The Alabama Housewife

​Southern Humorist, Storyteller and Writer

​Week Two



Buttermilk Biscuits




I love to cook. I love to bake even more. And if there’s one thing I have learned (especially as a Southerner) everybody needs to learn how to make really good buttermilk biscuits. We’ve all taken advantage of Sister Schubert and Mary B and Millie Ray from time to time and and they all work great in a pinch. But there has never been and there will never be any sort of acceptable substitute for a fresh, scratch made buttermilk biscuit hot out of the oven. It’s just not possible. And so because I love you I am sharing two buttermilk biscuit recipes I’ve learned. I hope you’ll give them a try.


Mary Alayne’s French Miracle Biscuits

The name comes from the French flour I bake with—it’s they only one I’ll use and you can find it on Amazon—and this is an old fashioned, maw maw style recipe with no exact measurements. I never once saw my maw maw use a measuring cup and everything that came out of her kitchen had been kissed by Jesus. You’ll get the feel for it, I promise.


About two cups of flour

About 1/2 T baking powder

Two good pinches of GOOD salt

1/2 stick of cold butter-grated

1/2 stick of butter-melted


Mix the dry ingredients together then cut in the cold butter. Slowly add one cup of buttermilk until you have a nice, workable dough. Knead your dough until it can be rolled but don’t over work it. Sprinkle on more flour if it’s sticky. Roll out the dough and then cut out biscuits to the size you like. Preheat an iron skillet in the oven at 350º then take it out and put a pat of butter inside to melt. Put the biscuits in the skillet and then brush more melted butter on the tops of the biscuits before you bake them. Pop them in the oven until they’re nice and toasty then enjoy!



Angel Biscuits

These biscuits have yeast in them and will be a bit more doughy rather than flaky.


2 packs of yeast

3 tablespoons of hot water

5 cups of all purpose flour

1/4 cup of Florida Crystals cane sugar

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 stick of cold butter

1/2 cup of cold Crisco

2 cups of buttermilk


Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and set aside.


Mix the dry ingredients together then cut in the butter and Crisco. Mix the yeast paste into the buttermilk then add to the dough. Once it’s workable, turn it on to a floured surface, roll out and cut biscuits. Put the biscuits into a cool skillet and set aside to rise for an hour. Once they’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400º and bake them for ten minutes. Baste tops with melted butter then return to cook for 5-7 minutes until done.


PS—If you don’t have buttermilk at home you can make some yourself by adding a tablespoon of white vinegar OR fresh lemon juice to one cup of milk. Set it aside at room temperature for a few minutes before using and you’ll be good to go. In a real pinch, you can do the same with almond milk.