Pepper Jack Cornbread Biscuits

1. Stage

Mix together self-rising flour, cornmeal, white sugar, salt, and baking soda (See Cook's Note for substitution). Add cubed, very cold butter and mix in with a pastry cutter/blender until the mixture is crumbly and the butter pieces are approximately the size of lentils.

2. Stage

Stir in the buttermilk with a fork until a crumbly dough forms, which can be pressed together with your hands. Press into a square, and roll out into a 12 x12-inch square.

3. Stage

Cut in half, and stack one piece on the other. Roll back out to a 12-inch square. Jagged edges are fine, and can simply be pressed in with a bench scraper. Cut into quarters, and stack up. Square up the sides a little by pressing in with a bench scraper, and roll back out to a 12-inch square.

4. Stage

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a Silpat mat.

5. Stage

Grate the pepper Jack cheese over the top of the dough (for best results, pop cheese in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up, making it easier to grate and distribute evenly). Fold into thirds to form a rectangle, and press lightly.

6. Stage

Roll until the rectangle is about 3/4 inch thick, and then use a floured round cutter (mine was 2.75 inches) to punch out 8 biscuits. Dough can also be cut into squares instead.

7. Stage

Transfer cut dough to the prepared baking sheet. Extra dough can be pressed together and re-rolled, and used to cut more biscuits. Press each biscuit lightly in the center with your thumb. Brush each biscuit lightly with melted butter.

8. Stage

Bake in the preheated oven until nicely risen and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. While still warm, brush with more melted butter if desired. Let cool before serving.