This gluten-free biscuit recipe makes soft and buttery biscuits with hundreds of flaky layers! You won't believe they are gluten-free. This biscuit recipe only requires a few simple ingredients and they’re ready in about 35 minutes.
Add 2 cups of flour (less than half) along with the other dry ingredients to a bowl. Cut in the cold cubed butter until you get pieces the size of a dime. The mixture should be coarse.
Transfer to a large bowl with the remaining GF flour and xanthan gum (if using) and toss together until butter appears evenly distributed.
Pour buttermilk over entire mixture all at once and knead mixture until a shaggy dough forms and almost no dry flour is left at the bottom of the bowl.
Dust your work surface. Turn out the dough and pat into a 12”-14” rectangle. The dough block will be very thick. Fold the dough into thirds (see photos in the blog post) staring with right over left. Turn 90 degrees, roll, and fold into thirds again this time left over right. Repeat the process 2 more times, ending with a fold from left to right.
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to desired thickness, about ¾ of the height of your biscuit cutter. Dip biscuit cutter into the GF flour to prevent sticking, and then cut straight up and down, careful not to twist the biscuit cutter. Press remaining dough together and reshape into a small rectangle. Cut out additional biscuits. Repeat as many times as necessary until only a small amount of dough remains.
Mix egg yolk and milk with a fork until blended. Brush tops of biscuits lightly with mixture and place on a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
This recipe makes roughly 20 2-inch biscuits. less if you use a larger biscuit cutter.
You musy use cold butter. Placing butter in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes before using will help you achieve flakey layers.
This recipe is heavy on the salt. If you use salted butter cut the salt in half. If serving with a salty dish like sausage gravy, reduce by half as well. A minimum of 1 teaspoon of salt should be used.
Make-Ahead (Freezer): Place biscuits between layers of parchment or wax paper and place in a plastic freezer bag. They will keep for up to two months. Thaw out at room temperature. Reheat in a 350F degree oven.Dairy-Free Option: Use vegan butter and nondairy milk plus 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.