These big buttermilk biscuits bake up tall and flaky with a sweet jam center that turns glossy and caramelized in the oven! Breakfast never felt so bakery-worthy (especially since the bakery is literally in my backyard).
We opened The Bakehouse Texas (my monthly backyard bakery pop-up here in Bellville) last November, and every month since I’ve been packing up dozens and dozens of bakery boxes. Of course I’ve learned that every new baking venture I take on requires loads of flexibility. Honestly, that’s what makes it exciting!
With The Bakehouse Texas. I very quickly realized I needed a bake that could come hot from the oven just as folks were walking up to the counter. —either to grab their pre-orders or wander over out of curiosity (I love the curiosity part!). I needed something that smells like butter and sugar and golden dough to say come on over, right this way!
At first, I thought scones. They’re practical in that easy to prep ahead, chill, even bake from frozen kind of way. But the truth is, a buttery biscuit just feels more Texas-coded. A little more generous, don’t you think?
Funny enough, these biscuits come to us from Portland, Oregon, famously served at Grand Central Bakery. What makes them unforgettable is their craggly, buttery height and that generous spoonful of jam tucked right into the center. In the oven, the jam bubbles and caramelizes around the edges, creating a sticky, golden pockets that feel like such a treat. In other words: a perfect offering.
These biscuits are officially part of the Bakehouse Texas rotation (just as soon as we’re back from a short maternity leave), and we have Grand Central Bakery to thank for the inspiration.
And if you can’t make it out to Bellville for a warm biscuit from my oven, I hope you’ll make these in your own kitchen. I have a feeling they’ll become one of those recipes you come back to again and again – they really are that dang simple and GOOD!
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make these big jammy buttermilk biscuits:
All-purpose flour – The sturdy foundation of these biscuits. It gives structure while still allowing for those tender, pull-apart layers we’re after.
Granulated sugar – Just enough to lightly sweeten the dough and balance the tang of the buttermilk.
Baking powder – Our main leavening lift. This is what helps the biscuits rise tall and proud in the oven.
Baking soda – Works with the acidity of the buttermilk to give the biscuits an extra boost and a tender crumb.
Kosher salt – Essential for flavor. It sharpens the butter, balances the sweetness, and makes the whole biscuit taste just right.
Unsalted butter (cold) – This is where the magic lives. Cold butter creates steam as it bakes, forming those flaky layers. Big pieces = big flake energy.
Buttermilk (cold) – Adds tang, tenderness, and richness. It also activates the baking soda and brings the dough together without making it heavy. If you don’t keep buttermilk in the fridge (and I totally get that, maybe you don’t bake aaallll the time) keep a container of powdered buttermilk in the fridge. It comes in so handy!
Fruit preserves or jam – The heart of the situation. It bakes into a glossy, caramelized center that’s sweet, sticky, and just a little bit wild around the edges. My favorite (because I love the jam and I love to reuse the jar, duh!) is Bonne Maman.
Pour the cold buttermilk into the center of the dough and bring it together slowly. You can use either a fork or on low speed if you’re using the mixer. This is not the moment to rush or aim for smooth. The dough should look shaggy, a little uneven, with some clumps of dough that have more moisture and other bits of dough that feel dusty. Add more buttermilk just until the dry bits at the bottom start to come together into soft, clumpy pieces. Stop while there are still streaks of flour and visible butter throughout. We’re not making bread here but we do want to build layers, and that starts with a light hand.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently bring it together. Not exactly kneading, just a soft press with the heels of your hands until you have a thick, shaggy slab. It might look a little rough around the edges and that’s exactly the point. Use a biscuit cutter to press straight down (no twisting as we’re not sealing the edges, we’re encouraging height) and cut your rounds – 2.5-inch rounds is key. My instinct was to go larger but trust me – they’ll spread in the oven to a perfect biscuit serving.
When you’re left with scraps, gather them gently, stacking the layers as you go rather than smashing them into a ball. Give the dough a soft pat back to thickness and cut a few more biscuits. The goal is to keep those layers intact so every biscuit gets its fair share of flake.
Now for the signature move: use your thumb to press a deep indentation into the center of each biscuit, like you’re making a little pinch pot. Does that resonate? Go almost to the bottom but not all the way through. You want a cozy pocket, not a blowout at the bottom of the buttermilk biscuit. That would be tragic. Spoon in the jam, letting it mound just slightly. It’ll settle, bubble, and caramelize into something truly special once it hits the oven.
Slide the biscuits into the oven and let them do their thing – about 35 to 40 minutes which may feel like a long bake for a biscuit, but I think these are best when baked to a deep golden brown. Don’t forget a quick pan rotation halfway through for even browning. No pale biscuits in this house.
Let them rest on the pan for about 10 to 15 minutes before serving. I know, waiting is rude, but that jam is molten and needs a moment to settle into its sticky, jammy self… trust me. Serve warm, ideally with coffee, and if you’re feeling extra (you are), a swipe of salted butter on the side doesn’t hurt a bit (my fave!).
If these biscuits find their way into your kitchen (and I really hope they do), I’d love to hear about it. Did you go strawberry or apricot? Did the jam bubble just over the edges like it’s supposed to? Did you eat one standing at the counter before anyone else knew they existed? (Correct answer: yes.)
Leave a comment below and let me know how they turned out—and if you have a minute, a star rating helps other bakers find their way to these biscuits, too. It’s a small thing that makes a big difference around here.
Happy baking, friends. Save me one.
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The Bakehouse Texas Big Buttermilk Biscuits Jammers
- Prep Time: about 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-40 minutes + 10 minutes to cool
- Total Time: just over an hour
- Yield: 10-12 biscuits 1x
- Category: breakfast, brunch, biscuits
- Method: baking
Description
Big, flaky, golden buttermilk biscuits with a jammy center that bubbles and caramelizes in the oven. The secret is cold butter, a light touch, and trusting that messy dough makes the flakiest biscuits.
Ingredients
4 cups (500 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks (226 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups (295–355 ml) buttermilk, cold (low-fat or full-fat)
¾ cup preserves or jam (strawberry, apricot, mixed berry — your call)
Instructions
- Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line it with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle), whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
- Add the cold butter cubes. Using your fingertips or the paddl e on low speed, blend the butter into the flour until the mixture looks mealy and crumbly. You should still see visible pieces of butter the size of small coins. If at any point the butter feels soft, pop the bowl into the fridge for 10 minutes. We want to keep things cold!
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in 1 cup of the buttermilk all at once. Using a fork or the mixer on low speed, gently bring the dough together. It will look shaggy and rough with some dough pockets very wet with buttermilk and other more dry bits of flour. That means we’re not overworking it.
- Add another ¼ cup buttermilk and mix just enough to gather the loose flour at the bottom. The dough should form large, messy clumps. If it’s still dry and crumbly, add additional buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing minimally after each addition. Stop mixing while there are still streaks and visible butter pieces. We are not chasing smoothness.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Use the heels of your hands to gently gather it into an oblong slab about 1 ½ to 2 inches thick. It won’t be pretty and that’s fine.
- Use a 2.5-inch biscuit cutter to cut straight down — no twisting. Twisting seals the edges and we want lift. Gather scraps gently, stack them, pat back to thickness, and cut again.
- Using your thumb, press a deep indentation into the center of each biscuit. Almost to the bottom, but not quite through. Think pinch pot, not crater. Be gentle with the outer edges. The sides are where the flaky layers build.
- Spoon about 1 tablespoon of jam into each center. Don’t overfill. It will bubble and settle beautifully in the oven. Arrange biscuits on the prepared sheet about 1 ½ inches apart.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. You’re looking for deep golden tops, crisp edges, and jam that’s thickened and glossy. The bottoms should feel set and lightly browned.
- Let the biscuits cool on the pan for 10–15 minutes before serving. The jam is molten lava at first and we are not trying to injure ourselves. Serve warm with coffee. Maybe with a little extra butter on the side if you’re feeling bold.
Notes
Unbaked (and jam-filled) biscuits can also be baked after resting overnight in the fridge (no longer than overnight in the fridge or the biscuit dough will start to grey.
Unbaked (and jam-filled) biscuits can also be baked from frozen, adding an additional 5 minutes to the baking time though just keep an eye on them at 35 minutes or so.
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