Buttermilk Biscuits

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 425°F. Position a rack in the center so your biscuits have room to rise without hitting the top.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl, whisking them together until evenly distributed. This ensures every biscuit gets the right amount of leavening.
3. Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until you have a mixture that looks like coarse meal dotted with pea-sized butter pieces. Those butter chunks create the flaky layers, so don't overwork it.
4. Create a well in the center of your flour mixture and pour the cold buttermilk right into it. The contrast in temperature helps keep everything properly chilled.
5. Using a fork, gently stir the mixture just until the dough comes together in shaggy pieces. You'll still see bits of flour — that's exactly right. Overmixing develops the gluten and makes tough biscuits.
6. Turn the shaggy dough out onto a well-floured surface and gently pat it into a rectangle about 3/4-inch thick. Use your palms, not a rolling pin, to maintain the tender texture.
7. Dip a 2.5-inch round cutter in flour and press straight down through the dough without twisting. Twisting seals the edges and prevents the biscuits from rising properly. Cut the biscuits as close together as possible to minimize scraps.
8. Arrange the biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet so their sides are just touching. This helps them support each other as they rise and creates those coveted soft sides.
9. Slide into the oven and bake until the tops are deep golden brown and the biscuits have doubled in height. They should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

   ⏱ 15 min
10. For extra richness, brush the hot tops with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven. The butter will soak in slightly while adding a beautiful sheen.