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.