Cast-Iron Biscuits

Y'all know I make a lot of biscuits. They are so utilitarian and, when cooked properly, are light, fluffy and delicious. I use biscuits for shortcake, breakfast sandwiches, plain with butter and honey, as a starch for my salad...just about anything. I discovered the fastest, easiest recipe in the world that produces consistently fluffy, golden biscuits every single time. I've been using it straight for two months in my house, and I'm thinking for the rest of my life. This is Jeff Mauro's (a.k.a. the Sandwich King) recipe, and it only requires four ingredients. I'm including the extra butter he uses to top the biscuits, because what isn't better with butter?, but I don't typically add it at the end...it doesn't really need it. But, in case you want a browner biscuit, go for the butter. You do need a cast-iron skillet for this one. If you don't have one, run right out to your local hardware store and pick one up. Mine resides permanently on my stove top...that's how often I use it.

Cast-Iron Biscuits
Ingredients:
4 cups self-rising flour, plus more for dusting - yes, it must be self-rising...don't have self-rising? *See below for how to make your own.
1 stick good butter, plus 3 tablespoons melted
2 to 3 cups cold buttermilk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place heavy cast-iron skillet into oven to preheat. Chill a large mixing bowl, pastry cutter, flour and 1 stick butter in the freezer 15 minutes before assembling the biscuits.

2. Add the flour to the chilled mixing bowl. Working quickly, cut 1 stick butter into the flour using the chilled pastry cutter (or your fingers); the goal here is pea-size balls of butter. In batches, add in the buttermilk until the dough is cohesive yet still moist. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and lightly press into a 1-inch-thick round. Using a biscuit cutter cut out 12 biscuits. (I do all my mixing in the food processor!)

3. Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and add the oil. Place the dough rounds into the hot skillet, right up against each other, and brush with the 3 tablespoons melted butter. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

*Make your own self-rising flour:
1 cup AP flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Sift or stir together.