Buttermilk Cornbread Biscuit Recipe (Flaky with Cornmeal!)

Why settle for plain biscuits or cornbread when you can have both? These Cornbread Biscuits combine the nutty sweetness of cornmeal with the buttery, flaky layers of classic buttermilk biscuits. With just a handful of pantry staples and simple laminating technique, you'll create tall, tender biscuits with that signature cornbread flavor and perfectly flaky texture. Ready in under an hour, they're ideal for weeknight dinners, holiday feasts, or alongside your favorite bowl of chili!

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Resting time15

Total Time50

Course: Side Dish, Sides

Cuisine: American, Southern

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 202kcal

Author: Briana

Equipment

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour 272g
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
¾ cup medium grind cornmeal 114g, can also use fine ground, but not coarse ground
8 tablespoons unsalted butter cold and cut into large tablespoon sized chunks
¾ - 1 cup buttermilk very cold!, added slowly and as needed to hydrate the dough

Instructions

Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk in the cornmeal until evenly combined.
2 cups all purpose flour , 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, ¾ cup medium grind cornmeal
Work in the butter. Add the cold butter chunks and toss to coat in flour. Using your fingers, press each piece of butter flat into thin sheets, tossing with flour as needed to prevent sticking. Continue until all butter is flattened into thin, flat pieces throughout the flour mixture.
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
Add buttermilk. Pour ¾ cup of the cold buttermilk over the flour mixture. Using your hand in a claw shape, gently fold the ingredients together until a shaggy, loose dough forms. Add more buttermilk 1-2 tablespoons at a time if the dough seems too dry. The dough should be sticky and very shaggy, don't overmix, it will come together!
¾ - 1 cup buttermilk
Shape the dough. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and gently pat it into a rough rectangle about 1-inch thick.
Create the layers (lamination!). Fold the dough in half, then cut it in half lengthwise with a bench scraper. Stack the two pieces on top of each other and press into a rectangle. Turn the dough 90 degrees. Repeat this fold-cut-stack-turn process 2-3 more times (for a total of 3-4 times) to create flaky layers. If dough becomes sticky, refrigerate for 5-10 minutes.
Roll and cut. After the final turn, gently roll the dough to ¾ to 1-inch thickness, and don't go over 1-inch in thickness, or they will topple over while baking! Using a floured 2.5-inch biscuit cutter, press straight down through the dough without twisting. Re-flour the cutter between cuts. Gently press scraps together and cut additional biscuits—you should get 8 total.
Chill. Place biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for at least 15 minutes.
Bake. Preheat oven to 425°F. Brush biscuit tops with buttermilk or egg wash. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 200-205°F. Brush with melted butter or honey butter while warm. S

Notes

Pro tips, tricks, and notes

Cold ingredients are key. Keep your butter and buttermilk refrigerated until you're ready to use them. Work quickly when mixing and shaping the dough. If the butter starts to soften or feel greasy, refrigerate the dough for 5-10 minutes before continuing.
Salt. This recipe uses Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If using Morton's kosher salt or table salt, reduce the amount by half.
Don't overwork the dough. The dough should look shaggy and rough after adding the buttermilk—this is normal! Overmixing builds gluten and creates tough, dense biscuits instead of tender, flaky ones.
Laminating creates layers. The fold-cut-stack-turn process (repeated 3-4 times) creates those beautiful flaky layers. Don't skip this step!
Cut straight down. When cutting biscuits, press the cutter straight down and lift straight up without twisting. Twisting seals the edges and prevents the biscuits from rising properly.
Alternative methods for cutting in butter. If pressing butter by hand is difficult, you can grate frozen butter into the flour using a box grater, use a pastry blender, or pulse the butter and dry ingredients in a food processor until crumbly. Work quickly to keep everything cold.
Make-ahead tip. Cut biscuits can be frozen on a baking sheet, then transferred to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding 2-3 extra minutes to the baking time.

Storage

Room temperature: Store baked biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 5-7 minutes.
Refrigerator: Keep baked biscuits in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat before serving for best texture.
Freezer (unbaked): Freeze cut, unbaked biscuits on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding 2-3 minutes to the bake time.
Freezer (baked): Freeze fully baked and cooled biscuits in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in a 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes.

Nutrition