A Year-Round Guide to Franklin and Nantahala

The Best Buttermilk Pound Cake Ever Buttermilk & Apple Pancakes Hot Skillet Pancakes Mama’s Buttermilk Biscuits Buttermilk Drop Biscuits Peppered Buttermilk Biscuits with Sausage Gravy Fried Pork Tenderloin Biscuit Brown

Rosemary and Goat Cheese Strata

The Best Buttermilk Pound Cake Ever Buttermilk & Apple Pancakes Hot Skillet Pancakes Mama’s Buttermilk Biscuits Buttermilk Drop Biscuits Peppered Buttermilk Biscuits with Sausage Gravy Fried Pork Tenderloin Biscuit Brown

12 of Our Best Buttermilk Recipes


photograph by Matt Hulsman

The Best Buttermilk Pound Cake Ever

Recipe by Lynn Wells

Yield: 16 servings.

For the pound cake:
3 cups cake flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
3 sticks salted butter, softened
3 cups sugar
6 eggs at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, warmed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract

For the vanilla cream cheese frosting:
6 ounces unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the pound cake: Grease and flour a 9-inch tube cake pan. Mix together flour and baking powder; set aside. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture a little at a time, alternating with buttermilk and ending with flour. Add extracts. Pour into prepared cake pan and place in cold oven. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from oven, cover with aluminum foil, and let sit until cool.

For the frosting: In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the buttermilk and vanilla extract.


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photograph by Matt Hulsman

Buttermilk & Apple Pancakes

Recipe by Lynn Wells

Yield: 4 servings.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
1½ cups buttermilk
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 large Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apple, peeled, cored, and grated (about 2 cups)

Apple topping:
1 large Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Whipped topping (for garnish)
Cinnamon (for dusting)

For the pancakes: In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon.

In another bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, sour cream, and melted butter; add to flour mixture and stir until flour is just moistened. Stir in grated apple.

Drop ¼ cup of batter at a time onto a hot, lightly greased griddle. When bubbles start to appear in the batter, flip the pancake and cook for 1 minute. Repeat with remaining batter.

For the topping: Mix together apple slices and lemon juice.

In a skillet, melt butter, add the apple slices, and cook on medium heat until apples are just tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Top pancakes with cooked apples, and finish with whipped topping and a sprinkle of cinnamon.


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photograph by Matt Hulsman

Hot Skillet Pancakes

Recipe by Lynn Wells

Yield: 12 pancakes.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 cups whole buttermilk
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for frying
Fresh fruit and maple syrup (optional)

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and butter. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix.

Heat a skillet (preferably cast iron) or griddle over medium-high heat. Add a generous pat of butter to the hot skillet.

Drop ¼ cup of batter into the skillet, then reduce heat to medium. Cook until bubbles form across the top of the pancake, then flip and continue to cook until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve with fresh fruit and warm maple syrup, if desired.


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photograph by Matt Hulsman

Mama’s Buttermilk Biscuits

Recipe by Steve Gordon

4 cups self-rising flour, sifted
1 ½ cups buttermilk
¼ cup lard

Preheat oven to 500°. Lightly grease a baking pan or cast-iron skillet with lard or butter.

Fill a sifter with flour, about 4 cups. Sift flour into a large, wide bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour with your hand. Add lard and buttermilk. Squish the lard and buttermilk together with your fingers until lard is in small clumps.

Place fingers straight down into the center of the bowl and start making small circular movements. Continue to stir, in small circles, while gradually working in flour from the sides of the bowl. You’ll work in most of the flour, but probably not all of it.

Sprinkle some of the excess flour on top of the dough ball and fold the dough into itself a time or two. Knead the dough just a few times until it’s fairly smooth, then shape into a thick rectangle.

Clean any dough off of your hands before proceeding. Flour both hands prior to shaping and forming the biscuits.

Use your fingers and pinch off a section of dough that’s slightly larger than a golf ball. Roll this ball in the palms of your hands to smooth it out using slightly firm pressure at first and then lighter pressure as it becomes a bit sticky again. Try not to overwork the dough. Drop the ball back in the flour and coat lightly with flour. Roll the ball in the palm of your hand for another second or two and then flatten it like a hamburger patty.

Place the biscuit dough on your greased baking sheet or in a cast-iron skillet. For softer biscuits, make sure the sides are touching. For biscuits with crispier edges, space them out. Repeat the process until all the dough is used or your skillet is filled. Use the back of your fingers and gently press down on each biscuit. Bake 8 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Brush melted butter on top of each biscuit. Cover with a clean towel and let rest for a few minutes prior to serving.


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photograph by Matt Hulsman

Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

Recipe by Lynn Wells

Yield: 12 small or 6 large biscuits.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole buttermilk, chilled
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, plus more for brushing

Preheat oven to 425°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. In a small bowl, stir together chilled buttermilk and melted butter. The mixture will look curdled. Use a rubber spatula to stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture just until the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture slightly pulls away from the edges of the bowl.

Using a greased ¼-cup measure, portion the dough and drop biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing each about 1½ inches apart.

Bake biscuits until tops are golden brown, 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with additional melted butter. Serve warm.


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photograph by Matt Hulsman

Peppered Buttermilk Biscuits with Sausage Gravy

Recipe by Lynn Wells

Yield: 6 servings.

2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup buttermilk + ¼ cup, divided

Preheat oven to 475°. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and pepper. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until flour resembles coarse sand. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in 1 cup of buttermilk. Turning the edge of the bowl, add flour to center of bowl until all of the buttermilk has been absorbed. Do not overmix.

Pour dough onto a clean, floured surface and knead three or four times, folding over the dough each time. Use hands to spread dough out to ½-inch thickness. Cut out biscuits, dipping the cutter in flour between each cut.

Place biscuits onto large baking sheet. Brush the tops of the biscuits with buttermilk. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and serve.

Sausage Gravy

Yield: 6 servings.

1 pound ground pork sausage
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
¼ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon hot sauce
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the sausage until no longer pink. Add butter to the pan and stir. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes.

Slowly pour the milk into the sausage mixture, whisking constantly until smooth. Whisk in the seasonings. Taste the gravy and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve over biscuits.


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photograph by Matt Hulsman

Fried Pork Tenderloin Biscuit

Recipe by Lynn Wells

Yield: 4 to 6 biscuits.

For the biscuits:
2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold, cut into small cubes
1¼ cups buttermilk, divided

Preheat oven to 475°. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and pepper. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut butter into flour until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in 1 cup of buttermilk. Turning the edge of the bowl, add flour to buttermilk until all liquid has been absorbed. Do not overmix.

Place dough onto a clean, floured surface and knead 3 or 4 times, folding the dough over each time. Use hands to spread dough out to ½-inch thickness. Using a 3- to 4-inch biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits, dipping the cutter in flour between each biscuit.

Place biscuits on a large baking sheet. Brush the tops with remaining buttermilk. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until tops are lightly browned. Remove from oven and tear or slice open.

For the fried pork tenderloin:
2 pounds center-cut boneless pork loin
2 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups cornflakes, crushed
2 cups instant flour
Peanut oil, for frying
Heirloom tomato, sliced (for serving)
Texas Pete (for serving)

Cut the pork crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Without cutting all the way through, slice each piece horizontally until 1 inch of pork remains. Open pork pieces. Place between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Using a mallet or heavy skillet, pound until ¼-inch thick.

Whisk eggs, buttermilk, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne in a shallow bowl. Add pork, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Pour crushed cornflakes into a shallow dish. Put flour in another shallow dish. Remove each piece of pork from marinade, letting excess liquid drip off. Dredge both sides in flour, dip into buttermilk marinade again, then coat with crushed cornflakes.

Heat ¼ to ½ inch of peanut oil in a large, heavy-bottom skillet over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 360°. Fry pork in batches until golden and cooked through or until internal temperature reaches 145°, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.

Place pork inside biscuits and serve with hot sauce and heirloom tomato slices.


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photograph by Tim Robison

Brown Butter Sage Leaf Buttermilk Cornbread

Recipe by Barbara Swell

Although cast-iron-baked cornbread is traditional in the North Carolina mountains, this beautiful and fragrant version — as seen in the story about Barbara Swell’s log cabin cooking — never fails to delight guests. You’ll need a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and an oven preheated to 400°. A clear Pyrex oven-safe pie plate works best the first time you make this, so you can see if the bottom of the cornbread is nice and brown when baked.

5 tablespoons unsalted melted butter, plus more to grease the plate
A handful of fresh sage leaves of various sizes
2 cups stone-ground cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1½ cups buttermilk

Thickly butter the bottom and sides of your pie plate. Arrange sage leaves face down in a decorative flower fashion starting at the center of the plate, adding a few along the sides.

Toss together dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg, and buttermilk. Make a well in the dry ingredients, add the wet, and stir until mixed. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. To serve, invert onto a platter so that sage leaves face up.


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photograph by Matt Hulsman

Buttermilk Cornbread with Sorghum Butter

Recipe by Lynn Wells

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
½ cup butter, melted
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup whole buttermilk
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a 9-inch cast-iron skillet with vegetable shortening. Place skillet in oven.

In a large mixing bowl, add melted butter and sugar, and whisk to combine. Whisk in eggs and buttermilk. In a separate bowl, add baking soda, cornmeal, flour, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and stir until just combined with no lumps.

Remove skillet from oven and pour batter into hot skillet. Bake in oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Sorghum Butter

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup sorghum syrup
½ teaspoon salt

In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, syrup, and salt until well blended. Serve with cornbread, biscuits, or on pancakes. Store leftover butter in refrigerator for up to 1 week.


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photograph by Matt Hulsman

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Recipe by Lynn Wells

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces

Breading
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon celery salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons smoked sweet paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground allspice
2 cups all-purpose flour
Peanut or vegetable oil for frying (approximately 2 quarts)

In a large bowl, combine buttermilk, salt, and pepper. Place chicken pieces in buttermilk, making sure that chicken is covered. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

For the breading, combine all of the herbs and spices, making sure there are no lumps. In a large bowl, add the seasoning mixture to the flour and mix well until the spices are evenly distributed.

Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture and dredge each piece in the seasoned flour. Shake off excess flour and place chicken pieces in a shallow baking dish or large platter. Discard any remaining buttermilk and flour mixture.

In a large Dutch oven, heat oil to 350°. Add the chicken to the hot oil and cook for 10 minutes. Turn chicken pieces and cook for another 12 to 15 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 180°.

Remove chicken from oil and transfer to a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Let chicken sit for 10 minutes before serving.


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photograph by Matt Hulsman

Roasted Oven Fries with Ranch Dressing

Recipe by Lynn Wells

Yield: 8 servings.

2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
4 extra-large russet potatoes, washed and cut lengthwise into ½-inch strips
4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray; set aside. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, spices, salt, and pepper.

Place potatoes into a gallon-size Ziploc bag. Sprinkle cornstarch mixture into bag, seal bag, and toss potatoes to coat. Open bag and add oil, seal bag, and toss potatoes to coat again. Make sure all potatoes are evenly coated.

Transfer potatoes to baking sheet, arranging them in a single layer with space between each potato wedge. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove pan from oven and use tongs to turn potatoes over.

Return potatoes to oven and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove pan from oven and serve immediately.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Yield: 2½ cups.

1 cup sour cream
1 cup Duke’s mayonnaise
Juice from one lemon, or 1 tablespoon
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup fresh chives, finely sliced
¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Refrigerate for 6 hours before serving. Pour in glass jars or airtight container and store in refrigerator for up to 7 days.


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photograph by Jack Sorokin

John Fleer’s Buttermilk Cornbread Soup

Courtesy of Rhubarb restaurant in Asheville.

Yield: 4 servings.

Peanut oil
⅓ cup chopped leeks
⅓ cup chopped celery
¼ teaspoon minced garlic
2¼ cups chicken stock, plus extra if needed to thin out soup
½ cup crumbled day-old cornbread, plus extra for garnish
1 cup buttermilk (see note on buttermilk)
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Add enough peanut oil to coat the bottom of a medium soup pot or Dutch oven. Place over medium heat. Add leeks and celery, and reduce heat to medium-low; sweat, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables become translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute, then add chicken stock and cornbread. Bring to a low simmer, and let simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir buttermilk and heavy cream together in a large bowl. Add the hot soup very slowly to the milk mixture, stirring constantly. Puree soup until smooth in a blender or with an immersion blender. Taste and season with salt and pepper. If the soup is too thick for your liking, add a touch of extra chicken stock.

Return the soup to the pot and heat very gently over low heat until warmed through. Serve with crumbled cornbread on top as a garnish. It’s also quite delicious served chilled.

A note on buttermilk: The better your buttermilk, the better this soup will be. When I don’t have Cruze on hand, I look for whole-milk buttermilk without stabilizers or additives. Smaller local dairies sometimes have this, and the organic buttermilk found in natural-food groceries is often good, too.


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Related: Read about why every Southern fridge needs a little bit of buttermilk.

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This story was published on Mar 08, 2023

Our State Staff

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