Cathead Biscuits Recipe (Video) - A Spicy Perspective (2024)

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Fluffy Southern Cathead Biscuits Recipe – The biggest, softest, most amazing biscuit recipe with buttery golden tops! Flaky on the outside, pillowy inside!

Cathead Biscuits Recipe (Video) - A Spicy Perspective (1)

Why We Love Cathead Biscuits

There are biscuits, and then there are biscuits.

The jaw-dropping, mind-blowing, knee-buckling, eyes-roll-back-in-your-head kind of biscuits made from scratch.

Although there’s nothing wrong with popping open the canned variety on occasion, nothing compares to a buttery scratch-made biscuit straight out of the oven.

After much trial and error, I learned that light airy biscuits come from gentle, yet speedy, hands.

Our Fluffy Southern Cat Head Biscuits have the most delicate texture on the inside, yet are crispy and flaky on the outside. The light airy flavor of butter and wheat creates a perfect platform for all sorts of toppings. Basically, they are what all biscuits aspire to be.

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Why Are They Called Cathead Biscuits?

In the south, cathead biscuits are all about size… They are roughly the same dimensions as a cat’s head. Meow.

Weird name and association, but ridiculously enormous biscuit perfection! I mean, who wants a scrawny biscuit? Not me. As far as biscuit recipes go, the bigger the better!

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Ingredients You Need

  • All-Purpose Flour
  • Granulated Sugar – for just a hint of sweetness
  • Baking Powder & Baking Soda – so the biscuits get super fluffy
  • Sea Salt – or regular salt
  • Butter – make sure to use cold butter
  • Butter-Flavored Shortening – also known as Crisco, alternatively you can use lard
  • Buttermilk – to create tangy, moist buttermilk biscuits
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How to Make Southern Cathead Biscuits

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and grease a 12 inch deep dish cast iron skillet and set aside.

Next, prep the dry ingredients. Sift the flour, then scoop and level to measure the accurate amount. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a food processor. Pulse to mix.

Add in the cold shortening and 1/4 cup cold butter. Pulse again until the fat is mixed into the flour creating a pebble texture. Continue pulsing as you add in the buttermilk.

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Once the dough is thoroughly mixed, stop pulsing. The dough should look wet, but even.

Dump the dough onto a floured surface. Press and pat it flat with your hands until it is smooth, in an even 2-inch thick disk. Use a drinking glass, or a 3-inch biscuit cutter, to cut out 8 biscuits. If needed, cut out 7 and then gather the dough and cut out the last biscuit.

Place the biscuits in the skillet. Then brush the tops with melted butter and place in the oven immediately.

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Bake in the center of the oven until the tops are golden brown and the biscuits have risen at lease 1 inch above the top of the skillet. Around 30-35 minutes. Make sure to move the oven racks, if needed, to allow room for growth.

Use a spatula or knife to separate the biscuits before lifting them out of the pan. Enjoy!

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Tips & Tricks

  • Fluffy Southern cat head biscuits have the best texture and taste when the dough is cold as it goes into the oven, it hasn’t been over mixed, and the flour is well sifted prior to adding it to the dough. So use cold ingredients and move fast to get these into the oven!
  • If the dough isn’t cold anymore after mixing and cutting them out, you can place the biscuits covered with plastic in the refrigerator until the dough is cold again, then pop into the hot oven!
  • Using cold ingredients like buttermilk, butter, and refrigerated shortening creates a cold dough. When the cold dough is placed in the oven, it quickly creates an outer crust while the dough is still cool on the inside. The outer crust causes the biscuits to grow up, instead of flattening out, once the insides start to bake. Cold dough, that hasn’t been over-worked, is the secret to making the best biscuits ever!
  • Baking this Fluffy Cat Head Biscuit recipe in a deep skillet serves two purposes. First, the sides of the skillet offer support so that the biscuits rise to ethereal heights. Second, the biscuits edges on the outside of the pan turn crispy, while the center edges are soft and feathery. That way you get a little crunch and a whole lot of tender goodness.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make a double batch?

You can make a double batch in a 9×13 or 10×15 inch baking dish and refrigerate them overnight if needed. Just make sure to cover them well with plastic while in the refrigerator!

How should I serve these Southern biscuits?

There are so so many ways to serve these biscuits that you will be making them ALL the time! You can eat them on their own with butter and honey, or your favorite jam. For a heartier breakfast, try pairing them with sausage gravy for amazing biscuits and gravy.
Biscuits can also be served as a side dish to your favorite comfort foods like Sausage and Kale Soup, Chicken Tortellini Soup, or Beef Stew!
Being that these are Southern cathead biscuits, these would also go amazingly as a side to Fried Chicken, Chicken Fried Steak, or Shrimp and Grits! For cheese biscuits, try adding some shredded cheddar cheese or use my Cheddar Bay Drop Biscuits recipe!

How do you make biscuits rise higher?

Biscuits will rise higher if you bake them in a fairly hot oven, at least 425 degrees. That way the butter melts and evaporates quickly, creating tall, flaky biscuits. It also helps to bake biscuits in a deep dish cast iron skillet because the sides will support the biscuits and encourage them to grow up instead of sideways!

How should I store leftover cathead biscuits?

Store any leftover biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days! Reheat them in the microwave or pop them in a warm oven.

Biscuits for Every Occasion

The holidays are quickly approaching. Why not give these big beauties a try? Fluffy Southern Cat Head biscuits are perfect to serve a crowd for any special occasion.

You might decide these jumbo biscuits need to be on your Thanksgiving table or at Christmas morning brunch this year!

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See The Recipe Card Below For How To Make Fluffy Southern Cat Head Biscuits.

Looking for More Biscuit Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:

  • Savory Breakfast Scones
  • Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits
  • Sweet Potato Biscuits
  • Truffle Parmesan Biscuits
  • Air Fryer Biscuits
  • Cinnamon Drop Biscuits

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Cathead Biscuits Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Fluffy Southern Cat Head Biscuits Recipe – The biggest, softest, most amazing biscuit recipe with buttery golden tops! Flaky on the outside, pillowy inside!

Servings: 8 biscuits

Ingredients

  • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, well-sifted
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup butter, divided (half cold, half melted)
  • 1/3 cup butter-flavored vegetable shortening, cold
  • 2 cups buttermilk, cold

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a 12-inch deep dish cast iron skillet and set aside.

  • Sift the flour, then scoop and level. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a food processor. Pulse to mix.

  • Next, add the cold shortening and 1/4 cup cold butter. Pulse again until the fat is mixed into the flour creating a pebble texture. Continue pulsing as you add in the cold buttermilk.

  • Once the dough is thoroughly mixed, stop pulsing. The dough should look wet, but even.

  • Dump the dough out onto a floured work surface. Press it flat with your hands until it is smooth, in an even 2-inch thick disk. Use a drinking glass, or 3-inch cutter, to cut out 8 biscuits. If needed, cut out 7, then gather the dough and cut out the last biscuit.

  • Place the biscuits in the skillet. Then brush the tops with the melted butter, and place in the oven immediately.

  • Bake in the center of the oven until the tops are golden and the biscuits have risen at least 1 inch above the top of the skillet. Around 30-35 minutes. Make sure to move the oven racks, if need, to allow room for growth.

  • Use a spatula or knife to separate the biscuits before lifting out of the pan.

Video

Notes

Biscuits have the best texture when: A. the dough is cold as it goes in the oven, B. hasn’t been over mixed, and C. the flour is well-sifted. Use cold ingredients and work fast! Do not over-mix the dough in the food processor or when cutting. If possible, cut all the biscuits out without re-gathering the dough. To ensure the dough is cold, you can prep the biscuits then place in the refrigerator to chill before baking.

Course: Biscuits

Cuisine: American

Author: Sommer Collier

This site contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase through them, we receive a small commission.

Cathead Biscuits Recipe (Video) - A Spicy Perspective (2024)

FAQs

Where did the term cathead biscuit come from? ›

The origins of the name are lost to time, but the conventional wisdom seems to be that they're called that because they're about the size of a cat's head. An old Appalachian favorite. Less fuss than rolled and cut biscuits. White Lily flour is preferred."

Are cat head biscuits the same as regular biscuits? ›

Willis recalls her grandfather talking about cathead biscuits—biscuits as big as a cat's head. Her extra-large buttermilk biscuits are a rolled and cut-out biscuit, not a drop biscuit. Willis uses a 3 1/2-inch round cutter.

What is the secret to biscuits? ›

Use Cold Butter for Biscuits

When the biscuit bakes, the butter will melt, releasing steam and creating pockets of air. This makes the biscuits airy and flaky on the inside. We default to our Land O Lakes® Salted Butter when baking biscuits.

What do Americans call cat biscuits? ›

Kneading (often referred to as making biscuits or making bread) is a behavior frequently observed in domestic cats where, when a cat feels at ease, it may push out and pull in its front paws against a surface such as furniture or carpet, or against another pet or human, often alternating between right and left limbs.

What is a kitty biscuit? ›

Cats also “make biscuits” when you are petting them, and kneading is their way of telling you they feel good. Furthermore, Cats may knead when they are preparing their nest and trying to get comfortable. It is also normal feline behavior for a cat to knead when they are marking their territory and leaving their scent.

What is cat biscuits called? ›

Kneading, often referred to as “making biscuits,” is one of the behaviors domestic cats are best known for. It's an instinctual behavior where the cat alternates pushing his paws into a soft surface, such as a blanket, several times in a row, similar to how a person would knead dough. But why do cats knead like this?

What is the purpose of cats making biscuits? ›

This is why most kitties tend to knead when they are lying down in a comfortable spot or about to take a nap. Stretching their paws on a soft surface feels good and even helps relax their muscles. As a bonus, the repetitive movement is also soothing, which is why fresh biscuits are often accompanied by a soft purr.

Is it better to use milk or buttermilk in biscuits? ›

What's the Difference Between Buttermilk Biscuits and Regular Biscuits? As the names might suggest, regular biscuits do not contain buttermilk, while these do. Regular biscuits are typically prepared with milk or water instead. Buttermilk adds a nice tang to the biscuit flavor and helps them rise better.

Which liquid makes the best biscuits? ›

Selecting the liquid for your biscuits

Just as important as the fat is the liquid used to make your biscuits. Our Buttermilk Biscuit recipe offers the choice of using milk or buttermilk. Buttermilk is known for making biscuits tender and adding a zippy tang, so we used that for this test.

What makes biscuits taste better? ›

Use good butter and dairy

Because biscuit recipes call for so few ingredients, it's important that every one is high quality—you'll really taste the difference. Catherine recommends splurging a bit on a grass-fed butter or European-style butter (now's the time to reach for Kerrygold!).

What does adding an egg to biscuits do? ›

As it turns out, adding hard-boiled egg yolks to your biscuit dough is a way to ward off an overworked, tough dough that can be the downfall of a butter-based pastry. When the trick is employed, the pastry shatters and then dissolves in your mouth quickly, tasting like a knob of flaky butter.

Why are southern biscuits so good? ›

Here's the Reason Biscuits in the South Really Are Better

The not-so-secret ingredient they rely upon is soft wheat flour. Soft wheat thrives in temperate, moist climates like that of the mid-Atlantic, so cooks in those areas have had access to its special flour for a long time.

Where does the expression had the biscuit come from? ›

Although the details vary, all were in agreement that “had the biscuit” comes from the Catholic practice of last rites where someone who is facing death is given final sacraments, which includes receiving the communion wafer.

Where did ham biscuits originate? ›

In The Taste of Country Cooking, Lewis writes that the ham biscuits of Freetown, Virginia—a town settled by freed former slaves, which included her grandfather—were the sort of thing served casually "at ball games and suppers, and always at Sunday Revival." Those sandwiches were served fresh and "flannel-soft, a thin ...

Where does the term making biscuits come from? ›

Cat kneading is a common cat behaviour, often displayed as the rhythmic pushing of their paws in and out at alternating times. Many people think that it looks like they're kneading dough, which is why it's also adorably known as 'making biscuits'.

Why do they call it a biscuit? ›

The term biscuit comes to English from the French biscuit (bis-qui), which itself has a Latin root: panis biscotus refers to bread twice-cooked. The Romans certainly had a form of biscuit, what we'd now call a rusk and, as the name suggests, it was essentially bread which was re-baked to make it crisp.

References

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