Brenda Gantt’s White Lily Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

Brenda Gantt’s White Lily Buttermilk Biscuits hold a special place in my heart and my recipe collection. Of all the biscuit recipes I’ve tried over the years, this one easily takes first prize for taste and texture! These tender, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits are made extra special with White Lily flour, which creates that soft texture biscuit-lovers crave.

As a beloved southern baker, Brenda Gantt is renowned for her exceptional biscuits. Her technique for incorporating icy cold butter and buttermilk into the dough results in the flakiest, butteriest biscuits that just melt on your tongue. I’m so thrilled to finally share my take on Brenda’s famous family recipe for these biscuits that have people begging for more every time I make them.

In this post, I’ll take you through my easy step-by-step method to create a big batch of these crowd-pleasing biscuits. So get ready to bake up some magic with this can’t-fail recipe for Brenda Gantt’s Buttermilk Biscuits.

What Does Buttermilk Do For Biscuits?

Buttermilk plays a crucial role in creating light, tender and flaky biscuits:

Adds Tenderness: The acidity of buttermilk helps keep the gluten strands in the flour from toughening up too much, resulting in a more tender, melt-in-your-mouth biscuit crumb.

Enhances Flakiness: The subtle tang of buttermilk reacts with the baking soda, creating pockets of carbon dioxide that lift up the dough layers, leading to those sought-after flaky layers that make biscuits heavenly.

Boosts Rise: Buttermilk provides extra lift to the biscuits as they bake, giving them a taller, airier shape compared to biscuits made with just milk or water. The lactic acid helps the baking powder do its job.

Brings Rich Flavor: Buttermilk adds a delicate tangy flavor and creamy richness that takes biscuits up a notch compared to using other liquids. It complements the butter and wheats notes perfectly.

Ingredients That You Will Need

• 2 cups of White Lily self-rising flour – The low-protein soft winter wheat flour that gives biscuits their delicately tender crumb.
• 2 egg-sized balls of grease (butter, shortening, etc.) – The fat that makes biscuits rich and flaky when incorporated into the dough.
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk – The tangy dairy that lends moisture, rise and subtle flavor to biscuits.
• Optional: jam or preserves for topping – Sweet fruity spreads that complement biscuits for added flavor.

Kitchen Tools Needed

• Mixing bowl
• Biscuit cutter (or open-top can)
• Baking sheet/griddle
• Oven

How To Make Brenda Gantt’s White Lily Buttermilk Biscuits

Step 1: Combine Ingredients

Add White Lily self-rising flour to the bowl. Make a hole in the center and add 2 egg-sized portions of grease. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk.

Step 2: Mixing Dough

Mix the flour, buttermilk, and grease until a shaggy dough forms. Be careful not to overmix; stop when just combined.

Step 3: Prepare Work Surface

Lightly flour a clean work surface then turn the dough onto the surface and shape it gently into a round.

Step 4: Shape and Cut

Pat the dough into a 1/2-inch thickness. Use a biscuit cutter to cut rounds, reforming scraps as needed.

Step 5: Bake

Place biscuits on a baking sheet/griddle. Preheat the oven to 500°F. Bake for around 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Step 6: Finish and Serve

Remove biscuits from the oven and brush with melted butter.

Optional: Add your favorite jam or preserves at the topping for extra flavor.

Success Tips for the Best Homemade Biscuits

• Use very cold or even frozen butter and buttermilk right out of the fridge/freezer for the flakiest biscuits. The cold fat tenderizes the dough.
• Handle the biscuit dough very gently when incorporating ingredients and shaping. Overworking develops tough gluten strands.
• Cut biscuits straight down using a gentle sawing motion rather than twisting the cutter. Twisting seals the sides and prevents rise.

Biscuit Variations

• For cheesy biscuits, stir in 1/2 cup shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack or Parmesan cheese into the dry ingredients before adding buttermilk.
• Scramble an egg with ham, bacon or sausage, split a baked biscuit and fill like a breakfast sandwich.
• Sweeten your biscuits by brushing melted butter atop then sprinkling cinnamon-sugar. Or after baking, drizzle with honey or top individual biscuits with fruit jam, lemon curd or chocolate ganache.

Make-Ahead Method

Prepare your biscuit dough in advance, shape into rounds, arrange with space on a baking sheet, and freeze solid – this lets you bake fresh biscuits on demand!

Baking frozen shaped biscuit dough will take an extra 5-10 minutes at the original recipe temperature to allow the dough to thaw and bake through without burning on the outside. Add time as needed.

Freeze Before or After Baking

For long term freezer storage, shape chilled raw biscuit dough rounds and freeze on a baking sheet 1 month before baking. Transfer frozen biscuits to an airtight bag or container until ready to bake.

You can also fully bake a batch of biscuits, let cool completely, then store in freezer bags up to 3 months. Reheat frozen pre-baked biscuits at 300°F for 8-10 minutes before enjoying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common FAQs about this biscuit recipe:

Can I substitute white flour instead of White Lily flour?

Yes, you can substitute all-purpose flour though the biscuits won’t have quite the same tender crumb. It’s recommended to add 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp baking powder to each cup of all-purpose flour.

How long do homemade biscuits last?

Baked biscuits are best eaten the same day but can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat before serving. Unbaked dough will keep 1-2 days in the fridge.

What is the best way to cut biscuit dough?

Use a gentle up-and-down pressing motion rather than twisting the cutter, which seals the layers. Cutting straight down helps achieve flakier biscuits with better rise.

Why are the bottoms of my biscuits burnt?

If your biscuits are over-browning on the bottom, check that you are allowing your baking pan to fully preheat before adding the biscuits. Rotate your pan halfway through bake time too. And always check a minute or two early.

Can I freeze homemade biscuits?

Yes! Freeze the unbaked shaped dough rounds on a pan, then transfer into bags for up to 1 month. Or bake them then freeze for up to 3 months. Wrap well.

Why aren’t my biscuits fluffy?

Overworking the gluten can lead to dense biscuits. Be very gentle, keep the butter and buttermilk ice cold, and use a light hand when handling biscuit dough for the fluffiest texture.

Let me know if you have any other questions to add!

Conclusion

As you can see, creating these melt-in-your-mouth southern biscuits at home is easy with my simple approach! Now that I’ve shared my secrets – from using ice-cold ingredients to handling the dough gently – you have all the know-how to make Brenda Gantt’s White Lily Buttermilk Biscuits yourself. With the self-rising White Lily flour and tangy buttermilk lending old-fashioned flavor and featherlight texture, I guarantee these biscuits will be your new favorite. 

Whether splitting and filling them for breakfast sandwiches, topping with sausage country gravy, or just slathering in butter and honey, you can’t go wrong with these classic southern-style biscuits. Flaky and buttery warm from the oven, these White Lily Buttermilk Biscuits are sure to disappear quick off your breakfast table! 

Now that you’ve mastered my technique, you can start your mornings right with the South’s best biscuits.