The Best Way To Reheat Biscuits To Keep Them Soft And Fresh

Is there anything better than a warm, buttery biscuit fresh out of the oven? No, there isn't. But a reheated biscuit can come pretty darn close.

Don't believe it? It's true that leftover biscuits are often — if not usually — bad. When you pop them in the microwave, they can turn into soggy shells of their former selves. Unless you leave them in too long, that is. Then they turn into hard tack. The solution is folding each biscuit up in a wrung-out paper towel, which will insulate and moisten them. But the microwave isn't your only option. When you bake, fry, or toast your biscuits, they can warm up almost as good as new.

There's a catch: For best results, you first have to store them right. The key is to limit exposure to the air, which accelerates the staling process. If you have a whole tray of leftover biscuits (lucky you!) one easy way to do this is to let them cool, then wrap the whole tray in plastic or foil wrap. You can also wrap individual biscuits this way. Do that, and you're one step closer to delicious leftover biscuits.

If you want your biscuits to taste like they just came out of the oven, you should — surprise, surprise — put them in the oven. Southern cooking expert Cheryl Day recommends loosely covering them in foil before baking them for six to eight minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. "Pull the biscuits out, and peel the foil back to expose the tops of them," she told Epicurious. "Return to the oven for another four to six minutes to crisp the exterior." Those instructions are for biscuits fresh out of the refrigerator: Cut the time if they're room temperature and up the time if they're frozen.

If that sounds a little too high-effort for you, there's a simpler method. First, line your baking tray with parchment paper if you want to avoid biscuity, buttery clean-up later. (Psst: If you're fresh out, there are at least 10 substitutes you can use in place of parchment paper.) Then, bake until toasty. A room-temperature biscuit might need three minutes; a frozen biscuit could need 15 or so. Check them frequently. You want a biscuit, not a hockey puck. 

The oven and microwave are both great ways to revive biscuits — but they're by no means the only ways. A toaster oven will get the job done almost exactly the same way as a conventional oven. Just check your biscuits even more frequently than normal: Heat can be more concentrated in a toaster oven, cutting cook times.

You may be wondering: If toaster ovens work, why not toasters? Why not, indeed? Cut a biscuit in half and toast it. You'll end up with a crispy, crunchy exterior that you might just prefer to the oven-fresh version.

Toasting bread in a pan works great. With just a few adaptations, you can do the same thing with biscuits. Cut your biscuits in half and butter each side. Heat a non-stick — or better yet, cast iron — skillet over medium heat. Place your biscuits in the pan, butter side down. Let each one fry until the whole biscuit is warmed through and the buttered side is golden brown. These reheated biscuits taste so good that you'll never throw out leftovers again.