Cracked Black Pepper Pull-Apart Biscuits

• 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 (9x13") baking dish

1. Preheat oven to 425u0b0F. Grease cake pans or baking dish with 1 Tbsp. melted butter.
2. 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.
3. 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.

unsalted butter, allpurpose, cake flour, baking powder, freshly ground black pepper, kosher salt, baking soda, vegetable shortening, buttermilk, flaky sea salt, cake pans

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/cracked-black-pepper-pull-apart-biscuits (may not work)