Reese Witherspoon’s Buttermilk Biscuits Are So Good I Can't Stop Making Them

I love baking biscuits from scratch. I know that there are canned biscuits out there that you can just pop open and put into the oven, but I've always preferred to make my own. After all, this recipe comes together in just a few minutes and the biscuits are unmatched.

This recipe from Reese Witherspoon’s cookbook is credited to her grandma, and it has all the notes of a classic buttermilk biscuit recipe. The ingredients are simple and the process is straightforward, just like any good biscuit should be.

How I Make Reese Witherspoon’s Buttermilk Biscuits

To make Reese Witherspoon’s buttermilk biscuits, start by preheating the oven to 450°F. It may seem hot, but a hot oven means a nice flaky biscuit. Reese recommends brushing a baking sheet with a little melted butter, but because the oven temperature is so high, I lined a baking sheet with parchment paper instead. Set the baking sheet aside once prepped.

Here are the ingredients you'll need:

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, divided (2 tablespoons melted; 6 tablespoons cold, cut into small cubes)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• ¾ teaspoons kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ cup cold buttermilk

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, kosher salt, and baking soda. Use a whisk to evenly mix the dry ingredients. Once mixed, add the six tablespoons of cubed cold butter. Use your hands to smash the cubes of butter, working them into the dry ingredients until a shaggy mixture has formed. Remember, each pocket of butter will melt in the oven and make a delicious bite of biscuit, so make sure to evenly distribute it throughout the mix.

Make a well in the center of the shaggy mixture and pour in the cold buttermilk. Mix until a dough has started to form, then dump out on a lightly floured counter and knead it quickly to make a cohesive dough. Shape the dough into a rectangle, then roll it out with a rolling pin until the dough is about an inch thick. Use a 2 ½-inch biscuit cutter to cut out biscuits.

Place each biscuit on the prepared sheet tray, then brush with melted butter. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until doubled in size and golden brown.

Tips for Making Reese Witherspoon’s Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

• Prep everything first. Having your ingredients prepped and at the right temperature is key for this recipe. Make sure the six tablespoons of cold butter are really cold, as is the buttermilk. This allows maximum height and fluffy texture from your biscuits.
• Use unsalted butter. Though the recipe doesn’t specify whether to use salted or unsalted butter, I would highly recommend using unsalted. The amount of salt in the dough is already high, and the biscuits are perfectly salty as is. 
• Cut away from the edge. As you’re cutting out your biscuits, make sure the biscuit cutter doesn't overlap with an edge of the dough. If you’re able to create a seal with the cutter, the rise of the biscuit will be better. Besides, introducing the uneven, air-filled edges of the dough is an easy way to end up with shorter biscuits.