Southern Buttermilk Einkorn Biscuits

Southern buttermilk Einkorn biscuits bring together the traditional flavors of buttermilk biscuits with the wholesome goodness of Einkorn flour. Whether you’re a seasoned pro at baking with Einkorn or trying it out for the first time, this easy-to-follow recipe will guide you through creating light, golden biscuits that everyone will enjoy. Let’s dive into this tried-and-true recipe and bring a little homemade Southern goodness to your table.

My Southern Buttermilk Einkorn Biscuits

There’s something special about family recipes—those that connect us to the past and bring comfort to our tables. My Granny taught me to make biscuits when I was just a girl. While Granny didn’t use Einkorn flour, I’ve adapted her treasured recipe for this ancient grain, keeping her techniques alive and passing them down to my sons. I’m sharing my recipe for Einkorn biscuits made with buttermilk and, like Granny’s biscuits, Southern style from my kitchen to yours.

Why Einkorn?

We switched Einkorn flour over 6 years ago because we were dealing with several digestive issues. We were pleased with its slightly nutty flavor and I’m happy to say we no longer experience the digestive issues.

Known as an ancient wheat variety, Einkorn has remained unchanged over thousands of years. For some, it’s easier to digest than today’s modern wheat varieties, making it an excellent option for those sensitive to modern wheat, although its not recommended for those with celiac disease.

One of the reasons I love using Einkorn is that it is rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals, making it a wholesome addition to any recipe. Adapting Granny’s Southern buttermilk biscuits to Einkorn biscuits was a natural step for me.

Converting any recipe to Einkorn takes a little fine-tuning and Einkorn biscuits was no different. What was the result? Fluffy, flaky biscuits that stay true to Granny’s original recipe, with the added goodness of Einkorn flour. It’s a way to honor tradition while incorporating a grain that feels nourishing and pure. We’ve written an article sharing our best tips and tricks for baking with Einkorn to help you avoid waste and cut the learning curve for you.

Einkorn behaves a little differently than modern wheat when baking, especially in recipes like biscuits. It requires less kneading, as Einkorn flour doesn’t hold up well to overworking—this helps the biscuits stay light and tender. That’s one of the reasons I love it for recipes like this, where the natural flavor and texture really shine. For more help converting your recipes to Einkorn, we’ve created a free Einkoron Conversion Chart for you.

Three Ways to Shape Biscuits: Roll Out, Drop, and Hand Roll

Everyone has a preferred method for shaping biscuits, and each one results in a slightly different texture. Whether you like a perfectly uniform biscuit or a more rustic look, these three techniques will help you shape your dough just right. I use each method at different times for shaping my Einkorn biscuits, but I most often use the hand rolling method because that’s the way I learned as a girl.

When working with Einkorn dough, it’s important to handle it gently and avoid over-flouring your surface. Einkorn’s delicate gluten structure doesn’t tolerate overworking, which can lead to dense, heavy biscuits instead of light and fluffy ones. Use just enough flour on your hands and surface to prevent sticking without drying out the dough. This balance will help keep the biscuits soft, tender, and perfectly flaky.

The dough might seem stickier than modern wheat doughs, but resist the urge to add more flour, as this can dry it out. Einkorn absorbs liquid more slowly than modern wheat, so allowing the dough to rest even just 5 minutes gives it time to soak up moisture fully.

1. Roll Out and Cut

This method gives you classic, uniform biscuits. Roll your biscuit dough to about ¾ inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Use a biscuit cutter, the rim of a glass, or even the ring from a wide-mouth canning jar to cut out rounds. Make sure to press straight down without twisting, as twisting can seal the edges and prevent the biscuits from rising as much in the oven. This method is ideal if you’re looking for evenly shaped, well-risen biscuits.

For extra flaky biscuits: Roll out your dough to about ¾ inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Then, fold the bottom third of the dough over the center, then fold the top third down over that, just like folding a letter. Then let the dough rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes to allow the butter to firm up and the dough to fully absorb the liquid. This step helps create those light, flaky biscuits you’re aiming for!

2. Drop Biscuits

Drop biscuits are a great option if you’re short on time or prefer a more rustic, craggy look. Scoop a heaping spoon, whatever size you want your Einkorn biscuits to be, of dough and drop it onto your prepared baking sheet or cast iron skillet. This method skips rolling and cutting altogether, resulting in biscuits with a slightly rougher texture but equally delicious and fluffy inside.

3. Hand Roll

Hand rolling biscuits has been a trusted method for generations, and it’s still one of the simplest ways to shape dough without needing extra tools. I use a spoon to scoop out the amount of dough I need, depending on the size of biscuit I’m after.

Lightly flour your hands, then use a gentle roll-and-tuck motion to shape the dough into a round. Einkorn tends to be stickier than other flours, so it’s essential not to over-flour or overwork the dough. Keep it light to make sure your biscuits stay soft and tender. This method gives your biscuits that rustic, homemade look with just the right balance of texture.

Each method works well depending on the kind of biscuits you’re after. Rolling and cutting will give you those uniform, bakery-style biscuits. If you’re looking for something quicker and more rustic, drop biscuits or hand-rolling will do the trick with less fuss. No matter which method you choose, you’ll end up with delicious, buttery biscuits fresh out of the oven.

Southern Buttermilk Einkorn Biscuits Recipe

Makes 6-8 biscuits depending on the size of biscuit you make

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (or Einkorn flour)
• 1 Tbs baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt – if you use salted butter; 1 tsp for unsalted butter
• 6TBS cold salted butter or lard (keep butter and lard in the fridge or freezer until ready to use)
• ½ cup cold buttermilk (you can use whole milk or make your buttermilk)
  • OR you can use 3/4 – 1 cup of milk and omit the water (this is what I usually do, but I make buttermilk)
• ¼–½ cup water (you may not use all of it)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and place your cast iron skillet in the oven to warm.
   • If you don’t use a cast iron skillet, just preheat the oven.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Cut in the cold butter or lard until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Be careful not to overwork it—keeping the butter cold is key to flaky biscuits.
4. Make a well in the flour mixture and add the buttermilk and ¼ cup of water, OR 3/4 cup of buttermilk (milk) if you prefer not to use water.
5. Gently mix with a pastry blender or wooden spoon. If the dough is too dry, add a little more buttermilk and/or water.
   • Remember, Einkorn doughs are stickier than others, but you don’t want them wet.
6. Prepare the skillet by removing it from the oven and adding just enough oil to cover the bottom of your cast iron skillet.
7. Lightly dust a saucer with flour. Lightly dust a saucer with flour. Use a spoon to scoop out enough dough for the size biscuit you want, and roll it gently in the flour.
   • You can skip this step if you use the roll and cut method or drop spoon method. See instructions above for both of these methods
8. Shape the biscuits into rounds and place them in the skillet, turning each one to coat both sides until you have used all the dough.
   • Handle the dough as little as possible to keep your biscuit light and fluffy.
9. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
10. Turn them out until cool to the touch, butter them, add bacon, eggs, or gravy, or just eat them like they are. Delicious!

You’ll end up with light, fluffy Einkorn buttermilk biscuits that are just as delicious as the ones Granny made in her kitchen. The secret is in the careful balance of not overworking the dough and keeping everything cold—especially the butter.

Wrap UP – Bringing Family Tradition to the Table

These Southern Buttermilk Einkorn biscuits are more than just a recipe—they’re a connection to my past and a way of keeping Granny’s spirit alive in my kitchen. I hope that by sharing my recipe for Einkorn biscuits based on her buttermilk biscuit recipe, you’ll find the same comfort and joy in making them as I do. From my kitchen to yours, happy baking!