Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups All-purpose flour 312 g
- 1 Tbsp Milk Powder
- 1 Tbsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 3/4 tsp Fine salt
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 3/4 C Salted or Unsalted Butter 140g, must be frozen for 20 minutes
- 1 C Buttermilk, ice-cold 240 ml
- 2 Tbsp Heavy cream, buttermilk or melted butter (for brushing the tops before + after baking)
- 2 Tbsp Salted or Unsalted Butter (to add to the hot skillet before baking)
Instructions
Prep
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Put your butter in the freezer for 20 minutes to chill it before grating.
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Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C) and put your cast iron skillet in the oven to preheat.
Mix the Dry Ingredients
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, milk powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar until fully combined.
Grate the Frozen Butter
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Remove your butter from the freezer. Using the large holes of a standard box grater, shred the frozen butter directly into the flour mixture. Toss gently with a fork so all the butter is evenly coated in flour.
Hydrate into a Shaggy Dough
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Pour the ice-cold buttermilk into the bowl. Stir gently with a fork just until a shaggy, loose dough just barely forms. Do not overmix, or the biscuits will turn out tough instead of tender.
Laminate for Flaky Layers (The Secret Step)
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Turn the shaggy dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat it into a rough rectangle.
Fold the dough in thirds (like a letter).
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Rotate the dough 90 degrees, gently pat it down flat again, and fold it in thirds a second time.
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Repeat this process 3 to 4 more times. This creates dozens of alternating layers of butter and dough that steam open in the oven to create spectacular flakiness.
Cut the Biscuits
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Pat the dough down into a final 1-inch thick slab. Cut into Squares or dip a sharp 2½-inch biscuit cutter in flour and press straight down and up into the dough. Never twist the cutter, as twisting seals the edges and prevents the biscuit from rising high.
Chill
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Chill the biscuits into the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up the butter.
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Remove the hot cast iron skillet from the oven, add 2 Tablespoons of butter to the hot skillet. It should sizzle and turn golden.
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Once the butter melts carefully place the biscuits around the pan so they lean on each other to climb upwards as they bake.
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Right before sliding them into the oven, brush the tops lightly with butter, buttermilk, or heavy cream.
Bake and Serve
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Bake at 450°F for 15 to 18 minutes until the tops are deeply golden brown and towering high.
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Brush immediately with melted butter and flaky sea salt upon pulling them out of the oven.