Butter swim biscuits are richly flavored with a moist interior and a crisp exterior owing to a generous amount of melted butter in which they bake. As they rise in a hot oven they simultaneously absorb the golden goodness and become irresistibly delicious. As opposed to other fluffy Southern biscuits these have a notably denser, decadent texture. One of a kind delicacy that is ridiculously easy to make.
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Read on for relevant tips and step-by-step pictures
About This Butter Swim Biscuits Recipe
This is probably the easiest of all buttermilk biscuit recipes you can find. Much easier than a drop biscuits recipe. In fact, there is so little work involved that you might feel guilty. It is also possible that you will doubt that the outcome could be as good as it is. And yet – your biscuits will, for sure, turn out great.
It is all about an incredibly easy process and shamelessly rich and delicious results. You may find similarities to a dump cake recipe in terms of all around simplicity.
Why Are They Called Butter Swim Biscuits and Other Names They Go By
These square shaped biscuits are said to have been conjured up by a Texan woman who was not up for rolling and cutting biscuits. She took a chance on mixing a batter and baking it in a pool of butter. And it worked!
Her biscuits, which literally entered the oven swimming in butter, turned out delicious. The method was laughably simple.
These lazy and easy butter biscuits are known by several other names:
- Butter dip biscuits
- Swimming butter biscuits
- Swim in butter biscuits
- Butter float biscuits
Ingredients for Butter Dip Biscuits
Flour. Typically all-purpose flour will work for this recipe and it will procuce a tender crumb. If you do however want your biscuits to rise a bit more then opt for self-rising flour and do not add salt or baking powder. See the relevant section below.
Baking powder, salt and sugar. A leavening agent to help the biscuits rise and salt and sugar to balance the flavor.
Buttermilk. The classic liquid used in Southern biscuits recipes. For substitute ideas see below.
Butter. Self-explanatory. Melted butter is necessary to make swimming in butter biscuits.
How to Make Butter Swim Biscuits: Step-by-Step
A printable summary of the below instructions is contained in the Recipe Card at the end of the post.
Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl combine the all-purpose flour with the baking powder, salt and sugar and whisk to combine.
Add the buttermilk. While gently folding in a clock-wise direction pour the buttermilk. Use a silicone spatula or a wooden spoon so you can easily scoop out the mixture. The batter should be thick and very sticky.
Prepare the butter. Just around 50 seconds in the microwave should be sufficiently long for the butter to melt. You do not want it to be hot and bubbly, just melted. Pour it into your 9×9 baking dish.
Transfer and flatten the batter. Scoop out the biscuit dough into the center of the pan and use your spatula to gently flatten it towards the sides. Then cut into nine squares (they do not have to be perfect) to define the individual biscuits. Use a knife or your spatula. They will literally look as they are floating in butter.
Bake. Place the baking dish in the center of a 450 F oven and bake for 20-25 until the biscuits are golden brown on top.
NOTE: You want to see the melted butter find its way amidst the biscuit edges and pool around and even on top of the moist dough. This guarantees the decadent crispy oitsides of each biscuit.
What Do Swimming Butter Buscuits Taste Like?
Between the unmistakable tang of the buttermilk and the unapologetic influence of the butter bath these biscuits have a luxurious, yet well balanced taste.
The crispy edges give way to a tender inside texture saturated with a mild cheese like flavor. When you first taste them you might think you have bitten into a cheese scone!
Yet they are definitely richer than a scone and their tender crumb is simultaneously chewy, in the best possible way. You simply have to try them for yourself.
Can You Make Butter Swim Biscuits without Buttermilk?
You can use regular whole milk but the flavor will be different and the cheesiness will be all but lost. Instead use these buttermilk substitutes:
-
- milk + acid – to make your own buttermilk fill a one cup measure with 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice, top with whole milk until full, stir and let sit 10 minutes, scale accordingly for 2 cups buttermilk etc.
- kefir – directly susbstitute with plain kefir , 1 for 1.
- yogurt cultured in the cup – to approximate kefir mix 3/4 cup of the yogurt with 1/4 cup water until it resembles buttermilk, scale accordingly.
Can I Use Self-Rising Flour?
Yes, you can and we recommend it if are looking for a more airy version of swimming in butter biscuits.
The reason is not that a leavening agent has been added in but that it is milled from soft wheat which does not form as much gluten and therefore works better for biscuits. Obviously, skip the baking powder if you go the self-rising route.
If you do not have self-rising flour handy make your own by using cake flour which is also a soft wheat flour. To 1 cup of cake flour add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Can You Make Butter Swim Biscuits with Bisquick?
Absolutely. If you choose to take that route substitute all-purpose flour with Bisquick 1 to 1 and do not add baking powder, salt or sugar. Also reduce the melted butter by about 2 tbps because Bisquick contains shortening.
Can You Make Butter Dip Biscuits Gluten-Free?
For a gluten-free version of butter swim biscuits use a gluten free all-purpose flour such as the one we recommend below in the Recipe Card. Do not use gluten free baking flour, it is calibrated for strech and what you want with these buscuits is a lighter structure.
Presentation & Variations
Butter float biscuits are perfectly hearty for breakfast egg sandwiches if halved or simply served on the side of a traditional breakfast featuring eggs, sausage, bacon, ham etc. They are a great accompaniment to soups, chili, fried chicken with gravy or Southern fried pork chops (hint: you get to use that buttermilk!).
They also make a wonderful breakfast or afternoon snack item on their own slathered with jam or drizzled with honey.
Our favorite variations include:
- blueberry butter swim biscuits – you simply fold a cup of fresh blueberries into the batter and carry on with the recipe
- bacon bits – fold in about 1/3 cup of cooked, chopped bacon
- herbs – finely chopped scallions, garlic chives, basil or oregano are all wonderfully compatible, add to taste
- sun-dried tomatoes – be sure to chop the sun-dried tomatoes into smaller pieces before you mix them in the dough, add to taste
- cheese – to make them even cheesier fold in about 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese into the batter
- onion topped – thinly slice sweet onions like vidalia in circles, scatter them all over the biscuit dough once you have flattened it and gently press them down with your fingers so that they come in contact with the pooled butter.
Storage and …Can You Freeze Them?
Let me preface this by saying that there are not likely to be leftovers. Unless you made a batch for yourself alone and stopped after devouring seven biscuits.
You can store them in an airtight container, refrigerated, and to reheat simply pop in the microwave for a couple of seconds.
And yes, you can freeze them, vacuum sealed or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap then aluminum foil… but why? A batch yields only nine biscuits and prep time is minimal. And they taste amazing when freshly baked.
You Might Enjoy
Cathead Biscuits (Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits)
Beer Drop Biscuits
Guinness Brown Bread
Easy Butter Swim Biscuits (aka Butter Dip Biscuits)
Butter swim biscuits go by many names - butter dip biscuits, butter float biscuits or simply swim in butter biscuits. You mix a sticky dough with buttermilk and then dump it in the middle of a melted butter pool before you shape square biscuits and bake. The easiest biscuits recipe ever!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 4 tsp sugar
- 1 3/4 cups buttermilk*
- 1 stick butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 F.
- In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
- Slowly add the buttermilk as you stir in clockwise direction until a very thick and sticky biscuit mixture forms.
- Melt the butter in the microwave for about 50 seconds (it should not be too hot, just melted) and pour it in a 9x9 inch pan. Transfer the biscuit batter to the middle of the pan and gently flatten it with the back of the spatula or wooden spoon.
- Cut into nine squares (melted butter will flow around the so shaped biscuits). The biscuits will literally look as if they are swimming in butter. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Allow to cool down a bit before you take out of the pan.
Notes
*Might need up to 2 cups to achieve a thick and sticky biscuit batter and less of a shaggy dough consistency.
SUBSTITUTIONS:
- You can use the same amount of self-rising flour instead of AP for airier biscuits. Omit the salt and baking powder.
- You can use Bisquick mix 1 to 1. Omit salt, baking powder and sugar. Reduce the butter by 2 tbsp because there is shortening in the mix.
- You can use gluten-free all-purpose flour 1 to 1. Do not use gluten-free baking flour, it will not work well.
- You can substitute the buttermilk 1 to 1 with plain kefir OR 3/4 cup yogurt cultured in the cup mixed with 1/4 cup water.
- You can make your own buttermilk - fill a one cup measure with 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice, top with whole milk until full, stir and let sit 10 minutes, scale accordingly.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 244Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 851mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 5g
Patti A says
Absolutely awesome! I followed recipe exactly using self rising flour. My husband says they are the best biscuits I have ever made. Thank you for my husband’s happy smile when he devours them.
Milena Perrine says
Thank you for sharing, Patti! They are such a distinct biscuit type!
Anna says
I love this recipe. The biscuits have such a unique texture and taste as if there is cheddar cheese folded into the batter. Couldn’t be easier to make!