A step-by-step tutorial for tender and easy 100% whole wheat flaky homemade biscuits - the kind with layers. You won't believe these are whole wheat! If you love these biscuits, you'll love our other Best Bread Recipes.
I love these 100% whole wheat flaky homemade biscuits. Really. But you might not guess that by looking at our family menus because whenever I serve them to my family (especially Brian) they always make a comments like, "they're fine...they're just not a real, yeast bread, you know?"
Silly family. These homemade biscuits truly are tender and amazing. I love them and since they're SUPER easy (like fresh from the oven in 20 minutes!), they'll keep making appearances at our meals. And with sausage gravy over them? My favorite "guilty pleasure" breakfast. Ever.
If you've never made biscuits before, they truly are quick and easy - but there are a few tricks to getting those flaky layers. Which of course you know I'm going to share because I want everyone to know you can have warm 100% whole wheat flaky homemade biscuits in just a few minutes whenever you want.
So let's have a short tutorial so you can see the easy steps and my tips & tricks.
How to Make Whole Wheat Flaky Homemade Biscuits
1. Start in a food processor -it's a lot easier to cut the butter into the dry ingredients than by hand (but of course, you can- use a pastry cutter in a medium bowl). The machine takes less than a minute.
2. Cut the butter into pieces and add to the dry ingredients. Pulse until the the butter is incorporated, resembling coarse cornmeal but with a few larger pieces of butter (that's what we want for the flakiness we're after).
See the larger butter pieces in the top photo? That's good.
3. Transfer the flour mixture into a medium bowl. I know, I know...one more thing to wash, but that's the trade-off we have to make so that we don't end up with tough biscuits. (Learn from my mistake: I use to do it all in the processor so I didn't dirty another bowl, but the biscuits weren't very tender and flaky. And that's how I learned what pastry chefs mean when they say not to "overwork the dough.")
4. Mix the buttermilk and egg together in a glass measuring cup and add it all at once to the dry ingredients. Mix just until most of the flour is incorporated. There should still be dry bits. This is important- I always used to mix until it looked like regular dough, but that was "overworking" the dough I came to find out (they always just throw these terms around like you automatically know what they mean...) and my biscuits were not tender or flaky.
Here's a picture to help you avoid the same mistake - see the loose flour still on the board when I turned it out of the bowl? Yeah, that's good. There will be dry looking places still, but we're going to knead it a bit to shape and finish the dough at the same time.
5. Flour your hands well and start gently bringing all the pieces together into a sort of ball shape, then continue kneading a couple more times, adding more flour as the pieces of butter stick to the board, until it holds together. If you have a bench scraper, this is a good time to put it to use.
After kneading about 10 times (times, not minutes) it should look like this in the photo above. Remember, just a light hand, it's not like kneading a yeast dough.
6. Now fold it on itself 3 to 4 times to help create some of those great layers.
7. Roll out the dough using a rolling pin (or your hands) into a rectangular shape that's about 1-inch to 1-1/4 inches thick and cut with a biscuit cutter or use a knife and cut into squares (I'm cutting both circles and squares here). There's no law that says biscuits have to be circles and I actually like squares better if I'm going to be using them for sandwiches or breakfast sandwiches.
Note: I should mention that when all the sides are cut (like when using a biscuit cutter) the dough is able to rise better, so you'll get higher biscuits than those cut with a knife that leave the outside edges uncut. However, a bonus of cutting it into squares is no re-rolling and no waste, so there you have it - the pros and cons of both.
8. Brush the tops with buttermilk (or milk) to create a nice brown, shiny top, though this is purely optional.
9. Bake until browned. Cool a little and serve warm - preferably with real butter.
Oh my. Look at those flaky layers. That's what we're talking about!
Amazing Whole Wheat Flaky Homemade Biscuits
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour*
- 1 teaspoon honey or sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cold butter
- 1 egg
- 1 cup buttermilk**
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- In the bowl of a food processor or regular bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients (if using honey, combine it with the liquid ingredients). Pulse (or mix) to combine.
- Cut up the butter into eight pieces and add to the dry ingredients. Pulse (or use a pastry blender) until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal with a few pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. If using a processor, transfer to a medium bowl.
- Combine the egg and buttermilk (and honey, if using) in a glass measure; add to the dry ingredients all at once. Stir with a wooden spoon just until mixture starts to come together (it will not be completely mixed). Don't over mix.
- Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 10 - 15 times until dough holds together, folding a couple of times at the end like a letter. Pat or roll into a 1 to 1-1/4 inch rectangle. Cut with a biscuit cutter or knife into about a dozen biscuits depending on the size.
- Place on a lined or greased cookie sheet, and brush the tops with milk, if desired, for a shiny, browned top.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Other Easy Bread Recipes You May Like:
Yummy French Baguettes bread recipe, mixed in a food processor.
Easy Artisan Bread - perfect every time.
Brenda says
Jami, I would love to try your whole wheat biscuits. They look yummy. My husband is sensitive to butter due to lactose intolerance (he can handle buttermilk because It contains enzymes that help with digestion). I wonder if these can be made with shortening such as Crisco and turn out well. Thanks.
Jami says
I'm glad you want to try these biscuits, Brenda! I would use coconut oil (refined, though, so there wouldn't be a coconut flavor) if I couldn't use butter - it's a real food that has health benefits (opposite of crisco) and acts like butter/shortening in cooking. I haven't tried it, though, but am pretty sure they'd turn out. 🙂
Chuck McCollum says
Jami,
Thanks so much for posting this recipe--and especially for clarifying the meaning of "overworking the dough." I made these yesterday morning and I (and, more importantly, my wife) loved them!
As I am on a "fat loss" food plan, using whole grains is a huge part of my life, and this recipe fits in perfectly with my plan (although I'm sure some of my "fat loss" colleagues would raise an eyebrow at using whole butter)! This is the first time I've made any whole wheat biscuits that had such a light texture. I imagine that's mostly due to the light handling of the dough--so thank you again!
I have a question: I went out and bought a bottle of Cream of Tartar specifically for this recipe--but what is its purpose? My online research tells me that it is usually used as an acid to activate the soda--but there's no soda in this recipe (and they also say that the Baking Powder already has its own Cream of Tartar mixed in). Can you shed so light on this?
Thanks,
Chuck
David says
I used cold coconut oil in place of the butter, and the recipe came out just fine. Perhaps this substitution would raise fewer eyebrows among your friends.
jude says
These are just delicious! Mine didn't rise a lot but were still tender and flaky. I didn't have the pastry flour. So used 2 1/2 cups whole wheat and 1/2 cup white flour. I probably underworked them. Which, at this point, I find preferable. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Jami says
Glad you liked them, Jude! I think the pastry flour might make them rise more, regular ww is just a bit heavier. But if you liked them as is, that's what matters. 🙂
Richard says
What a delightful website, full of great recipes! We search the world for the best recipes that are additive free, natural, clean, and homemade. This site is really something.
I just tried the biscuit recipe... these are seriously the best biscuits I've ever had. The square cut idea was a nice change, worked great with the homemade pasta sauce we created.
Would you mind if we showcase some of your recipes in our online community? We're here in Canada, and have lots of Whole Food Enthusiasts who would like these recipes. We will link it all back to you.
Have a great week!
Richard
Jami says
Thank you, Richard - I appreciate your kind words! I would be honored for you to share my recipes with other whole food enthusiasts, as long as it's not the entire recipe, just a photo, description and link to my site - thank you for asking. I love finding other whole food recipes, so I'll be sure to check your site out, too!
Richard says
Sounds great. I will follow your direction in linking. Your Sourdough Starter recipe looks like a real keeper too!
Sue Mosier says
Would you please tell me how you know when the biscuits are finished cooking? Do you ever use an internal temperature? Thank you, I want to try theses tomorrow.
Claire says
Your instructions for making flaky whole wheat biscuits are excellent. These did, indeed, rise very well and were very tender, However, their taste is quite awful. Perhaps this is why your husband objects to them.
I'm someone who generally enjoys whole wheat in anything; being an experienced baker, I was careful that all ingredients, including King Arthur whole wheat pastry flour, were fresh and measured accurately. My best guess is that the flavor was altered by the inclusion of cream of tartar--something I've never before seen in a biscuit recipe. I'll try these again using baking soda rather then cream of tartar to see if the taste is improved by that substitution.
Again, thank you for posting great pictures and instructions.
Jami says
I'm so sorry you didn't have a good experience with the flavor, Claire. That is definitely not our family's experience - or anyone I've served these to over the many years I've made them. My husband doesn't like any type of baking soda/powder bread, he just prefers yeast breads - it has nothing to do with the flavor of these in particular. If you are sensitive to cream of tartar, then I hope you do like the substitution better!
chesty says
why did you use baking powder and add cream of tartar? Baking powder contains cream of tartar and is usually used with baking soda to help with activation when no acid is used (like buttermilk) as you should know?
Zoe says
I just made these with my dad (I'm 7), and they're sooooo good. 🙂
Jami says
I'm so glad you liked these, Zoe! Thanks for leaving a comment letting us know. 🙂
Riley says
They also don't have the baking soda aftertaste that old-fashioned biscuits have.
Riley says
Just made these using half spelt & half kamut flour. I used plain kefir (lifeway brand) in place of the buttermilk. They turned out wonderfully. Kefir is lactose-free.
Jami says
Oh, that sounds wonderful, Riley - it's so nice to know they turned out good with these substitutions. Thanks for letting us know!
Angie says
Incredible. Just made them - eating them now. I decided to eat the "remnant" biscuits first to save the cut, fluffy ones for husband. These biscuits are so delicious and easy! I used the milk with vinegar option since I didn't have any buttermilk and my experience with vinegar in pastries and doughs is flaky soft. Having them with my whole wheat sausage gravy for dinner :). Thanks so much for posting this recipe.
Jami says
Yeah! So glad to hear this, Angie - they are one of my favorites that I don't make that much because the rest of my family only likes yeast breads. 🙁
Sue suddenly says
Mine came out bitter and tough. Is that the flour? & inexperience?
Jami says
So sorry, Sue! I've actually never had that problem, so I'm not sure what happened. 🙁
jen says
If I don't have cream of tartar, will the end result be very different and are there any substitutes for it? Thanks
Jami says
Hmm, I haven't tried it, Jen, but I think it does make a difference - that's why other recipes I've tried without it aren't the same, I'd guess. I don't know off-hand if they're are substitutes, though you could google to find out. 🙂
Maureen says
Jami, I tried to click on a link in Pinterest to get here for your yummy looking biscuits but for whatever reason Pinterest has blocked that page. I'm glad I persevered and googled your site. You have amazing recipes here and I've just spent the last hour browsing, copying and pinning. Thank you for your site. I just wanted to let you know about the Pinterest thing in case you didn't know.
Jami @ An Oregon Cottage says
Thanks so much for continuing your search and finding your way here, Maureen! It's so nice to know you're enjoying looking around. 🙂
Yes, the Pinterest thing can be frustrating. If a picture is pinned from Google Images, for example, it won't be linked to my site. I try to make sure to pin things from the original site and to make sure the pin is from the original site before I repin. Sometimes a pain, but I want to be able to get to the recipe, idea, or whatever and also to give credit where due. 😉
Appreciate your taking the time to comment and let me know!
Gina says
I have never been completely happy with my whole wheat biscuit recipe. I have loved so many of your recipes - that I'm printing this off now!
Gina
My name is Caroline says
Would you be able to freeze these for baking later? I'm preparing for baby and want some biscuits on hand! 🙂
Jami @ An Oregon Cottage says
Congratulations, Caroline! I haven't personally tried it, but I know of many others who freeze biscuits to bake later all the time, so they should work fine. I don't know why, but I tend to bake them all and freeze them after - I know they do this well, but then again, no fresh-from-the-oven biscuit, either. 🙂
Jennifer says
These look amazing! Trying to figure out if the substitutes would work for my dairy allergic dd. I am thinking that fake margarine and rice milk won't make them near as tasty as the ones you made.
Anonymous says
Try substituting lard for the butter. Yes I mean lard, that's what Granny used all those decades ago.
Anne says
awesome! I am so making these!!
sandy says
If you cut them round, can you gently pat the dough back together and cut into more biscuits?
Jami says
Yes - those won't be quite as tender, but I always use all of it, no matter how I cut them!
Mindy says
Yum! I'm pinning these! 🙂