Biscuits Lab · Decision tree
Find your biscuit
Three questions sort all 321 recipes into 8 groups. Each question is about one of the ingredients recipes disagree on most, and splits the recipes in front of it at their own median, so each answer keeps about half of them. Every group ends with its median recipe in grams and the real recipes nearest it.
The questions
Question 1
More sugar than most, or less?
Southern biscuits use little or none. Above this band the recipe is closer to a scone or a cookie.
All 321 recipes: median 3.3% of the flour weight, 10 g per 300 g of flour; middle half 0% to 5.2%; 30% use none.
Question 2
More buttermilk than most, or less?
Buttermilk hydrates the dough and supplies the acid for baking soda. Wetter doughs rise taller and softer.
All 321 recipes: median 84% of the flour weight, 255 g per 300 g of flour; middle half 71% to 98%.
Asked within each answer to question 1, split at the median of the recipes that gave it.
Question 3
More leavening than most, or less?
Biscuits rely almost entirely on baking powder and soda; that is why they carry several times a cake's share.
All 321 recipes: median 5.1% of the flour weight, 15 g per 300 g of flour; middle half 4.3% to 6%.
Asked within each answer to question 2, split at the median of the recipes that gave it.
The key
Read left to right: pick an answer to question 1, then one of the answers beside it for question 2, and so on to a group. Each cell gives the answer, its bound in grams per 100 g of flour, and how many recipes give it.
| 1. Sugar | 2. Buttermilk | 3. Leavening | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| More3.3% or more161 | Moreover 81%81 | Moreover 5.4%39 | A39 |
| Less5.4% or less42 | B42 | ||
| Less81% or less80 | More4.9% or more42 | C42 | |
| Lessunder 4.9%38 | D38 | ||
| Little or noneunder 3.3%160 | Moreover 86%79 | More5.5% or more42 | E42 |
| Lessunder 5.5%37 | F37 | ||
| Less86% or less81 | Moreover 4.9%36 | G36 | |
| Less4.9% or less45 | H45 |
The 8 groups
Each median recipe is the median of every ingredient over the group's recipes, scaled to 300 g of flour, beside the typical batch of all 321. Bold rows are the ingredients the questions asked about.
Group A · 39 recipes · 12% of all
More sugar, more buttermilk and more leavening
Sugar 3.3% or more, buttermilk over 81% and leavening over 5.4% of the flour weight.
| At 300 g flour | Group A | All |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 300 g | 300 g |
| Fat | 110 gabout 1/2 cup | 120 g |
| Buttermilk | 295 gabout 1 1/4 cups | 255 g |
| Leavening | 18 g | 15 g |
| Sugar | 15 gabout 1 tbsp | 10 g |
| Salt | 6 g | 5 g |
Bake440°F (225°C) for about 14 minutes, the medians of the 38 recipes here that state a temperature and the 39 that state a time.
Nearest the middle of group A
Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.
- Biscuit Recipe · handletheheat.comsugar 3.4% · buttermilk 98% · leavening 6.1%
- Buttermilk Biscuits · handletheheat.comsugar 3.3% · buttermilk 93% · leavening 6%
- Cheddar Bay Biscuits · thestayathomechef.comsugar 5% · buttermilk 98% · leavening 5.5%
- Flaky Old Fashioned Biscuits · thestayathomechef.comsugar 5% · buttermilk 98% · leavening 5.5%
- Butter Swim Biscuits · tasteofhome.comsugar 3.3% · buttermilk 98% · leavening 6.3%
Group B · 42 recipes · 13% of all
More sugar, more buttermilk and less leavening
Sugar 3.3% or more, buttermilk over 81% and leavening 5.4% or less of the flour weight.
| At 300 g flour | Group B | All |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 300 g | 300 g |
| Fat | 135 gabout 2/3 cup | 120 g |
| Buttermilk | 275 gabout 1 1/4 cups | 255 g |
| Leavening | 15 g | 15 g |
| Sugar | 15 gabout 1 tbsp | 10 g |
| Salt | 5 g | 5 g |
Bake425°F (220°C) for about 15 minutes, the medians of the 36 recipes here that state a temperature and the 42 that state a time.
Nearest the middle of group B
Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.
- Buttermilk Drop Biscuits · plainchicken.comsugar 3.4% · buttermilk 98% · leavening 4.9%
- Cheddar Bay Biscuits · livewellbakeoften.comsugar 3.4% · buttermilk 98% · leavening 4.9%
- Ridiculously Easy Buttermilk Biscuits · thecafesucrefarine.comsugar 5% · buttermilk 98% · leavening 4.9%
- Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits with Whole Wheat Flour · breadtopia.comsugar 5% · buttermilk 92% · leavening 5%
- Homemade Biscuits (Popular Recipe!) · sallysbakingaddiction.comsugar 4.5% · buttermilk 88% · leavening 5.4%
Group C · 42 recipes · 13% of all
More sugar, less buttermilk and more leavening
Sugar 3.3% or more, buttermilk 81% or less and leavening 4.9% or more of the flour weight.
| At 300 g flour | Group C | All |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 300 g | 300 g |
| Fat | 135 gabout 2/3 cup | 120 g |
| Buttermilk | 200 gabout 3/4 cup | 255 g |
| Leavening | 17 g | 15 g |
| Sugar | 15 gabout 1 tbsp | 10 g |
| Salt | 5 g | 5 g |
Bake425°F (220°C) for about 14 minutes, the medians of the 41 recipes here that state a temperature and the 42 that state a time.
Nearest the middle of group C
Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.
- KFC Flaky Biscuits · brooklynfarmgirl.comsugar 5% · buttermilk 73% · leavening 5.8%
- Moist and Flaky Jalapeno Buttermilk Biscuits · brooklynfarmgirl.comsugar 5% · buttermilk 73% · leavening 5.8%
- Rich and Flaky Sourdough Discard Biscuits · theperfectloaf.comsugar 5.2% · buttermilk 57% · leavening 5.2%
- Mile-High Biscuits · 12tomatoes.comsugar 6.7% · buttermilk 73% · leavening 4.9%
- Dad’s Buttermilk Biscuits · joythebaker.comsugar 6.7% · buttermilk 49% · leavening 5.5%
Group D · 38 recipes · 11% of all
More sugar, less buttermilk and less leavening
Sugar 3.3% or more, buttermilk 81% or less and leavening under 4.9% of the flour weight.
| At 300 g flour | Group D | All |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 300 g | 300 g |
| Fat | 115 gabout 1/2 cup | 120 g |
| Buttermilk | 190 gabout 3/4 cup | 255 g |
| Leavening | 12 g | 15 g |
| Sugar | 20 gabout 1 1/2 tbsp | 10 g |
| Salt | 4 g | 5 g |
Bake400°F (205°C) for about 18 minutes, the medians of the 37 recipes here that state a temperature and the 37 that state a time.
Nearest the middle of group D
Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.
- Cornmeal Biscuits · theviewfromgreatisland.comsugar 5.4% · buttermilk 63% · leavening 4.3%
- Cornmeal Biscuits · baking-sense.comsugar 6.9% · buttermilk 74% · leavening 4%
- Flaky Parmesan Rosemary Biscuits · recipesfromapantry.comsugar 8% · buttermilk 59% · leavening 4.4%
- Easy Blueberry Biscuits Recipe · crazyforcrust.comsugar 5% · buttermilk 74% · leavening 3.7%
- Overnight Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls · joythebaker.comsugar 6.7% · buttermilk 49% · leavening 3.9%
Group E · 42 recipes · 13% of all
Little or no sugar, more buttermilk and more leavening
Sugar under 3.3%, buttermilk over 86% and leavening 5.5% or more of the flour weight. 25 of the 42 use no sugar.
| At 300 g flour | Group E | All |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 300 g | 300 g |
| Fat | 100 gabout 1/2 cup | 120 g |
| Buttermilk | 295 gabout 1 1/4 cups | 255 g |
| Leavening | 18 g | 15 g |
| Sugar | none | 10 g |
| Salt | 5 g | 5 g |
Bake425°F (220°C) for about 14 minutes, the medians of the 42 recipes here that state a temperature and the 42 that state a time.
Nearest the middle of group E
Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.
- The Best Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits · melskitchencafe.comsugar 0% · buttermilk 98% · leavening 6.3%
- Cottage Cheese Biscuits · plainchicken.comsugar 0% · buttermilk 96% · leavening 6.1%
- Cheddar Biscuits · tasteofhome.comsugar 0% · buttermilk 98% · leavening 6.1%
- Cheddar and Herb Biscuits · melskitchencafe.comsugar 0% · buttermilk 98% · leavening 5.5%
- Sausage and Cheese Biscuits · tasteandtellblog.comsugar 1.7% · buttermilk 98% · leavening 5.5%
Group F · 37 recipes · 11% of all
Little or no sugar, more buttermilk and less leavening
Sugar under 3.3%, buttermilk over 86% and leavening under 5.5% of the flour weight. 17 of the 37 use no sugar.
| At 300 g flour | Group F | All |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 300 g | 300 g |
| Fat | 135 gabout 2/3 cup | 120 g |
| Buttermilk | 295 gabout 1 1/4 cups | 255 g |
| Leavening | 15 g | 15 g |
| Sugar | 4 gabout 1 tsp | 10 g |
| Salt | 5 g | 5 g |
Bake425°F (220°C) for about 14 minutes, the medians of the 35 recipes here that state a temperature and the 37 that state a time.
Nearest the middle of group F
Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.
- Easy Drop Biscuits · houseofnasheats.comsugar 1.7% · buttermilk 98% · leavening 4.9%
- Easy Flaky Buttermilk Drop Biscuits · melskitchencafe.comsugar 1.7% · buttermilk 98% · leavening 4.9%
- Drop Biscuits · bakedbyanintrovert.comsugar 1.7% · buttermilk 98% · leavening 4.9%
- The Best Cheesy Garlic Drop Biscuits · melskitchencafe.comsugar 1.7% · buttermilk 98% · leavening 4.9%
- Chili and Cheese Buttery Biscuits · joythebaker.comsugar 1.3% · buttermilk 107% · leavening 5.4%
Group G · 36 recipes · 11% of all
Little or no sugar, less buttermilk and more leavening
Sugar under 3.3%, buttermilk 86% or less and leavening over 4.9% of the flour weight. 26 of the 36 use no sugar.
| At 300 g flour | Group G | All |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 300 g | 300 g |
| Fat | 115 gabout 1/2 cup | 120 g |
| Buttermilk | 220 gabout 1 cup | 255 g |
| Leavening | 17 g | 15 g |
| Sugar | none | 10 g |
| Salt | 4.5 g | 5 g |
Bake425°F (220°C) for about 15 minutes, the medians of the 31 recipes here that state a temperature and the 36 that state a time.
Nearest the middle of group G
Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.
- Buttermilk Biscuits · bakingamoment.comsugar 0% · buttermilk 73% · leavening 5.5%
- Pumpkin Sage Drop Biscuits · fifteenspatulas.comsugar 2.2% · buttermilk 65% · leavening 5.4%
- Cheddar Scallion Biscuits · fifteenspatulas.comsugar 0% · buttermilk 69% · leavening 5%
- Cheddar Chive Biscuits Recipe · crazyforcrust.comsugar 0% · buttermilk 66% · leavening 5.6%
- Easy Drop Biscuits · thesaltymarshmallow.comsugar 1.7% · buttermilk 73% · leavening 5.5%
Group H · 45 recipes · 14% of all
Little or no sugar, less buttermilk and less leavening
Sugar under 3.3%, buttermilk 86% or less and leavening 4.9% or less of the flour weight. 29 of the 45 use no sugar.
| At 300 g flour | Group H | All |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 300 g | 300 g |
| Fat | 125 gabout 1/2 cup | 120 g |
| Buttermilk | 220 gabout 1 cup | 255 g |
| Leavening | 13 g | 15 g |
| Sugar | none | 10 g |
| Salt | 4.5 g | 5 g |
Bake425°F (220°C) for about 17 minutes, the medians of the 40 recipes here that state a temperature and the 45 that state a time.
Nearest the middle of group H
Closest to the group's median on every ingredient at once.
- Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits · tasteandtellblog.comsugar 0% · buttermilk 78% · leavening 4.4%
- Sourdough Cheddar Biscuits Recipe · farmhouseonboone.comsugar 1.4% · buttermilk 65% · leavening 3.8%
- Whole Wheat Cheddar Biscuits · completelydelicious.comsugar 0% · buttermilk 73% · leavening 4.9%
- Egg Stuffed Breakfast Biscuits (Breakfast Scones) · theflavorbender.comsugar 0% · buttermilk 80% · leavening 4%
- Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe · acouplecooks.comsugar 1% · buttermilk 73% · leavening 4.9%
How the questions are chosen
Each ingredient is ranked by how much recipes disagree on it: the width of the middle half of recipes (25th to 75th percentile) divided by the median, less 4% for each place it sits down this lab's list of ingredients, so the ones that define the dish win near ties. For biscuits the order is sugar (1.58), buttermilk (0.32), leavening (0.33) and fat (0.29), and the first 3 are asked. Salt is never asked about: recipes differ on it mostly by brand and taste.
Every split is at the median of the recipes in front of it, rounded to the percentage shown. Recipes exactly at the median go to whichever side leaves the two halves more even. No answer may keep fewer than 5 recipes; a group that could not be split further says so.
The recipes listed under each group are the 5 nearest its median on every ingredient at once, each scaled by how much recipes vary on it. Every recipe page links to the original for the method.