Herbed Buttermilk Biscuits

(You may use tarragon, chives or chervil in place of dill.)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  

Sift 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon table salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried dill.  If using fresh dill, mix the dill with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley.

To the dry ingredients, add 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening or lard, well chilled and cut into chunks.  Also add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into chunks, chilled.

Combine and cut in with a pastry blender or two table knives until coarse meal forms.  

Make a well in the center…

and pour 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk.  Blend the dough just until combined with your fingers or with a wooden/bamboo spoon.  It will be sticky, but that is alright.

Turn out onto a floured cutting board.  Wash, dry and flour your hands.  Gently pat out the dough and fold it back over itself about half a dozen times, just until smooth.  Pat it out again, this time into a round or oval that is an even 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap, lightly, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.  

After 20 minutes, remove the cutting board with the biscuit dough from the refrigerator, cut the dough with a sharp knife or biscuit cutter–trying to get as many rounds as possible.  The dough with toughen, somewhat, each time you work it but lightly pat remaining dough together, pat down evenly, and cut again.  Set biscuits 1/2 inch apart on prepared baking sheet.

Bake the biscuits, rotate the baking sheet halfway through to achieve even cooking.  Bake until raised and golden brown.