Ingredients:
- 500g all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 0.5 tsp baking soda
- 1.5 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 115g unsalted butter, frozen and grated
- 355ml cold buttermilk
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Instructions:
- Prep the Base: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large, chilled mixing bowl. Note: Whisking aerates the flour, which prevents a dense biscuit.
- Incorporate Fat: Using a stainless steel pastry cutter, work the 115g of frozen grated butter into the dry ingredients. Stop when the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea sized pieces remaining.
- Hydrate the Dough: Make a well in the center and pour in the 355ml of cold buttermilk. Stir with a wooden spoon just until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overmix or you'll activate the gluten!
- Transfer and Fold: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Use a bench scraper to fold the dough over itself three times using the letter fold technique. Note: This creates physical layers of fat and dough.
- Shape the Slab: Gently pat the dough to a 1 inch thickness. Avoid using a rolling pin, as it can be too heavy and crush those air pockets you just worked so hard to create.
- Cut the Rounds: Use a sharp 2.5 inch biscuit cutter to press straight down without twisting. Twisting seals the edges and prevents the biscuit from rising.
- Arrange and Brush: Place biscuits on a baking sheet so they are just touching. Brush the tops generously with the 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
- The Bake: Bake at 425°F (218°C) for 15 minutes. Watch for the tops to turn a deep golden brown and the height to double.
- Rest Briefly: Let them sit on the pan for 2 minutes. This allows the internal steam to finish setting the crumb so they don't fall apart when you split them.
- Final Touch: Serve immediately while the center is still steaming and the edges are crispy.