• 2 cups (240g) whole wheat pastry flour plus more for dusting
• 1 tablespoon (15g) aluminum-free baking powder see note section
• 1 teaspoon (6g) baking soda
• 1 teaspoon (3g) kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons (2 oz; 56g;) cold unsalted butter cut into ½-inch cubes
• 1 cup (236 mL) cold buttermilk

• Preheat your oven to a blazing 450°F (230°C) with an oven rack positioned in the center. This high heat is crucial for achieving a quick rise and a beautifully golden crust. While the oven preheats, take a moment to prepare your baking sheet: line it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking and ensure easy cleanup. Set the prepared pan aside.
• In a spacious medium bowl, combine all your dry ingredients: the whole wheat pastry flour, aluminum-free baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Whisk these together thoroughly to ensure they are well distributed. Next, add the cold unsalted butter, which you should have already cut into ½-inch cubes. Toss the butter cubes into the flour mixture, coating them lightly. Now, using a pastry cutter (or your fingertips, working quickly to keep the butter cold), cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles small, pea-sized pieces. This step is vital for flaky biscuits! Once combined, place the entire bowl into the freezer for 5 minutes to ensure the butter remains very cold.
  
• Retrieve the chilled flour and butter mixture from the freezer. Create a small well in the very center of your dry ingredients. Pour in the cold buttermilk. Using a wooden spoon or a spatula, gently stir the buttermilk into the flour mixture until it is *just* absorbed and no dry streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix at this stage! The dough will appear quite wet and shaggy, but do not worry – this is exactly the desired consistency. Overmixing will develop the gluten too much and result in tough biscuits.
  
• Lightly flour a clean countertop or a large pastry mat. Transfer the shaggy biscuit dough onto this floured surface. Now, gently knead and fold the dough over itself several times. You’re not looking for a smooth, elastic dough like with bread; rather, you just want to bring it together. Dust the dough lightly with additional flour as needed to prevent it from sticking to the countertop or your hands. Aim for about 10-20 gentle folds and presses, just enough for the dough to come together into a cohesive mass. This minimal kneading helps create layers without overdeveloping gluten.
  
• With your hands, gently pat the dough into a disc that is roughly 1-inch thick. The dough should still feel cold, soft, and supple. To cut out your biscuits, dip a 2.5-inch biscuit cutter into flour to prevent sticking, then press it straight down into the dough. It is absolutely crucial to cut out the biscuits without twisting the biscuit cutter. Twisting seals the edges of each biscuit, which prevents them from rising as tall or evenly during baking. Carefully transfer the cut biscuits to your prepared, parchment-lined sheet pan, ensuring they are spaced at least an inch apart. Gather any remaining dough scraps, gently press and knead them together one more time, and repeat the cutting process. This recipe typically yields around 6-7 large, perfectly formed biscuits.
  
• Bake your biscuits in the preheated oven for approximately 9 to 11 minutes, or until they are beautifully puffed up and lightly golden brown on top. Once baked, carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool slightly. For the ultimate enjoyment, these biscuits are truly best served piping hot. Slice them down the center while warm and lavishly top them with a generous pat of butter, allowing it to melt into every crevice. They’re also fantastic with jam, honey, or alongside savory dishes.

Tips for Success:

• For a truly clean and pure biscuit flavor, always opt for aluminum-free baking powder. Given the generous amount used in this recipe, this choice is crucial as it prevents any metallic or bitter aftertaste that can sometimes be associated with baking powders containing aluminum.
• These biscuits are incredibly adaptable to different flour types. Feel free to substitute half of the whole wheat pastry flour with regular all-purpose flour. This slight alteration will result in even taller and often lighter biscuits, while still retaining some of the wholesome whole wheat goodness.
• The temperature of your ingredients is paramount when working with biscuit dough. It is essential to use very cold butter and buttermilk. Cold ingredients help create steam pockets during baking, which results in those coveted flaky layers. Try to avoid over-working the dough at all possible, as excessive handling warms the butter and develops too much gluten, which will negatively affect the rise and produce a tough, dense texture instead of light, tender biscuits.
• When cutting your biscuits, press straight down with the cutter and lift it up without twisting. Twisting seals the edges of the dough, which can prevent the biscuits from rising properly and forming distinct layers.
• For extra golden tops, you can brush the biscuits with a little buttermilk or melted butter just before baking.

Make-Ahead Instructions for Ultimate Convenience

• FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS: To enjoy fresh biscuits anytime, prepare the biscuit dough as instructed through step 4 and cut out the individual biscuits. Place these raw, cut biscuits on a parchment-lined plate or baking pan, ensuring they don’t touch, and freeze them until they are completely solid (this usually takes 1-2 hours). Once frozen solid, transfer the biscuits to a large, freezer-safe Ziplock bag. Squeeze out any excess air from the bag and seal it well. These frozen biscuits can be stored for up to a month, ready for baking whenever a craving strikes!
• HOW TO BAKE FROZEN BISCUITS: When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 450ºF (230°C) as usual. There’s no need to thaw the biscuits! Simply place the frozen biscuits directly onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, ensuring adequate spacing. Bake them until they are beautifully golden brown and puffed, which typically takes about 10 to 12 minutes (a couple of minutes longer than fresh biscuits). Serve them hot straight out of the oven for a quick and satisfying treat.
• WARMING LEFTOVER BISCUITS: If you happen to have any leftover baked biscuits, they can be easily warmed to regain their deliciousness. Place them in a toaster oven for a few minutes until heated through, or for a wonderfully crispy exterior, split them in half and warm them cut-side down in a preheated and lightly buttered cast-iron skillet over medium heat until golden and warm.