CRACKED BLACK PEPPER PULL-APART BISCUITS

Cracked Black Pepper Pull-Apart Biscuits image

Provided by Katherine Sacks

Yield Makes 16 biscuits

Number Of Ingredients 12

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4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, divided, plus 1/2 pound (2 sticks), cut into pieces, softened
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups cake flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
Special equipment:
Two (8") cake pans or one (9x13") baking dish

Steps:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease cake pans or baking dish with 1 Tbsp. melted butter.
Combine all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, pepper, kosher salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add shortening and 1/2 pound softened butter. Using your hands or a fork, mix just until mixture is coarse and mealy. Stir in buttermilk just until a shaggy dough forms.
Divide dough into 16 heaping 1/3-cup portions. Place 7 around the perimeter and 1 in the center of each cake pan (or nestle all 16 into baking dish). Brush biscuits with remaining 3 Tbsp. melted butter, sprinkle with sea salt, and bake until puffed and golden brown, 35-40 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack, then reinvert. Serve warm or at room temperature.