Southern Buttermilk Biscuits - Mama Carlisle

(I got this recipe from a ‘true’ Southern Belle, and made them many mornings for my roommates at college in Idaho and Utah)

2 cups flour                                          

2 tsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder                           
1 tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda                              
⅓ cup shortening
⅔ cup buttermilk

Heat oven to 450º.  Measure flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl.  Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture looks like meal.  Stir in almost all the buttermilk until the mixture rounds up into a ball and no dry ingredients remain in the bowl.  If the dough is not pliable, add just enough buttermilk to make a soft puffy, east to roll dough.   (Too much milk will make the dough sticky, too little will make the biscuits dry).  Round up the dough on a slightly floured cloth covered board and knead lightly for 20-25 times.  Roll a little less than ½ inch thick and cut with a floured biscuit cutter.  Place on an ungreased baking sheet.  For crusty sides, place at least one inch apart, for soft sides, place them close together in an ungreased cake layer pan.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.