1-Step 1: Combine the Dry Ingredients Start by grabbing a large mixing bowl you’ll need plenty of room to work. Add the 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons of baking powder, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Whisk everything together until well combined. This ensures the leavening and seasonings are evenly distributed throughout the flour, which means consistent flavor and rise in every biscuit.

2-Step 2: Cut in the Cold Butter and Cheese This is where the magic happens. Take your 1/2 cup of cold butter straight from the refrigerator and cut it into small cubes. Toss these butter cubes into your flour mixture along with 1 cup of frozen shredded cheddar cheese. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, work the butter and cheese into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible. Those visible butter pieces are your ticket to flaky layers! They create steam pockets during baking, so don’t overwork the dough trying to eliminate them.

3-Step 3: Chill the Dough Here’s a step many recipes skip, but it makes all the difference. Pop your bowl of mixture into the refrigerator for 15 minutes. This keeps the butter cold and firm, which is essential for creating those beautiful, flaky layers. While the dough chills, you can move on to prepping your baking sheet and oven.

4-Step 4: Preheat and Prepare While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 400°F. This high temperature creates immediate steam when the biscuits hit the heat, giving them that gorgeous rise. Grease a large baking sheet with butter or cooking spray, or line it with parchment paper for easy cleanup. The preparation time aligns perfectly with the dough’s rest time, making the whole process efficient.

5-Step 5: Add the Milk and Form the Dough Remove your chilled mixture from the refrigerator. Make a well in the center and pour in 1 cup of whole milk. Using a wooden spoon or your hands, gently stir the milk into the dry ingredients until a clumpy, somewhat scraggly dough forms. The key word here is gently you want to mix just until everything is moistened. Overmixing develops gluten, which leads to tough, dense biscuits. Your dough should look a bit shaggy and not perfectly smooth. Trust the process!

6-Step 6: Roll and Cut the Biscuits Dust your work surface with a little flour and turn the dough out onto it. Gather it together into a ball, then roll it out into a rectangle approximately 12 by 8 inches and about 3/4 inch thick. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to slice the dough into triangles or squares whatever shape you prefer. Don’t twist your cutter when making biscuits! Twisting seals the edges and prevents them from rising properly. One clean cut is all you need.

7-Step 7: Bake to Golden Perfection Transfer your cut biscuits to the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between each one for even browning. Slide the pan into your preheated 400°F oven and bake for 15 to 17 minutes. You’re looking for light golden brown tops and slightly darker bottoms.

8-Step 8: Finishing Touches When the biscuits come out of the oven, you have the option to brush the tops with melted salted butter. This adds an extra layer of flavor and gives them that beautiful, shiny appearance. Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before serving just long enough that you won’t burn your tongue on that molten cheese!