Ingredients
4½tspactive yeast
3tbspwarm water,(110 to 115 degrees F)
5cupsall-purpose flour
¼cupwhite sugar
1½tspkosher salt
2tspbaking powder
1tspbaking soda
½cupbutter,cold
½cupshortening,cold
2cupsbuttermilk
extra flour,for forming and cutting biscuits
3tbspbutter,melted
Preparation
Place the yeast and warm water in a small bowl and stir to dissolve. It should be a thick paste.
Place the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Stir together with a balloon whisk.
Cut the butter and shortening into ½-inch chunks and sprinkle over the dry ingredients. Use fingers to smash and break the butter and shortening until they have flattened out and are about the size of peas.
Stir the yeast paste into the buttermilk, then add it to the biscuit dough.
Stir with a large spatula until a rough dough forms. Using hands, knead the dough a few times to make sure all the dry crumbly bits at the bottom of the bowl are incorporated.
Sprinkle some flour on a clean surface. Dump the dough onto the surface, and pat the dough into a rough rectangle, about 1-inch thick. Fold the dough in half and then rotate the dough 90 degrees.
Repeat this process, patting the dough into another 1-inch thick rectangle and folding it over 2 more times. Sprinkle flour under the dough if it starts to stick. Do not pat too roughly, just enough to get the dough down to 1-inch.
After the final fold, pat the dough out one more time to 1-inch.
Dip a 2-inch round biscuit cutter in flour, then cut out biscuit rounds. Do not twist the cutter. Just press straight down.
Repeat with all the dough. Gather the scraps together and cut more biscuits until all the dough is used up.
Brush a large 12-inch cast iron skillet with some of the melted butter. Place the biscuits in the skillet, making sure they touch slightly.
Cover the biscuits with plastic wrap and let rise in the pan for 1 hour.
About 15 minutes before the hour is up, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Once the biscuits are done rising, brush the remaining melted butter over the top of the biscuits.
Bake the biscuits for 16 to 18 minutes or until the top of the biscuits are golden brown. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack.
Serve warm with butter, honey, or choice of jam.
