Place ½ cup butter in a 9×9 pan. Turn the oven to preheat to 450°F. Place the pan in the oven as it preheats allowing the butter to melt and the pan to heat up. *see note
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
Add in the buttermilk and using a wooden spoon, stir together to combine. A sticky dough will form.
Remove the pan from the oven when the butter has melted and spread the dough on top of the melted butter in the pan. Use the spoon or a spatula to evenly spread the dough out to the sides of the pan. Cover the top of the batter with additional melted butter, this helps the top bake up golden.
Using a knife cut the raw dough into 9 biscuits before baking. Place the pan back in the oven and bake for 18 – 20 minutes until golden brown.