Ingredients
  • 5 oz. (1 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for rolling 
  • 3 Tbs. granulated sugar 
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda 
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt 
  • 3 oz. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces  
  • 2 oz. buttermilk  
Makes 6 

Make the biscuits 
  1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. 
  2. Sift the flour, the sugar, the baking powder, and baking soda into a large bowl. Stir in the salt. 
  3. Using a pastry blender, a fork, or your fingertips, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. 
  4. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Mix with the fork until the dough is evenly moistened and just comes together; it will still look a little shaggy. Gather the dough and gently knead it three or four times. If the dough seems dry and doesn’t form a cohesive mass, work in more buttermilk, 1 tsp. at a time. 
  5. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll it into a 3/4 -inch-thick disk. With a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter,  cut the dough into rounds. Transfer the rounds to the prepared baking sheet. Gather the dough scraps, gently knead them together, re-roll, and cut out more biscuits. Chill for fifteen minutes. 
  6. Lightly brush the biscuit tops with cream or melted butter to moisten and sprinkle with sugar. Bake, rotating the baking sheet once, until the biscuit tops are lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes.