There’s something wonderfully old‑fashioned about a pan of Butter Swim Biscuits—the way they bubble up through a pool of melted butter, turning golden at the edges and impossibly tender inside. This small‑batch version gives you all that homestyle comfort without making a dozen biscuits you don’t need.
- 1 cup (120g) all purpose plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (180ml) buttermilk
- 60g (1/4 cup) butter
Butter Salted butter is used here, and it plays a major role — it melts in the pan first and creates that signature crisp, golden bottom and edges as the biscuits bake . Using the right amount matters: 4 tablespoons in a 5-inch dish gives you the perfect texture without greasiness.
All-Purpose Flour (Plain flour in the U.K.) This gives the biscuits their structure and keeps the crumb soft and tender . If your readers need a gluten-free option, I recommend a measure for measure flour, which will work as a substitute.
Baking Powder This is the main lifting agent. It activates twice — once when mixed with the wet ingredients and again in the oven — giving the biscuits their tall, fluffy rise.
Baking Soda It reacts with the acidity in the buttermilk to create extra lift and tenderness. Without it, the biscuits would be noticeably denser.
Sugar Just a teaspoon — not enough to make the biscuits sweet, but enough to help the tops brown beautifully as they bake.
Salt Essential for flavor. Without it, the biscuits taste flat and bland, and the difference is immediate.
Buttermilk
This is the heart of the recipe. The acidity tenderizes the dough and reacts with the baking soda for lift. The recipe intentionally uses more buttermilk than usual to create the wet, sticky dough that leads to the soft, almost cake-like center. If you don't have any buttermilk you can make a quick substitute by Adding 2 1/2 tsp of white vinegar or lemon juice to the 3/4 cup (180ml) of whole milk. Leave for five minutes to clabber. Alternately you can whisk together equal amounts of full fat plain Greek yogurt and whole milk to the amount of 3/4 cup (180ml). The latter is my preferred substitute.
- Preheat the oven to 450*F/230*C/ gas mark 7. Place the butter into a 5-inch square glass baking dish and put it into the oven to melt. (I cut the butter into pieces. Don't let the butter brown or burn.)
- While the butter is melting, measure the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and baking soda together in a bowl. Whisk it well together to combine everything evenly. (I use the spoon and level off way of measuring my flour. Spoon into cup to fill and then level off with a straight edge.)
- Add the buttermilk all at once and stir to combine just until the flour disappears. It will be a tacky shaggy dough. (If it is too liquid, you can add a big more flour a few TBS at a time. It is meant to be quite sticky.)
- Remove the dish with the melted butter in it from the oven. Drop the biscuit dough into it carefully. Spread it out gently to the edges of the pan using the back of a metal spoon. Place the dish on a baking sheet to catch all the drips. (The butter will rise up around the edges.)
- Using a sharp knife, score the unbaked dough into 4 equal squares. (This is important. Cut down right to the bottom of the dish. )
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, until a deep golden brown and the butter around the edges is bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes in the pan before cutting and serving. (This enables any remaining butter to be absorbed and for the biscuits to set up properly.)
- Serve and enjoy warm. (I enjoyed one fresh from the oven with butter and red currant jelly!)
These little biscuits are simple, but the technique matters. Here’s how to guarantee golden, fluffy success every time:
Measure your flour the right way Spoon it into the cup and level it off — scooping packs in too much flour and leads to dense, dry biscuits .
Don’t overmix the dough Stir only until the flour disappears. A wet, sticky, shaggy dough is exactly what you want for a tender, pillowy center .
Use the correct amount of butter Four tablespoons in a 5×5‑inch dish is the sweet spot — too little prevents crisping, too much makes the biscuits greasy .
Bake in the right pan A 5×5‑inch baking dish ensures the biscuits rise properly and the butter distributes evenly. Larger pans spread the butter too thin; smaller ones make them greasy .
Score the dough before baking Cutting the dough into four squares helps guide the biscuits as they rise — even if the cuts close up a bit, they still work beautifully .
Watch the oven, not the clock Ovens vary. Start checking at 13 minutes — they’re ready when the tops are deep golden and the butter is bubbling around the edges .
Let them rest before serving A 10‑minute rest lets the biscuits absorb the remaining butter and finish setting up for the perfect texture .
Test your baking powder and soda Old leaveners mean flat biscuits. The recipe gives simple tests to check freshness — super helpful if yours have been sitting awhile .
If the dough seems too runny It should be wet, but not pourable. Add a tablespoon or two of flour until it holds together when scooped .
Butter Swim Biscuits for Two
Tender, flaky and every bit as buttery and delicious as their full sized counterpart!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120g) all purpose plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (180ml) buttermilk
- 60g (1/4 cup) butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450*F/230*C/ gas mark 7. Place the butter into a 5-inch square glass baking dish and put it into the oven to melt.
- While the butter is melting, measure the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and baking soda together in a bowl. Whisk it well together to combine everything evenly.
- Add the buttermilk all at once and stir to combine just until the flour disappears. It will be a tacky shaggy dough.
- Remove the dish with the melted butter in it from the oven. Drop the biscuit dough into it carefully. Spread it out gently to the edges of the pan using the back of a metal spoon. Place the dish on a baking sheet to catch all the drips.
- Using a sharp knife, score the unbaked dough into 4 equal squares.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, until a deep golden brown and the butter around the edges is bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes in the pan before cutting and serving. (This enables any remaining butter to be absorbed and for the biscuits to set up properly.)
- Serve and enjoy warm.
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