It's so easy to make soft, tender buttermilk biscuits exactly like Dolly Parton. Here's what to do!
I Tested the Biscuits Recipe That Dolly Parton Is Famous For
Updated May 06, 2024
Dolly Parton is a country music star, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and well-known philanthropist. (Her Imagination Library has gifted nearly 200 million books to kids in need!) But, at home, Dolly’s like the rest of us: she loves gathering with family for good meals.
I’ve already been lucky enough to test some of her homestyle recipes, like butterscotch pie and stone soup. Now, I’m taking on Dolly Parton’s biscuits. Made with buttermilk and baking powder, they come together quickly and can go with breakfast, brunch or dinner.
Dolly Parton Biscuits Recipe
This biscuits recipe from Dolly Parton makes 24 soft, 2-inch biscuits.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 5 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening
- 1 cup buttermilk
Editor’s Tip: You can use store-bought buttermilk or make buttermilk at home with vinegar or lemon.
Directions
Step 1: Cut lard into dry ingredients
Sift together 2 cups of flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda into a large bowl. Add lard or vegetable shortening to the bowl. Use two forks or a pastry cutter to blend the fat into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
Step 2: Blend in buttermilk
Add the buttermilk to the bowl. Use your hands to gently combine the ingredients into a dough. If the dough is too sticky, add in more flour little by little until you have a soft dough.
Step 3: Knead dough
Knead the dough for two minutes. (You can do this in the bowl or on a floured surface.) It will still be very soft.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 20 minutes.
Step 4: Cut out biscuits
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it’s about 1/2-inch thick. Use a 2-inch round biscuit cutter or overturned glass to cut out rounds; then place the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet about an inch apart. (You can line the pan with parchment paper if you’d like.)
Step 5: Bake biscuits
Bake the biscuits for 13 to 15 minutes until they’re puffed and golden brown. Serve them warm from the oven or at room temperature. If you’re looking for more recipes, then learn how to make a pimento cheese sandwich.
Here’s What I Thought
These are lovely, soft biscuits that bake up into perfect little rounds. I like that this Dolly Parton biscuit recipe is so easy to pull together and that the dough is easy to handle. The buttermilk biscuits stayed soft for days, too. My family enjoyed them buttered with bowls of chili and alongside chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy.
Looking for more recipes? Learn how to make Dollywood’s cinnamon bread, birthday cake and cuppa cake in your kitchen.
Dolly’s Tips for Making Biscuits
Use lard for extra flavor
Dolly says not to be afraid to use lard and butter in your recipes: “You can’t get that good taste without all that stuff,” she says. That goes for Dolly Parton’s buttermilk biscuits, too. Use lard or bacon grease to bring out a bit of a savory flavor and to get a tender biscuit.
Don’t overwork the dough
You can make your biscuits using butter, but be careful not to overwork the dough—doing so will create too much gluten, and your biscuits will be tough. With shortening or lard in the dough (as in this recipe), you can get away with a light kneading as these fats prevent gluten from forming.
Make a double batch
Do like Dolly does—make a big batch of these biscuits for your family or guests and serve them warm with butter! Every table receives a free basket of piping-hot biscuits at the Dollywood Front Porch Cafe in Tennessee.
After trying this Dolly Parton biscuit recipe, try using her Dolly Parton Duncan Hines baking mixes to make a delicious dessert.
Try These Southern Recipes Dolly Loves
Smoky Grilled Corn on the CobDolly Parton's theme park, Dollywood, has a lot more to offer than rides. It has a great assortment of restaurants that highlight southern cooking. Each of these restaurants has an abundance of side dishes available, and corn never fails to make that list. A staple of Tennessee meals, nothing beats a classic corn on the cob.
Roasted Pork with GravyWhen the New York Times interviewed Dolly Parton, she claimed that roast pork was her favorite dish for entertaining. She loves a good, Southern greasy dish and with a nice fatty pork loin you'll understand why.
Truly Tasty Turnips with GreensAs a side to roast pork, Dolly Parton loves to serve turnip greens. Turnip greens have a bit of a kick to them and this recipe accentuates these natural flavors.
Southern Fried OkraDolly Parton has confessed that in addition to turnip greens, okra is another one of her favorite southern side dishes. This recipe would go beautifully with a roast pork or ham.
Banana PuddingDolly Parton has said time and time again that her mother's banana pudding is one of her favorites. According to Dolly, one of her neighbors near her family's Tennessee home owned a store. They would tell Dolly's mother when bananas were going bad so that she could buy them for a cheaper price. The family knew that on these days, her mom would make her famous banana pudding.
Spiced Baked CatfishOne of Dolly Parton's cookbook recipes is a catfish dinner like this one. Her pan-fried recipe relies on cornmeal, shortening and a lemon wedge. She keeps it simple and we love her for that!
Jalapeno Buttermilk CornbreadAny of these ham, chicken and pork dishes would go well with a good skillet of cornbread. Dolly Parton's cornbread recipe is simple and relies on bacon drippings and buttermilk. This cornbread is similar, but adds a bit of heat that we think Dolly would appreciate.
Creamy ColeslawAnother classic side dish. This one accompanies many of Dolly's dishes at her restaurants in Branson, Missouri and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Swirl Cinnamon BreadIf you've ever been to Dollywood you already know about the mouthwatering cinnamon bread. You can make this quick version of Dollywood's cinnamon bread in your kitchen and feel like you're right in Tennessee.
Smooth Sweet TeaSweet tea is called the "house wine of the South" in Steel Magnolias and we've never forgotten it. Make this smooth recipe for your next "wine" night!
Originally Published: November 21, 2022
