Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat liner.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder until well combined. Grate in the frozen butter (or cut it in with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, I find grating faster and easier) and mix it together gently. Pour in the buttermilk and stir until the dough starts to come together. It will be very shaggy with lots of loose bits and flour, that’s okay.
3. Dump the mixture out onto a lightly floured counter. It won’t really look like a cohesive dough at this point. That’s okay, you don’t want to overwork the dough so don’t worry about it! With lightly floured hands, shape the dough into a rough rectangle, about one inch thick. Lift one end up and fold it in half. It will fall apart, just pick up all the bits and pieces and put them on top. Turn the dough a quarter turn and press out into a one inch thick rectangle again. Repeat this folding and turning process 5-6 times, at which point your dough will be more cohesive, and not crumbling all over the place anymore. Add a bit more flour underneath and on your hands if it gets too sticky.
4. Press out one last time into a one inch thick rectangle. Cut into squares with a knife, making sure to cut straight down and not slide or twist at all when you’re cutting. If you use a biscuit cutter, don’t twist it as this will seal the edges and it won’t rise well in the oven. I usually cut them into squares as it’s faster and there are no scraps to reshape then, but if you prefer circles go for it!
5. Place biscuits on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until risen and lightly browned on top. Serve warm.