- 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
- Two (8″) cake pans or one (9×13″) baking dish
- 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.