Biscuits

YIELD

4 servings (2 biscuits per person)

INGREDIENTS

Biscuits
Cold unsalted butter, 1½ sticks (cut into ½-inch cubes)
All-purpose flour, 3 cups plus extra for rolling
Baking powder, 1 tablespoon
Baking soda, ¾ teaspoon
Salt, 1 teaspoon
Granulated sugar, 1½ teaspoons
Buttermilk, 1½ cups
Melted unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons
Thick-cut ham steaks, 2 (about ¾ pound)
Extra-virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the biscuits: Preheat the oven to 450°. On a small plate set the

• Unsalted butter cubes

Place in the freezer for 15 minutes. Set the fine-mesh sieve (or use a flour sifter) over a large metal bowl and add the

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Granulated sugar

Freeze for 15 minutes. Remove both the butter and flour mixture from the freezer and use your fingers to pinch the butter into the flour mixture, working quickly, until most of the butter is worked in and there is a variety of small and large pieces of butter within the flour mixture. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add

• 1¼ cups buttermilk

Use the wooden spoon to stir the mixture together until it becomes hard to stir, then switch to using your hands to gently toss and turn the mixture until only a few dry spots remain, drizzling in the remaining ¼ cup of buttermilk a little at a time as needed.
2. Sprinkle a cutting board with some

• All-purpose flour

Turn the dough out onto the floured board and press it into a rough rectangle shape. Lightly flour the top and use a rolling pin to roll it into a 12-inch by 14-inch rectangle that’s about ½-inch thick. Fold the dough into thirds like a business letter. Turn the dough so the long edge is parallel to the long side of the cutting board. Roll the dough into a ½-inch thick rectangle and repeat the folding. Roll again, this time rolling the dough only slightly into a 10-inch by 12-inch rectangle about 1-inch thick. Use a 3-inch biscuit cutter to cut out as many biscuits as you can (you can gently push the dough back together and flatten it by hand, then cut out more biscuits. Discard the remaining dough. Place the biscuits on a nonstick baking sheet (or a parchment paper-lined baking sheet) and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the biscuits from the refrigerator and use the pastry brush to coat the tops with the

• Melted unsalted butter

Place the biscuits in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 425°. Bake until golden brown on top, about 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheet midway through baking. Remove from the oven and use the metal spatula to transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool.