Simple Biscuit Recipes
The simple and easy way to make your own biscuits and scones
Biscuits and scones are easy to make and delicious to eat. The simple biscuit recipes here are very easy, especially when you make up your own biscuit mix from my recipe, and you can add all kinds of wonderful flavorings and extras to make them super-special once you've mastered the basic biscuit recipe.
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Simple Biscuit Recipes from scratch
These next two recipes are a simple way to get started making biscuits and scones, either using a food processor or by hand. While a food processor isn't necessary, it can be very useful for those who (like me) have problems with their hands or arms.
Once you've made the basic biscuit recipe, check out the section below on ways to spiffy-up your baking with extra flavors and ingredients.
Cook Time
Prep Time: 10
Total Time: 22
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup butter chilled
- cut in pieces
- 2/3 cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F.
- Add everything except the milk to the processor bowl and buzz a few times until the fat is cut in to the dry ingredients. Turn on the processor and add milk cautiously - you may not need the full amount - until the dough forms a ball. It will be slightly sticky.
- Turn out and knead a few times on a floured surface. Roll or pat out into a sheet about 1/2" thick, then cut into triangles with a knife. Place the biscuits on a floured cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 mins until golden brown on top. Makes 12.
More Sources for Biscuit and Scone Recipes
If the recipes on this page just aren't enough for you, maybe you'll find what you want here!
- Tea Biscuits Recipe
Light, fluffy tea biscuits, great with butter and jam. - Big Daddy Biscuits
More baking powder means these biscuits rise a lot! Can be used as dinner rolls as well as for traditional biscuits uses. - Biscuit Recipe & Video - Joyofbaking.com *Tested Recipe*
These delightful Biscuits have a golden brown crusty top and bottom and are wonderfully soft and flaky. With Demo Video - Top Ten Tea Biscuit Recipes | Mama Knows
Tea biscuits are incredibly easy and quick to make and that to me that is one of the most appealing attributes - not to mention that the aroma of freshly baked goods is always, always good!
Cook Time
Prep Time: 10
Total Time: 20
Serves: 6
Basic Scones
- 225 g self raising flour
- 2 1/2 ml salt
- 5 ml baking powder
- 25 -50g butter
- 150 ml milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and a baking sheet to 450F.
- Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together, then rub in the fat (or use the food processor, as above). Stir in enough mlik to give a soft dough. Knead lightly on a floured surface, then roll or pat out to about 3/4" thick. Cut into triangles with a sharp knife, place on the hot baking sheet and bake at the top of the oven for 8-10 minutes until browned and well risen. Makes 10-12.
Alterations and Additions
Use a cookie cutter or round glass to cut the dough into rounds. You'll have leftover scraps from this which can be bunched together, re-rolled and cut again. These "second rollings" are not quite so tender as the first rolling, and you'll still end up with scraps, so I always use the knife and make triangular biscuits.
Form the whole ball of dough into one large, round, flat scone, and score the top into eighths or twelfths with a sharp knife (don't cut all the way through). This will give a big scone which breaks easily into single-serving sections. You may need to give it a little longer in the oven to make sure it's cooked all the way through.
Brush the tops with beaten egg or milk to give a shiny browned top. For sweet scones, you can also sprinkle sugar on top: colored sprinkles (hundreds-and-thousands for our Brit readers!) work too for a non-traditional look. These toppings work best with an egg wash rather than milk, as the egg glues them on rather than dissolving them like the milk tends to.
Wholemeal flour works fine in biscuits or scones but you'll need to increase the amount of baking powder. Experiment to find out what works best with your flour.
Flavorings
Sweeteners like sugar or stevia
Spices like cinnamon or ginger
Herbs (fresh or dried) (rosemary and cheese is yummy!)
Grated cheese
Dried fruit
Cut-up fruit leather (commercial or homemade)
Fresh fruit (mushed up or in chunks - try blackberries! - reduce the amount of milk used)
Combinations of the above!
I use home-grown stevia (leaves dried and crushed) in recipes but you can buy it in several different forms. Experiment with replacing sugar in recipes: in baked goods like cakes and cookies you can't replace all the sugar because it plays a part in the chemical processes of baking, but since scones and biscuits bake perfectly well without sugar you can replace all the sugar with stevia.
Stevia for your Sweet Tooth
Make Your Own Biscuit Mix
Even more simple biscuit recipes
If you make biscuits or scones frequently, make up this mix and keep it in the fridge, then all you need to do to make biscuits is to add milk or water, mix and bake.
8.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups dried milk
2 1/4 cups vegetable shortening, butter or margarine
Mix all the dry ingredients together, then cut in the fat by hand or in a food processor. Store in the fridge and use within 10-12 weeks.
Wholewheat version
8.5 cups wholewheat flour
6 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups dried milk
2 cups vegetable shortening, butter or margarine
To make rolled biscuits
Preheat oven to 450F. Combine 3 cups of mix and up to 2/3 cup milk or water in a large bowl. Let dough stand for a few minutes. Knead dough lightly on a floured surface about 15 times. Roll or pat out to 1/2" thickness, cut into triangles with a knife or rounds with a cookie cutter. Place 2" apart on an ungreased baking sheet (you can flour the sheet), bake 10-12 mins. Makes 12.
To make drop biscuits (even easier!)
Preheat oven to 450F and flour a baking sheet. Combine 3 cups of mix and up to 3/4 cup milk or water in a bowl to make a soft sticky dough. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheet and bake 10-12 mins until golden brown. Makes 12.
