These biscuits have become a staple in our home over the last many years. I didn’t grow up making biscuits, but this is the recipe I have grown to love making for my family. So grab your large cast iron pan and make up these quick flaky biscuits.

The best thing about this recipe is that I can throw it together last minute. In no time I have an impressive biscuit to top with butter and jam or gravy or even use as a part of strawberry shortcake.

These Quick Flaky Biscuits are Quick

I love that with this recipe I can be very last minute with what I am making and still have these mixed up and out of the oven in around 20 minutes. I always have the ingredients on hand and so it is as simple as getting them set out and turning on the oven to get started.

You want to make sure you have a large cast iron pan to make these. Or two smaller ones. I have never made them any other way. They would probably turn out well on a regular baking sheet, but I have never done that. The cast iron pan is a great vessel to warm up the butter to set the biscuits in to bake.

These biscuits are great with strawberry jam

These Biscuits are Square

I think one reason that I never made biscuits very much growing up is that it took a lot of time. Or at least it seemed to. I never learned to use a biscuit cutter to cut out our biscuits. My mom would make drop biscuits, but I didn’t love the texture of those.

These biscuits are not round as most are because I don’t use a biscuit cutter. It is a huge time saver. If you want them round, by all means, use a circle cutter and cut them out round. I have done it too. But if you want to quickly get them into the oven, use a bench scraper or knife and make a few quick cuts to get them all in the pan. They are ready without having to roll up any dough multiple times like when you have used all the parts you can with a round cutter and need to reshape.

Ingredients for Cast Iron Flaky Biscuits

Flour
Butter
Sugar
Salt
Baking Powder
1 Egg
Milk

Step by Step Instructions – Make the Biscuits

Turn on your oven to 450 degrees and place 1 large or 2 small cast irons pans inside to warm up.

Get out a large bowl and mix all the dry ingredients up.

Add in cubed butter and work it in with a pastry cutter or your fingers.

Next, add the egg and milk and mix together.

The dough will be shaggy and not all the way together at this point. Knead it a few times in the bowl to get it to stick together a bit better.

The biscuit dough will be shaggy at first

Put the dough onto a floured surface and push the dough together with your hands to form a loose ball. Do NOT over knead like bread.

Shape the Biscuits

Now shape the dough into a 1″ thick rectangle with your hands or a rolling pin

Fold the dough over into thirds and fold like a paper going into a long envelope (tri-fold)

fold the biscuit dough in thirds 2 or 3 times

Repeat the rolling and tri-folding for a total of 2-3 times

Next, you will roll out the dough a final time into a 1″ thick square for 9 really thick biscuits, or a rectangle for 12 thinner biscuits.

Cut the biscuits with a bench scraper or knife into 9 or 12 biscuits.

Cook Up The Biscuits

Now take the piping hot skillet out of the oven and add an additional 2 tablespoons of butter to the hot cast iron skillet that’s been in the pre-heating oven and place the skillet back in the oven for a few minutes to brown the butter.

browned butter in the bottom of the cast iron adds a nice crunch to the biscuits

Take the skillet out of the oven again with the melted butter, and then arrange the biscuits in the skillet. Bake for 14-15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

Remove the biscuits from the oven and let them cool in the skillet for a few minutes before serving.

You can place the cast iron skillet right on the table for serving or remove to another bowl.

Tips for Flaky Biscuits

Make sure your butter is cold
Don’t mix it up too much or kneed like bread
Get the cast iron pan nice and hot in the oven before putting biscuits into it.
Store any leftover flaky biscuits (if you have them!) in an airtight container. I think they are best the first day or two.

Yield: 9-12

Cast Iron Biscuits

These flaky and buttery cast iron biscuits are so quick to make and come out delicious every time.

Ingredients

3 cups flour
1-2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup cold butter, cubed plus 2 tablespoons for the pan
1 egg
1 cup whole milk

Instructions

Turn on your oven to 450 degrees and place 1 large or 2 small cast irons pans inside to warm up.

Get out a large bowl and mix all the dry ingredients up.

Add in cubed butter and work it in with a pastry cutter or your fingers.

Next, add the egg and milk and mix together.

The dough will be shaggy and not all the way together at this point. Knead it a few times in the bowl to get it to stick together a bit better.

Put the dough onto a floured surface and push the dough together with your hands to form a loose ball. Do NOT over knead like bread.

Now shape the dough into a 1" thick rectangle with your hands or a rolling pin

Fold the dough over into thirds and fold like a paper going into a long envelope (tri-fold)

Repeat the rolling and tri-folding for a total of 2-3 times

Next, you will roll out the dough a final time into a 1" thick square for 9 really thick biscuits, or a rectangle for 12 thinner biscuits.

Cut the biscuits with a bench scraper or knife into 9 or 12 biscuits.

Now take the skillet out of the oven and add an additional 2 tablespoons of butter to the hot cast iron skillet that's been in the pre-heating oven and place the skillet back in the oven for a few minutes to brown the butter.

Take the skillet out of the oven again with the melted butter, and then arrange the biscuits in the skillet. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

Remove the biscuits from the oven and let them cool in the skillet for a few minutes before serving.

You can place the cast iron skillet right on the table for serving or remove to another bowl.