Instructions

• Prep Your Oven and Pan: First things first, get your oven preheating to a blazing 450°F. This high heat is essential for getting that initial puff of steam from the butter. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Grate the Butter: In a large mixing bowl, measure out your self-rising flour. Take your butter directly from the freezer and, using the large holes of a box grater, grate the entire stick right into the flour. Toss the butter shreds with the flour as you go to prevent clumping.
• Cut the Butter In: Using a pastry blender or just your fingertips, quickly cut the butter into the flour. You’re looking for a coarse, crumbly texture, like rough sand with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible. Work quickly to avoid melting the butter.
• Add the Buttermilk: Pour the cold buttermilk in all at once. Use a rubber spatula to mix until a shaggy, slightly sticky dough just begins to form. Do not overmix! A few dry patches are perfectly fine.
• Turn and Fold: Lightly flour a clean work surface and turn the dough out. Gently bring it together into a rough ball. Now, for the layers: pat the dough down slightly and fold it over on itself like a letter, three to four times. This lamination process is what creates those beautiful, pull-apart layers.
• Pat and Cut: After the last fold, gently pat the dough out into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Do not use a rolling pin, as it can compress the dough. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, press straight down to cut out your biscuits. Do not twist the cutter, as this can seal the edges and prevent them from rising.
• Arrange and Bake: Place the cut biscuits on your prepared baking sheet so their sides are just touching. This helps them support each other as they bake, encouraging them to rise upwards instead of outwards. You can gently re-pat the scraps to cut out another biscuit or two.
• Bake to Golden Perfection: Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. As soon as they come out of the oven, brush the tops generously with melted butter. Let it soak in for a minute, then give them a second brush for good measure.