Cheddar and Scallion Biscuits

Ingredients

• 9 ounces all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
• Green part of 1 scallion, sliced thin
• 1 cup milk

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F, and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper so cleanup stays easy. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into several pieces, drop it into the flour mixture, and use your fingertips to work it in until tiny bits of butter are scattered throughout. Stir in the cheese and scallion, then pour in the milk and mix until the dough comes together.
2. Sprinkle a little flour over your work surface. Take the dough out of the bowl, set it on the floured area, and press it into a loose square about 9 inches across. Fold it in thirds, the way you would fold a letter, then pat it back down until it is about an inch thick. Rotate the dough 90 degrees, and fold it in thirds once more.
3. Add another light dusting of flour to the surface if the dough needs it, then roll it out to 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick. Cut rounds with a biscuit cutter or a similar tool, and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.
4. Roll the scraps again. For the best lift in this next batch, try to keep the dough facing the same direction rather than bunching it up or pressing it into a ball. The folds you made earlier built horizontal layers, and those layers help the biscuits rise, much like pastry dough. When gathering the scraps, keep those layers as level as you can. Cut more biscuits from the rerolled dough. If you would rather not create another pile of scraps, cut this batch into squares instead of rounds.
5. Instead of rolling the remaining scraps a third time, shape the leftover bits by hand into a few small biscuits. They may look a little rustic, but they work nicely as cook’s samples.
6. Brush the biscuit tops with milk or melted butter, if you like, and bake at 400 degrees F until they are lightly browned, about 20 minutes.