Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Mix
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, chilled
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Fats & Liquids
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, frozen
- 1 cup buttermilk, cold
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 315 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 36 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 567 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 10 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 44 mg
- Potassium
- 92 mg
- Calcium
- 148 mg
- Iron
- 0.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 13 mg
- Phosphorus
- 114 mg
- Zinc
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 140 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.06 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.07 mg
- Niacin
- 0.6 mg
- Folate
- 13 mcg
- Water
- 34 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the chilled flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and baking soda until thoroughly aerated and combined.
Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the frozen butter directly into the flour mixture. Toss the butter shreds gently with the flour so they are coated and separated.
Make a well in the center and pour in the cold buttermilk. Stir gently with a fork or spatula just until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overmix.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat into a rough rectangle. Fold the dough in thirds like a business letter. Rotate 90 degrees, flatten slightly, and fold in thirds again. Repeat one more time for a total of 3 fold cycles.
Pat the dough into a final square approximately 8x8 inches and 1 inch thick. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut straight down into a 3x3 grid to create 9 equal squares. Do not saw back and forth.
Place squares on the baking sheet, arranging them so they are just barely touching each other. Brush tops with 1 tablespoon of heavy cream.
Bake for 15-18 minutes until well-risen and golden brown on top and bottom. Rotate the pan halfway through for even color.
Chef's Notes
- Because volume measurements for flour vary, always use the 'spoon and level' method: spoon the flour into the measuring cup until overflowing, then sweep the excess off with a flat edge.
- If the dough feels too wet (which can happen with volume measurements), add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it is manageable but still shaggy.
- Temperature is the single most critical variable. If your kitchen is warm, freeze the dry ingredients and bowl for 10 minutes before starting.
- The square-cut eliminates scrap dough, which prevents the toughness that comes from re-rolling scraps.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store in an airtight container; texture degrades quickly in fridge.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze unbaked squares on a tray, then bag. Bake from frozen adding 3-5 minutes.
Reheating: Reheat at 350 degrees F for 5-7 minutes until warm.
Cultural Context
This recipe adapts the precision of the 'Geometric Biscuit' method for the home cook using traditional US volume measurements. It maintains the zero-waste ethos and the 'cat-head' square-cut tradition of the American South.
