Cracked Black Pepper Pull-Apart Biscuits

biscuit kid-friendly side sugar conscious vegetarian pescatarian peanut free tree nut free soy free no sugar added kosher small plates

Katherine Sacks

Makes 16 biscuits

Source

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, divided, plus 1/2 pound (2 sticks), cut into pieces, softened

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups cake flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

2 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Two (8") cake pans or one (9x13") baking dish

Method

Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease cake pans or baking dish with 1 Tbsp. melted butter.

Combine all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, pepper, kosher salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add shortening and 1/2 pound softened butter. Using your hands or a fork, mix just until mixture is coarse and mealy. Stir in buttermilk just until a shaggy dough forms.

Divide dough into 16 heaping 1/3-cup portions. Place 7 around the perimeter and 1 in the center of each cake pan (or nestle all 16 into baking dish). Brush biscuits with remaining 3 Tbsp. melted butter, sprinkle with sea salt, and bake until puffed and golden brown, 35–40 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack, then reinvert. Serve warm or at room temperature.