• Preheat your oven to 450°F.
• Combine 3 cups flour, ½ teaspoon soda, 2 Tablespoons powder, and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor.
• Cut 9 Tablespoons butter into chunks and cut into the flour until it resembles course meal.
• If using a food processor, pulse a few times until this consistency is achieved.
• Add 1 ½ cups buttermilk and mix JUST until combined.
• If it appears on the dry side, add a bit more buttermilk. It should be very wet.
• Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board.
• Dip your fingers in flour to help keep the dough from sticking to you. Gently, gently PAT (do NOT roll with a rolling pin) the dough out until it's about ½" thick. Fold the dough about 5 times, gently press the dough down to a 1 inch thick.
• Use a round cutter to cut into rounds. Do not twist cutter as you push down. This compromises the dough to it doesn't rise up as high.
• You can gently knead the scraps together and make a few more.
• Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet- if you like soft sides, place them touching each other. If you like"crusty" sides, place them about 1 inch apart- these will not rise as high as the biscuits put close together.
• Bake for about8-10 minutes- the biscuits will be a beautiful light golden brown on top and bottom.
• Do not overbake.

Note:

• The key to real biscuits is not in the ingredients, but in the handling of the dough.
• The dough must be handled as little as possible or you will have tough biscuits.
• A food processor produces superior biscuits, because the ingredients stay colder and there's less chance of overmixing.
• You also must pat the dough out with your hands, lightly.
• Rolling with a rolling pin is a guaranteed way to overstimulate the gluten, resulting in a tougher biscuit.

Note 2:

• You can make these biscuits, cut them, put them on cookie sheets and freeze them for up to a month.
• When you want fresh biscuits, simply place them frozen on the cookie sheet and bake at 450°F for about 15-18 minutes.