These biscuits are rich and fluffy, and come together pretty easily.
2 c flour
1 T baking powder
1 T sugar
1 t salt
1/2 baking soda
4 T cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 1/2 c cold buttermilk, preferably low-fat (not non-fat)
1 c flour, in a flat dish for dusting the biscuits
2 T unsalted butter, melted
Heat oven to 500 degrees and spray a 9-inch metal cake pan. Set up a walled jelly roll pan with a healthy layer of flour in it, for rolling the biscuits.
In Cuisinart, combine dry ingredients, then pulse in the butter until it’s coarse and pebbly. Transfer mixture to a bowl and add buttermilk. Stir until just combined – mixture will still be lumpy.
Spray a 1/4 c measure and scoop out a level amount of dough. Drop into the prepared flour. Repeat with remaining dough to form 12 biscuits. Toss biscuits around in the flour to coat them, shake off excess, and arrange in the cake pan (9 on the outside, 3 in the center). Brush tops with melted butter.
Bake 5 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 450 degrees for another 15 minutes. Biscuits will be deep golden brown when done. Cool in pan 2 minutes, then turn out onto a clean kitchen towel. Break biscuits apart and let cool another 5 minutes before eating them (if you don’t wait they’ll be a little gluey!).