Buttery, flaky, sour cream biscuits are such a treat. Not to mention, they practically take no time at all to make! If you don’t have the time to make a loaf of bread, biscuits are the answer.

A bowl of baked biscuits in some green linen. A cut biscuit on a yellow floral plate with butter and a knife on it.

These biscuits are not only delicate and flaky, from the real butter used to make them, but they are ultra rich and have a slight tang from the sour cream.

Sour cream biscuits delicate yet sturdy texture make them a perfect meal time companion. These are going to be your new go-to biscuit recipe!

What is a biscuit

This can be a little confusing. The biscuits I’m making in this recipe, are the tender flaky pastry. Biscuits are often served on the side of a soup, stew, chili, or sometimes baked on top of a chicken pot pie. They are sturdy enough to dip and scoop up a hearty stew, while still being light and tender. These are almost always plain or with savoury additions, like cheese or herbs.

A biscuit cut in half with butter melting on top.

A close cousin to the biscuit is the scone. These two are often confused, as they look very similar and often have many of the same ingredients. However, scones are generally dryer and more crumbly. They are often split open, layered with cream and jam, and served on the side of a pot of tea. They are made plain or with more sweet additions like raisins, currents, and chocolate.

The other confusing matter about biscuits are cookie biscuits. This goes by the same name, but are very different.

Can I make sour cream biscuits in advance

Yes! This is a great way to enjoy fresh baked biscuits for breakfast. If you prepare your dough the night before, cut the biscuits and place them on a lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning, you can bake the biscuits and enjoy them fresh from the oven!

Storage

Freezing biscuits

Yes! Baked or unbaked biscuits freeze well. So, if you are looking to do some big batch baking and store some biscuits away for a rainy day, follow these steps for freezing biscuits.

Freezing uncooked biscuit dough

Form your dough into biscuits and place on a lined baking sheet in a single layer.
Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 2-3 hours.
Place the frozen biscuits in a large freezer bag, or airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat, remove the biscuits from the freezer and place on a lined baking sheet.
Follow the directions for baking your biscuit recipe.

Freezing baked homemade biscuits

Let your biscuits cool to room temperature.
Place the biscuits in a large freezer bag or airtight container.
Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat, remove the biscuits form the freezer and place on a lined baking sheet.
Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) oven for 15-20 minutes.

Biscuits at room temperature

Biscuits tend to go stale and hard relatively quickly, when stored on the counter top. To store biscuits at room temperature, cover and place on the countertop for up to 2 days.

Biscuits in the refrigerator

To store your biscuits in the refrigerator, place them in an airtight container, or freezer bag. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Woman adding baking powder to a bowl of flour.

Ingredients for Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ cup butter

1 ½ cup full fat sour cream

Woman adding sour cream to a bowl of flour and butter mixture.

Method Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Biscuits

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Cut ¼ cup of cool butter into cubes, about 1 cm. You don’t need to be precise about this.
Mix this into the dry ingredients and crumble it in with your finger tips, (like you would for a pie crust).
Stir in the sour cream, until the mixture comes together. Then mix with your hands, until it just comes together. Don’t over mix, or knead the dough, or it will not be as tender.
Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press it out to about ½ inch thickness.
Cut the dough into biscuits using a biscuit cutter, large round cookie cutter, or an upside down cup.
Place the biscuits onto a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until a light golden brown.

Woman pressing biscuit dough out flat to cut biscuits.