These are great with soups and stews. You can reheat them by placing them in a preheated oven or toaster-oven at 300 degrees for 5 minutes.

Yield: about 10-12 biscuits

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (optional)

• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled in the freezer and cut into thin slices

• 3/4 cup cold buttermilk (see *Note below)

• 2 tablespoons buttermilk for brushing (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

1. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

2. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, thyme, and black pepper together in a large bowl.

3. Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 5 minutes. You can also use the “pulse” feature of a food processor, but don’t over-process the mixture. You want it to look like coarse crumbs.

4. Make a well in the center of the butter and flour mixture. Pour in 3/4 cup buttermilk; stir until just combined. Don’t overwork the dough or the biscuits will be tough.

5. Turn dough onto a floured work surface and pat together into a rectangle.

6. Fold the rectangle in thirds. Turn the dough a half turn, gather any crumbs, and flatten it back into a rectangle. Repeat twice more, folding and patting dough down a total of three times.

7. Pat-down dough on a floured surface to about 1/2+ inch thick. (thicker=higher biscuits and longer bake time)

8. Cut out 12 biscuits using a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter.

9. Transfer the biscuits to the prepared baking sheet.

10. *Optional: Press an indent into the top of each biscuit with your thumb.

11. *Optional: Brush the tops of the biscuits with 2 tablespoons of buttermilk.

12. Bake in the preheated oven until browned, about 15-20 minutes.

*Note: you can buy buttermilk in the Dairy Section of your market, or you can make your own buttermilk by mixing 4 1/2 tsp. white vinegar with milk to make one cup of buttermilk.

*Note: omit the thyme and black pepper if you want more traditionally flavored biscuits, or brush the biscuits with buttermilk before baking and sprinkle with Everything Sesame seasoning.