Chef John's Flaky Biscuits

To begin preparing your biscuits, preheat the oven to its highest temperature setting, 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Next, line a baking sheet with a flexible silicone mat or a layer of parchment paper to prevent the biscuits from sticking.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Using your fingers or a pastry blender, work the cold butter into the dry ingredients until you achieve a mixture that resembles coarse fragments.

Create a central depression in the mixture by pushing it aside. Pour cold buttermilk into this depression and gently stir until just combined, taking care not to overmix.

Transfer the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and press it together into a rectangular shape. Fold this rectangle in thirds, then turn the dough by 180 degrees and gather any stray crumbs before flattening it back into a rectangle. Repeat this process two more times, folding and pressing the dough for a total of three cycles.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/2 inch thickness. Use a round biscuit cutter with a diameter of 2 1/2 inches to cut out the biscuits. If there are any scraps, re-roll the dough and cut more biscuits; you should end up with a total of 12.

Arrange the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet and use your thumb to create an indentation in the center of each biscuit. Brush a thin layer of buttermilk over the tops.

Place the biscuits in the preheated oven and bake until they are flaky, golden brown, and crispy on the outside, taking about 15 minutes to achieve this.