Warm biscuits are such a wonderful treat. Even the word biscuit sounds buttery, cozy and homemade. We’ve heard biscuits called the croissant of the South because they have such a wonderful, flaky texture — and they can be deceptively complicated. But once you know a few simple tricks, they’re actually quick, quite easy to make and so scrumptious and rewarding. 

Butter is the very heart of the biscuit. It should be cold, and there should be pea-size chunks of it in the dough when you’re done mixing. The butter will melt in the oven, creating air pockets in the dough, which will give you that fantastic texture. It’s important to take a light hand with your biscuit dough: resist the urge to knead or roll it into a triangle (a light pat will do) or to twist the cutter as you form your biscuits — both can lead to flat, hard biscuits.  

Why do we bake the biscuits in a cold, cast-iron skillet? It helps that butter stay as cool as possible for as long as possible. 

For this recipe, we let the biscuits bake for a bit — so they can start the rising process unencumbered — and then coat them with honey-thyme butter and a little flake salt. The result is a sweet, herby biscuit with crunchy, golden crust and a delightfully tender, fluffy and flaky interior. It’s the kind of a biscuit you can serve at any meal: it’ll delight your family and friends whether it’s served with poached eggs, sausage and gravy or sweet cream butter and a little pot of honey.