Swim Biscuits (fluffy and crispy recipe)

Name: Swim Biscuits (fluffy and crusty recipe)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 113 g butter; 345 g flour; 4 tsp baking powder; 1 tbsp sugar; 2 tsp salt; 480 ml butter milk; Butter (honey, flaky sea salt)

These butter based biscuits are made of flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and buttermilk but they make for the fluffiest and tastiest biscuits that you will ever eat. They are so simple to mix together and a very delicious side dish for your table.

I was seeing these biscuits all over my social media and wondered what the fuss was about. And boy oh boy I was missing out on life. These biscuits are so darn good! I wish I knew about them earlier! They are the perfect accompaniment to all your main course dishes. Very simple to make and can easily be customized to your liking. The biscuits are delicious on its own but I love serving them with more butter, honey and salt. Some times a little crushed black pepper also goes a long way.

What are swim biscuits? Why are they called swim biscuits?

Swim biscuits are buttermilk based biscuits that are baked in a pool of butter to give it that fluffy interior and crispy exterior texture. They are called swim biscuits because the dough is literally swimming in a pool of butter while baking. They are a southern American recipe and today you can find recipes with many variations.

Difference between biscuits and swim biscuits?

Biscuits are fluffy and crispy on the outside. They are golden in color and are mainly served with gravy, mash and meat. You can also serve them with cream and fruit to make a simple dessert similar to a shortcake. The difference between biscuits and swim biscuits are the dough is baked in a pool of butter for the latter. Regular biscuits could also be baked with butter but it wouldn’t be as much as swim biscuits.

What ingredients are needed to make swim biscuits?

To make the dough for swim biscuits we need flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and butter milk. The star ingredient is the butter in which the dough bakes. None of these ingredients can be substituted and since you don’t need much to make these biscuits, using the best quality ingredients will make them taste better. I like serving it with honey and flakey sea salt.

What equipment is needed to make swim biscuits?

To make the batter we need a large mixing bow, whisk and rubber spatula. I have baked it in an 8×8 inch square tin.

How to make swim biscuits?

Preheat the oven to 450℉. Place the butter in an 8×8 inch square tin and transfer to the oven to melt. In a large mixing bowl add the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and stir together to combine. Pour in the buttermilk and stir together until no dry pockets of flour is visible. Transfer the batter to the tin with the melted (and slightly browned) butter and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden and the a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out with damp crumbs or clean. You can add cheese into the batter with herbs scallions, bacon and pepper as well. Feel free to spice it up with chili or even with a little onion and garlic for more flavor.

Serving and storing swim biscuits?

Cut into squares and serve hot with more butter, honey and salt. They can be served with jam, clotted cream, cheese and eggs. Honestly there is no limit to how you would like to serve these biscuits. They are so versatile and taste delicious as they are as well. However I would suggest serving them hot or warm.

Looking for side dish recipes?

Now that we have covered how to make these swim biscuits, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it. Don’t forget to follow along for more fun recipe inspiration.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on pinterest & instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.

Swim Biscuits (fluffy and crusty recipe)

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Course Appetizer, biscuit, Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Game night, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American, Southern American

Servings 9 biscuits

Equipment

8x8 inch Square tin
Large mixing bowl
Whisk
Rubber spatula

Ingredients

113 g butter
345 g flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
480 ml butter milk

Serve with

Butter honey, flaky sea salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450℉.
Place the butter in an 8x8 inch square tin and transfer to the oven to melt.
In a large mixing bowl add the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and stir together to combine.
Pour in the buttermilk and stir together until no dry pockets of flour is visible.
Transfer the batter to the tin with the melted (and slightly browned) butter and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden and the a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out with damp crumbs or clean.
Cut into squares and serve hot with more butter, honey and salt.

Notes

Do not over mix the batter, we want it to be lumpy but not have any dry pockets of ingredients in it.
You can make homemade butter milk by mixing 1 cup full fat milk with 1 tbsp vinegar. I also like adding 1 tbsp yogurt into my homemade butter and removing 1 tbsp milk to balance out the weight - it not only adds flavor but also makes it a little thick.

Annika Eats

Hi Ninja!

Swim Biscuits (fluffy and crispy recipe)

What are swim biscuits? Why are they called swim biscuits?

Difference between biscuits and swim biscuits?

What ingredients are needed to make swim biscuits?