Old Fashioned Soda Biscuits Recipe | CDKitchen.com (2024)

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These old-fashioned buttermilk biscuits are ready in a jiffy, perfect for dipping in heavy sausage gravy or mopping up runny eggs on a big, All-American breakfast plate.

Old Fashioned Soda Biscuits Recipe | CDKitchen.com (1)


serves/makes:

ready in:

under 30 minutes

16 reviews
1 comment


ingredients

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons shortening
3/4 cup buttermilk (see note)

directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Sift the flour then measure it to yield 2 cups. Sift it again with the baking soda and salt into a mixing bowl.

Add the shortening and using a pastry cutter or fork, work the shortening into the flour to form a crumbly dough.

Make a well in the center of the dough and pour in most of the buttermilk (reserve a couple of tablespoons). Stir the mixture to form a soft dough. If needed, add the remaining buttermilk to form a soft dough.

Place the biscuit dough on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with flour. Knead the dough 5 or 6 times, no more.

Pat the dough out into a 1/2-inch thick round. Cut the dough with round biscuit cutters and place on an ungreased baking sheet.

Place the biscuits in the oven and bake at 425 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

cook's notes

If you do not have buttermilk, you can make sour milk by adding 4 tablespoons vinegar to 3/4 cup of milk.

recipe tips


Do not overwork the dough to keep the biscuits light and fluffy.

For a golden crust, brush the biscuits with melted butter or milk before baking.

Space the biscuits about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

Serve the biscuits warm for the best flavor and texture.

Try adding herbs or cheese to the dough for a more savory flavor.

For a layered effect, fold the dough over a few times before cutting.

Use a sharp biscuit cutter and do not twist it to make sure the biscuits rise properly.

If you don't have a biscuit cutter, a round glass or cup can be used.

Serve with gravy, jam, or honey for a traditional Southern breakfast.

Always preheat the oven for the best baking results.

common recipe questions


Is there a substitute for shortening?

Butter or lard can be used as alternatives, but they may change the flavor and texture.

Can I make these biscuits without buttermilk?

Yes, you can use the sour milk alternative as mentioned in the cook's notes or use plain milk with a slightly different result.

How should I adjust the recipe for a sweeter biscuit?

Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar to the dry ingredients for a sweeter taste.

How do I store and reheat leftovers?

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days and reheat in the oven or microwave.

Can these biscuits be frozen?

Yes, freeze them before baking. Place the cut biscuits on a tray in the freezer, then transfer to a bag once frozen. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time.


nutrition data for old fashioned soda biscuits

240 calories, 9 grams fat, 33 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams protein per serving.



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reviews & comments for old fashioned soda biscuits

  1. laughingcook REVIEW:
    January 8, 2024

    I love soda bread so I was thrilled to find a soda biscuits recipe. Turned out perfect! Will make again.

  2. LiveLove December 19, 2020

    Looks good - pretty sure we'll like it at our house. My husband needs flat buns for his breakfast sausage!

  3. Belle REVIEW:
    August 21, 2020

    I made it as directed other than I used SOUR CREAM in place of the buttermilk. Next time I will replace salt with SUGAR and add 1 teaspoon of VINEGAR or lemon juice to activate the baking soda for more lift. Best biscuits I've ever made but thats not saying much... 5 stars

  4. Pobear REVIEW:
    May 1, 2020

    I used all the ingredients besides salt and buttermilk. But i did replace the salt with the sugar. And they turned out great

  5. Guest Foodie REVIEW:
    March 11, 2020

    My mom used to make baking soda biscuits from scratch and I loved them. This recipe tastes just like them you can the baking soda in them which is the perfect amount!! just like moms. THANK YOU!!!this is my favorite recipe for biscuits

  6. Anonymous REVIEW:
    December 24, 2019

    For those that mention too much soda, uh, they are called SODA biscuits. They are supposed to have a baking soda flavor to them (and this isn't overpowering at all - it's the right amount). These turned out perfect for me and I've made them twice now.

  7. Two-Eagle REVIEW:
    December 19, 2019

    Is work to find baking powder without Al here so I tried these. I folded the dough 30F & leaded gently 30F. Baked at 400F & watched for Browning. Put Indian Maid Products' DurumPopper Buttr on.. YUM! My new recipe for biscuits!

  8. Guest Foodie REVIEW:
    August 8, 2018

    Didn't Notice I needed to sift flour and I used butter instead but still turned out pretty good, my grandson helped me make them. Would make ag as in in a pinch. My husband sent wrong flour to my daughter's so we found it he recipe and trye

  9. Ziyadah1 REVIEW:
    July 29, 2018

    They would have been perfect,if they didn't have to much baking soda. Next time I'll use less soda, but they were still good. Thanks for the recipe.

  10. Tell REVIEW:
    April 26, 2018

    And they even tell you how to make sour milk!! Saves time and money!!

  11. Melissa REVIEW:
    April 21, 2018

    This morning's craving for fresh homemade biscuits was fierce! What, no baking powder? Bummer...until I found your recipe. A few changes and I was in buttery biscuit Heaven! Here are a few tips: Use fresh squeezed lemon juice to sour the milk, let rest 5 minutes(in place of buttermilk), replace shortening with unsalted sweet cream butter(use a grater to shred into flour and stir in lightly) Handle dough as little as possible and knead only 4-5 strokes, bake at same temperature in upper 1/3 of oven, brush tops with a little of the sour milk, only cook 8 to 9 minutes, DO NOT OVERCOOK. So light and fluffy with an exceptionally, spongy crunch on the bottom. Great taste and texture!

  12. Luke REVIEW:
    October 12, 2017

    Since I was using these with a pasta dish for dinner I cut back on the salt added garlic lowered the oven temp and they were awesome... Well for sure make these again

  13. bumblebeeisi REVIEW:
    September 14, 2014

    I think this would be a good recipe with a little tweaking I personally felt there was too much soda flavor, salt?, oven was to hot and biscuits were doughy on in BROWN on out. a lot of this is easy fixes. just need to work around the base

  14. Karis REVIEW:
    April 18, 2014

    Very good and simple recipe. Salt was left out of recipe (for these proportions 1/2 to 1 tsp. salt based on your taste should be correct. I prefer 1/2 tsp. sea salt) I think they made a mistake on temperature and it should be 425 Fahrenheit (~ 220 Celsius) for ~ 15 minutes. (Ovens always differ... watch your biscuits!) Also I hate shortening as partially hydrogenated oils are very bad for you. I substituted unsalted creamery butter. (Normal substitution for shortening is 1 to 1 or 1 to 1 1/4 butter instead of the shortening. I used 1 to 1 and it was fine)

  15. Joyce REVIEW:
    March 8, 2014

    These were very baking soda flavored. I added 1/4 tsp salt, because I worried they would be bland & I reduced the oven temp to 325 so they wouldn't brown so quickly. They looked pretty, but I couldn't even finish eating one because of the bitter taste.

  16. skittles REVIEW:
    November 6, 2013

    I baked at 450 and they still got brown too quickly. Good biscuits though.

    • CDKitchen Staff Reply:

      The oven is supposed to be at 425 degrees F, not 450.

  17. luci68 REVIEW:
    November 3, 2012

    These were very good biscuits. I was out of baking powder and had to find a new recipe. These turned brown on top before I got them out of the oven, but they stayed extra soft, not hard at all. My babies loved them also.

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Old Fashioned Soda Biscuits Recipe | CDKitchen.com (2024)

FAQs

How did they make biscuits in the old days? ›

beaten biscuits are what people made in the days before baking soda and baking powder was around. In order to get the biscuits to rise, cooks would beat the dough with a mallet, rolling pin, or even an ax for over half an hour util it blistered.”

What is a soda biscuit? ›

noun. 1. : a biscuit leavened with baking soda and sour milk or buttermilk. 2. : soda cracker.

Which liquid makes the best 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.

Should I use baking powder or baking soda for biscuits? ›

The extra baking powder makes our biscuits fluffy and tender, and baking soda helps them brown nicely. Sugar and Salt: Add flavor.

Why are 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.

What is the oldest biscuit? ›

Aberffraw biscuits are said to be Britain's oldest biscuit! The Welsh shortbread is pressed with the shape of a scallop shell and are made with high quality ingredients to create a rich, buttery shortbread.

Why are they called soda biscuits? ›

"Soda crackers today are more commonly called saltines. But they originally got their name from the fact that they contain baking soda. "The first crackers were simply flour, water and salt. They were not leavened with yeast — as for bread — or baking soda — as with biscuits.

What is in a disco biscuit? ›

(slang) A tablet of the drug ecstasy. Synonyms: ecstasy.

Is soda bread the same as biscuits? ›

Just like a biscuit, it's flaky on the outside and tender and soft on the inside. It's a delicious, quick bread! Bake your Irish Soda Bread is a delicious, slightly sweet, biscuit-like bread. If you've made my Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits, you'll see this is recipe is very similar.

Is butter or crisco better in biscuits? ›

So what's the final verdict? Butter is the winner here. The butter biscuits were moister with that wonderful butter taste and melt-in-your mouth texture. I'd be curious to test out substituting half or just two tablespoons of the butter with shortening to see if you get the best of both.

What is the secret to a good biscuit? ›

Use Cold Butter for Biscuits

For flaky layers, use cold butter. When you cut in the butter, you have coarse crumbs of butter coated with flour. When the biscuit bakes, the butter will melt, releasing steam and creating pockets of air. This makes the biscuits airy and flaky on the inside.

What kind of flour is best for biscuits? ›

Cake flour will give you a lighter, fluffier biscuit, but the outer crust won't have as much bite to it. Conversely, all-purpose flour will provide more bite, but it'll be a drier, less airy biscuit. The solution: Use half cake flour and half all-purpose flour.

Can you put too much baking powder in biscuits? ›

Too much baking powder can cause the batter to be bitter tasting. It can also cause the batter to rise rapidly and then collapse. (i.e. The air bubbles in the batter grow too large and break causing the batter to fall.) Cakes will have a coarse, fragile crumb with a fallen center.

What does cream of tartar do in baking powder biscuits? ›

As the biscuits rise, the carbon dioxide gas expands, creating pressure on the dough. This pressure can cause the dough to collapse without proper support. Cream of Tartar helps stabilize the dough structure, ensuring the biscuits maintain their shape and rise uniformly.

Is 1 tablespoon of baking powder too much? ›

Just keep in mind that too much baking powder will leave a slightly bitter taste in your baked good, so I wouldn't use anymore than 2 tsp of baking powder per 1 cup of flour.

How did people make biscuits before baking powder? ›

With no leavening agents except the bitter-tasting pearlash available, beaten biscuits were laboriously beaten and folded to incorporate air into the dough which expanded when heated in the oven causing the biscuit to rise.

Why were biscuits cooked twice? ›

The Old French word bescuit is derived from the Latin words bis (twice) and coquere, coctus (to cook, cooked), and, hence, means "twice-cooked". This is because biscuits were originally cooked in a twofold process: first baked, and then dried out in a slow oven.

What is the difference between northern and Southern biscuits? ›

The earliest biscuits were a simple combination of flour and water that resulted in little more than baked paste. Soon people learned that adding fat to the recipe made them tasty and flaky. In the Northern states butter is the favored lipid. In the South, lard or shortening is the standard.

Are American biscuits twice cooked? ›

The history of one of America's earliest and most iconic baked goods actually begins in Europe. The word biscuit comes from the Latin “biscotus,” which means twice-baked, and in medieval times probably resembled what we now know as biscotti.

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