are Better Because of THIS? ›

Here's the Reason Biscuits in the South Really Are Better

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What's the difference between Southern biscuits and regular biscuits? ›

There are many theories about why Southern biscuits are different (ahem, better) than other biscuits—richer buttermilk, more butter, better grandmothers—but the real difference is more fundamental. Southern biscuits are different because of the flour most Southerners use. My grandmother swore by White Lily flour.

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What flour do southerners use for biscuits? ›

Southern buttermilk biscuit recipes typically call for White Lily flour, a low-protein brand primarily available in the southern states that makes for ultra-tender, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits.

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How would you describe a Southern biscuit? ›

These Southern-style biscuits walk the line of being both tender AND flaky. They're light, yet sturdy. The biscuits are also sturdy enough for breakfast sandwiches or for dunking into soup.

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What is so special about White Lily flour? ›

Founded in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1883, White Lily^® Flour is milled from 100% soft red winter wheat, which has a lower protein content and a finer texture than conventional all-purpose flours. These features ensure delicate pastries like biscuits achieve a higher rise and flaky, fluffy, pillowy-like texture.

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What makes Southern biscuits so good? ›

Here's the Reason Biscuits in the South Really Are Better

The not-so-secret ingredient they rely upon is soft wheat flour. Soft wheat thrives in temperate, moist climates like that of the mid-Atlantic, so cooks in those areas have had access to its special flour for a long time.

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Why do Southerners eat biscuits? ›

But they became a mainstay in colonial times because they could be baked quickly and required few ingredients. In Southern colonies, successful wheat harvests gave the colonists access to fresh flour, cows and pigs supplied buttermilk and lard, and biscuits gradually began to transform into something more palatable.

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Which liquid makes the best biscuits? ›

Selecting the liquid for your biscuits

Just as important as the fat is the liquid used to make your biscuits. Our Buttermilk Biscuit recipe offers the choice of using milk or buttermilk. Buttermilk is known for making biscuits tender and adding a zippy tang, so we used that for this test.

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Why do my homemade biscuits taste like flour? ›

While over-handling your biscuit dough can make your baked goods turn out like hockey pucks, under-mixing it while you're still adding all of your ingredients can result in floury or grainy biscuits.

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Which is better, White Lily or Martha White? ›

I felt that the Southern Biscuit ones were clearly the best, and a majority of my drafted taste-testers agreed, although some preferred the Martha White. But unanimously, White Lily was in third place. That's not to say I'd turn away a bag of White Lily — they're still delicious, and the differences were subtle.

What do British people call Southern biscuits? ›

A Biscuit (U.S.) Is a Scone (U.K.)

A British biscuit is not remotely similar to the fluffy and filling American biscuits made famous in Southern American cuisine. The closest British equivalent to those buttery miracles is a scone, which ain't too bad either.

What to serve with Southern biscuits? ›

Biscuits are mostly of Southern origin and in traditional Southern homes the biscuit reigns supreme especially at breakfast when they are served with grits, eggs, bacon, sausage and often with milk gravy (also known as country gravy or sawmill gravy).

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Are Southern biscuits the same as scones? ›

Southerners made their scones with easily available buttermilk, lard, and low-protein soft wheat. This yielded a lighter, fluffier bread that became known as a biscuit. Northerners used a harder wheat to make their version along with heavy cream, eggs, and sugar to create what is now referred to as a scone.

What is the best flour for Southern style biscuits? ›

While there are plenty of flour varieties to choose from, White Lily reigns above all else for Southern bakers and is the crème de la crème when it comes to the flour we use for any biscuit recipe.

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Which flour is better White Lily or King Arthur? ›

As a baker, you have to determine which flour meets your tastes. So, if you are a die-hard White Lily fan, I say use White Lily! Many baked goods will be lighter than those baked with King Arthur, and if that serves your taste, then keep on keepin' on with White Lily.

Are biscuits better with butter or shortening? ›

Crisco may be beneficial for other baking applications, but for biscuit making, butter is the ultimate champion!

What are the two types of biscuits? ›

In most of North America, nearly all hard sweet biscuits are called "cookies" and savoury biscuits are called "crackers", while the term "biscuit" is used for a soft, leavened quick bread similar to a savoury version of a scone.

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How do you eat Southern biscuits? ›

At breakfast, the biscuits marry well with honey, maple syrup, any kind of jam or jelly, sausages and you can't beat the taste of freshly baked biscuits dipped into freshly fried eggs and a tad of grits.

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