Basic Rolled Biscuits

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt
5 to 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup milk


Directions
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Have ready a large ungreased baking sheet.

2. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Drop in the butter. Cut in the butter with 2 knives or a pastry blender, tossing the pieces with the flour mixture to coat and separate them as you work. For biscuits with crunchy edges and a flaky, layered structure, continue to cut in the butter until the largest pieces are the size of peas and the rest resemble breadcrumbs. For classic fluffy biscuits, continue to cut the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrubms. Do not allow the butter to melt or form a paste with the flour.

3. Add the milk all at once. Mix with a rubber spatula, wodden spoon, or fork just until most of the dry ingredients are moistened. With a lightly floured hand, gather the dough into a ball and knead it gently against the sides and bottom of the bowl 5 to 10 times, turning and pressing any loose pieces into the dough each time until they adhere and the bowl is fairly clean.

4. To shape round biscuits: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. With a lightly floured rolling pin or your fingers, roll out or pat the dough 1/2 inch thick. Cut out 1 3/4- to 2-inch rounds with a drinking glass or biscuit cutter dipped in flour; push the cutter straight down into the dough and pull it out without twisting for biscuits (they are never as tender as the first-cut).

5. To shape square biscuits (with virtually no scraps): Roll out the dought 1/2 inch thick (1/4 to 3/8 inch if cooking on a griddle) into a square or rectangle. Trim a fraction of an inch from the edges of the dough with a sharp knife before cutting into 2-inch squares.

6. For browner tops you can brush the biscuit tops with milk or melted butter. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet at least 1 inch apart for biscuits with crusty sides or close together for biscuits that are joined and remain soft on the sides. Bake until the biscuits are golden brown on the top and a deeper golden brown on the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve hot.