Step 1: The "Grate" Technique
Do not melt the butter. Instead, take your frozen stick of butter and grate it using a cheese grater directly into the flour.Step 2: The Gentle Toss
Add your chosen "Variation Ingredients" (Cheese, Berries, or Bacon) to the flour and butter mixture. Toss gently with a fork to coat them in flour.Step 3: The Liquid Gold
Create a well in the center and pour in the cold buttermilk. Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon just until the dough comes together. It should look shaggy and messy.Step 4: The Drop
Using a large ice cream scoop or two spoons, drop mounds of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (or your air fryer basket).Why this works: This creates tiny ribbons of fat that melt rapidly in the heat, creating steam pockets. These pockets are what give your breakfast biscuits that coveted flaky lift without hours of folding.Tip: This prevents the heavy ingredients from sinking to the bottom of the biscuit.Warning: Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears. If you overmix, you develop gluten, which results in a tough, rubbery texture.Size matters: Keep them roughly equal in size to ensure they cook evenly.
