Butter Swim Biscuits
Butter swim biscuits are an easy homemade biscuit recipe baked in a pool of melted butter, giving them crisp golden edges and a soft, fluffy center. The name comes from the way the dough bakes surrounded by butter, and there’s no rolling, folding, or biscuit cutter required.
Made with simple ingredients like flour, buttermilk, and butter, these biscuits are easy enough for beginners and work just as well for breakfast as they do alongside soups, stews, and comfort food dinners.
Recipe Highlights
Ingredients Needed
- All-purpose flour – The base of the biscuit dough.
- Baking powder – Provides the lift that gives the biscuits their soft, fluffy center.
- Granulated sugar – The biscuits are not sweet. The sugar adds a little softness and helps balance the salt.
- Salt
- Buttermilk – Adds moisture and a slight tang to the biscuits.
- Butter – The dough bakes directly in the melted butter, creating the crisp edges and buttery flavor that define butter swim biscuits.
Quick Tips Before Starting
How To Make Butter Swim Biscuits
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- In a large bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and salt.
- Pour in the buttermilk and stir until everything is combined.
- Add 6 tablespoons of butter to an 8×8-inch baking dish and place it in the oven until the butter melts. Heating the dish at the same time helps create the crisp edges.
- Carefully remove the hot baking dish from the oven. Add the biscuit dough and spread it evenly over the melted butter.
- Score the dough into 9 squares in a 3×3 pattern.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. You can let them go a little longer if you prefer more browning on top.
- Remove from the oven and brush the tops with about 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Let the biscuits cool for 10–15 minutes, then cut along the scored lines again before serving.
Storing Butter Swim Biscuits
These biscuits are best eaten the first day, but they reheat well. The dough itself is not suitable for freezing, but you can bake the biscuits, separate them, freeze them, and reheat them later.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are butter swim biscuits sweet?
No. The 1 tablespoon of sugar does not make the biscuits sweet. I’ve made them with and without it, and the sugar gives the biscuits a slightly softer texture and helps balance the salt.
Can you freeze butter swim biscuits?
Yes, after baking. Let the biscuits cool, separate them, and freeze them for reheating later. The unbaked dough is not something I recommend freezing.
More Butter Swim Biscuit Recipes
- Honey Butter Swim Biscuits – A sweeter variation made with honey and finished with a honey butter topping.
- Blueberry Butter Swim Biscuits – Filled with blueberries and finished with a sweet lemon glaze.
- Lemon Blueberry Butter Swim Biscuits – A brighter citrus version with lemon and blueberries throughout.
- Cheddar Bay Butter Swim Biscuits – A savory variation with cheddar, garlic, and a buttery herb topping.
- Garlic Parmesan Butter Swim Biscuits – A cheesy garlic variation made with parmesan and mozzarella.
Butter Swim Biscuits
Equipment
- 8×8 baking dish
Ingredients
- 2.5 cup all-purpose flour 313g
- 4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cup buttermilk
- 6 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Topping
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450℉.
- In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. Then, add in the buttermilk and stir until everything is combined.
- Place the baking dish in the oven with the 6 TB of butter and allow to melt. This also preheats the baking dish to help with the crispy edges.
- Once the butter is melted, remove the dish then add in the biscuits mix. Carefully spread it out in the baking dish then using a knife, score the biscuits into 9 squares 3×3.
- Place the dish back into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. The biscuits are done when the tops are golden but you can push it a little longer if you like a lot of browning on the top.
- When done baking, remove from the oven. Brush the top of the biscuits with a little melted butter (about 1 TB) for the shine, then allow to cool 10-15 minutes before serving
I count only 7 tbs butter where is the rest
I am not sure what you’re asking but I am going to assume you’re looking for the 8TB you see in most recipes. Correct me if my presumption is off of course.
But referring to that, I don’t use the whole stick because after testing 6TB gives a great flavor. The extra 2 tablespoons really doesn’t make a difference outside of more calories. On the other hand, 5TB is too little and you lose flavor oddly.