Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening, such as Crisco
About 1 cup buttermilk
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Stir together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Use a pastry blender, two butter knives or your fingers to cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the buttermilk to make a soft dough. Use a little more buttermilk, if necessary, to keep the dough very soft.
Lightly flour your table or countertop and dust your hands with flour. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and gently pat it into a cake 1 1/2 inches high. Use a 3-inch biscuit cutter to cut the dough into rounds. Use a pastry scraper or a metal spatula to place the cutout biscuits, with sides closely touching, on the parchment-lined sheet. Gently pat the scraps together, sprinkling on a little buttermilk to keep dough soft, and cut out more biscuits.
Bake until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes.
