Place rack in middle of oven; preheat oven to 425°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Pulse 3½ cups (438 g) all-purpose flour, 2½ tsp. baking powder, 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, 2 tsp. sugar, and ¼ tsp. baking soda in a food processor to combine. Add 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces, and pulse until largest pieces of butter are the size of a pea. Transfer to a large bowl and gradually drizzle 1 cup buttermilk, chilled, over the dry ingredients, tossing with a fork as you go to incorporate. Knead mixture a few times in bowl until a shaggy dough forms (mixture will look a little dry); turn out onto a clean surface and pat into a 1"-thick square.

Using a knife or bench scraper, cut dough into 4 pieces. Stack pieces on top of one another, sandwiching any loose dry bits of dough between layers, and press down to flatten. Lift up dough with bench scraper and dust work surface with all-purpose flour. Roll dough into a 1"-thick rectangle and trim a thin border around sides of dough to create clean edges. Cut into a 4x3 grid to make 12 biscuits (don’t reroll scraps). Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing 2" apart; freeze 10 minutes.

Brush tops of biscuits with melted butter and place in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 400°; bake biscuits until deep golden brown on bottom and golden on top, 20–25 minutes. Do ahead: Biscuits (unbaked) can be made 1 month ahead. Freeze, uncovered, on baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a resealable plastic bag. Do not thaw before baking, but add a few minutes to baking time. If you somehow manage to have leftovers, store cooled biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Editor’s note: This buttermilk biscuit recipe was first printed in our April 2016 issue. Head this way for a taste of our favorite breakfast sandwiches→