Bring some Southern comfort food to your dinner table tonight with these delicious cathead biscuits! They're flaky, buttery, and baked to a beautiful golden brown crisp. Pair them with any meal you want for the perfect side.
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My Take On Cathead Biscuits
There are a lot of biscuit recipes out there, but this one is my favorite to make, and it's my family's favorite to eat. So it's a win-win!
Only four simple ingredients are needed to make these biscuits. They are pantry staples in my home, and I bet you have them, too. With the quick bake time, you could have these biscuits on your dinner table tonight with ease.
Now, you might be wondering why these are called cathead biscuits. Well, this old-fashioned southern recipe is said to make biscuits as big as a cat's head. And it's true! These biscuits are large and fluffy, filling and flaky.
I love serving them warm out of the oven with some salted butter on top for dinner, and they're delicious with jelly for breakfast. There's no wrong way to eat 'em!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
They're a hit. My wife honestly doesn't like biscuits, but she actually wants us to make these at least once a week. We've also brought them out to our friends before, and they gobbled every last one up!
Versatile. As I kind of just mentioned, you can top these biscuits with any jellies, jams, or butter you'd like. You can also make them a full meal by ladling hearty sausage gravy over top. Delicious!
Easy to make ahead. You can make a batch of these cathead biscuits and keep them in an airtight container until you're ready to serve them. Pop them into a warm oven to heat up before placing them on the table.
Ingredients
- Self-rising flour- ensures the fluffy, flakey texture and gives the biscuits volume.
- Shortening- make sure it's at room temperature. This is the secret ingredient that takes both the flavor and texture to another level.
- Buttermilk- I think this is a necessity to get the perfect flavored biscuit.
- Salt- enhances the flavors.
How To Make Cathead Biscuits
1. Prepare. Preheat the oven to 400°F, and either line a cast iron skillet with parchment paper or grease it with butter. Add the flour and salt to a large bowl and work the shortening into the flour until it comes together and forms coarse crumbs.
2. Add the liquid. Add the buttermilk to the bowl and stir until the ingredients just combine into a ball of dough. Be sure not to overmix!
3. Form the biscuits. Slightly roll the dough on a floured surface and cut it into six pieces with a biscuit cutter. Don't roll the dough too thin since we want thicker biscuits.
4. Bake and serve. Put the biscuits in the skillet. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown on top. Serve warm with anything you want and enjoy!
My Pro Tips To Make The Best Recipe
- To get a perfectly golden brown crust, brush the dough with a little melted butter before you stick it in the oven!
- Make sure the dough is still thick after rolling it out.
- Let the shortening come to room temperature before adding it to your flour.
- If you don't have a cutter, you can use a round glass. Rub the rim with a little oil before cutting.
How I Recommend Storing These Biscuits
At room temperature: I like to keep any leftovers wrapped in plastic wrap and then put them in a sealed bag with all the air squeezed out for a few days. The leftovers rarely last more than two days in my house!
In the fridge: If you don't think you'll eat the leftovers within two days, just store them in the fridge for up to 5 days instead.
In the freezer: Make sure they are cooled completely before wrapping each one individually with plastic wrap. Put them in a freezer bag and enjoy them within 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I don't have self rising flour?
You can easily make your own self-rising flour at home! Simply combine 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of salt per cup of all-purpose flour in your flour mixture.
Can I use a baking sheet to cook the biscuits?
Absolutely you can! I like the texture best with a cast iron, but a baking sheet will definitely work great too. You'll want to line it with parchment paper and rub some butter on top of that.
Can I substitute regular milk for buttermilk?
I do not recommend doing this. The two are not equal substitutes, so you'll want to use the buttermilk for the best results.
More Recipes To Try Next
- Grit cakes
- Sweet potato patties
- Chicken and stuffing
- Martha White cornbread
- Dollywood cinnamon bread
Cathead Biscuits
Bring some Southern comfort food to your dinner table tonight with these delicious cathead biscuits! They're flaky, buttery, and baked to a beautiful golden brown crisp. Pair them with any meal you want for the perfect side.
Ingredients
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- 2 tablespoons shortening at room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200ºC).
- Add the flour and salt to a bowl and work the shortening into the flour until it’s like coarse crumbs.
- Add the buttermilk to the dough and stir until it makes a ball of dough.
- Roll the dough out a little bit on a floured surface and cut it into 6 pieces with a biscuit cutter.
- Grease a cast iron skillet with butter or nonstick cooking spray, or you can put parchment paper in it. Put the cut biscuit dough in the skillet.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until brown on top.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1 biscuitAmount Per Serving: Calories: 208Total Fat: 5.3gSaturated Fat: 1.1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 237mgCarbohydrates: 33.8gFiber: 1.1gSugar: 2.1gProtein: 5.7g
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