To make biscuits for Thanksgiving, cut cold butter into flour, stir in cold buttermilk, and bake the rounds until they are tall and golden. Baking-powder biscuits are a quicker bread-basket option than yeast rolls, and they belong on their own page rather than inside a roll recipe. For yeast rolls, see how to make dinner rolls for Thanksgiving. More side-dish help is in Thanksgiving side dishes and the Thanksgiving guide.
Keep the butter cold and do not overwork the dough
Heat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment. In a bowl, whisk 2 cups all-purpose flour with 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Cut in 6 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter (cubed, or grated on the large holes of a grater) until the mix looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-size bits. Pour in 3/4 cup cold buttermilk and stir just until a shaggy dough forms. Turn it onto a lightly floured counter, pat it into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle, and fold it in half once or twice for a little height. For cut biscuits, stamp rounds with a cutter and do not twist the cutter. For drop biscuits, skip the folding and scoop 1/4-cup mounds onto the sheet.
Bake hot, and time them around the turkey
Arrange cut biscuits so they almost touch if you want soft sides, or space them apart for crisper edges. Bake 12 to 16 minutes, until the tops are golden. Brush with a little melted butter if you like. Biscuits are at their best the day they are baked; you can mix the dry ingredients and cube the butter a day ahead, then add the buttermilk just before baking. They reheat well, loosely wrapped, in a 300°F oven for about 8 minutes. Serve them beside the rolls, not instead of a roll how-to — guests often want both, and leftover biscuits can go into a next-day sandwich or bread pudding.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between biscuits and dinner rolls?
Biscuits use baking powder and are mixed and baked in minutes. Dinner rolls are a yeasted dough that needs time to rise.
Can I make drop biscuits instead of cut biscuits?
Yes. A wetter dough scooped onto the pan skips the cutter and still bakes up tender.
Can I make the dough ahead?
You can combine the dry ingredients and cut in the butter ahead. Add the buttermilk and bake close to dinner so the biscuits stay tall.
Helpful kitchen tools
- OXO Good Grips 1.5-Qt Stainless Mixing Bowl — A mixing bowl is the right size for cutting butter into two cups of flour.
- OXO Good Grips Multi-Purpose Scraper and Chopper — A scraper or chopper cuts cold butter into the flour without warming it in your hands.
- OXO Good Grips 11-Pound Digital Kitchen Scale — A scale makes the flour measurement more consistent from batch to batch.
- OXO Good Grips Bent Icing Spatula — A spatula brings the shaggy dough together without overmixing.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.