Adapted from Southern Living magazine
Makes 10-12 biscuits
Method
Step 1
Measure a piece of parchment paper to fit your sheet pan; be sure to make it longer but exactly as wide, so you can use the overhang to lift the sheet when there are biscuits on top. Set aside.
Step 2
Sift the flour into a bowl, then grate in the frozen butter (I use a box grater, the large holes side). Toss together briefly (but no need to work the butter into the dough). Put in the freezer.
Step 3
While the bowl is in the freezer, preheat the oven to 475F. If you have an electric oven, put the pan in the oven and heat it up without the parchment paper. If you have a gas oven, you can keep the pan out of the oven and place the parchment paper in it. This is all in pursuit of nice crispy bottoms.
Step 4
Make a well in the middle of the butter/flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Always have more on hand in case you need it – I usually have to add a bit. Stir until it starts to come together. It should be pretty sticky and a bit wet. Turn it out onto a well-floured surface and pat it into a rectangle (you can use a rolling pin if it helps).
Step 5
Fold the dough in thirds like a letter and flatten out, then turn and do it again in the other direction. Do this whole process at least once more, for a total of 4 sets of folds. This is what takes the most experience; you’ll eventually learn how much handling is enough. Aim for handling less, not more.
Step 6
Roll or pat out and start cutting your biscuits; use a biscuit cutter or a glass and be careful not to twist (that is a myth that will end up actually curtailing your biscuit’s rise). If the dough is in that sweet spot of not too wet but not too worked, the cutter will not stick to the dough, and if it’s a glass it will make a nice little “womp” sound.
Step 7
Place the biscuits on the parchment paper in a honeycomb pattern so that there are no spaces. This will help the biscuits rise. If you like biscuits that are crispy all around and not as tall, you can place them with space around them or only touching on the sides.
Step 8
Move the biscuit-laden parchment with the overhang onto the pan, this will take practice. You may brush melted butter on top of the biscuits at this point.
Step 9
Bake at 475F for 12-15 minutes until lightly browned. You can feel they are done by shaking one with your fingertip on top; if they are too moveable, they aren’t quite set.
Step 10
Place them in a basket lined with a tea towel and cover; they will stay nice and moist this way. Put the leftovers straight into the fridge to be reheated in the oven when ready.