Butter Swim Biscuits Recipe

• 2½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour. Weigh the flour for consistency; if using cups, spoon and level it.
• 1 tablespoon baking powder. Use fresh baking powder for the rise.
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. This adds mild sweetness.
• 1 teaspoon fine salt.
• 2 cups (about 490 g) cultured buttermilk. Keep it cold until mixing.
• ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter. Melt it before adding the dough.

1. Heat the oven and prepare the pan. Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 450°F (232°C). Set an 8-inch square metal baking pan on a rimmed baking sheet.
2. Melt the butter. Melt the butter in a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, then pour it into the baking pan. Tilt the pan to cover the bottom.
3. Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
4. Add the buttermilk. Stir in the cold buttermilk just until the flour is incorporated. The dough should be thick, wet, and sticky; it does not need to look smooth.
5. Fill and score the pan. Spoon the dough over the melted butter. Spread it into the corners without mixing the butter into the dough. Cut through the raw dough to the bottom of the pan in a 3-by-3 grid.
6. Bake. Bake for 22–28 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into a center biscuit comes out without wet dough. If the top browns before the center is done, cover loosely with foil and continue baking, checking again after a few minutes.
7. Rest and serve. Let the pan stand for 5 minutes. Cut along the scored lines again and lift out nine biscuits.

Check the center, not just the edges. The outer squares brown first. A center square should have no wet dough on a toothpick before the pan comes out of the oven.

Stop stirring once the flour is incorporated. A rough, sticky dough is expected. Extra mixing can make the crumb tougher.

Keep the butter in the pan. Do not stir it into the dough; the butter around the dough creates the browned bottom and edges.

Use the specified pan size. An 8-inch square pan gives the dough its intended depth. The same batch spread across a 9-by-13-inch pan will bake differently.

Without buttermilk: Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup, then add milk to reach 2 cups total. Stir and let stand for 10–15 minutes before using. The flavor and crumb can differ from cultured buttermilk.

With self-rising flour: Self-rising flour already contains leavening and salt. Use 2½ cups in place of the all-purpose flour and omit the baking powder and salt. The amount of leavening varies by brand, so the rise may differ.

With salted butter: Use the same amount of butter and reduce the added fine salt to ¾ teaspoon.

After the biscuits cool, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, wrap individual biscuits and freeze them in an airtight bag for up to 3 months for best quality.

Warm a biscuit on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven until heated through. Keep toppings such as gravy or honey separate until serving.

These biscuits work beside scrambled eggs or the Sweet Potato Crust Egg Bake. For dinner, use one to scoop up Slow Cooker Turkey and Black Bean Chili. Turkey sausage gravy is another savory option.

Nutrient	Amount
Calories	240 kcal
Protein	5 g
Total fat	11 g
Total carbohydrate	30 g
Fiber	1 g
Net carbohydrate	29 g

Nutrition metrics are calculated estimates based on representative USDA ingredient labels and standard recipe yields. Because oven calibration, product density, and specific ingredient brands vary, actual baking times and nutritional totals may deviate slightly from these calculations.

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