Aunt Elsas Buttermilk Biscuits

• 5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and rolling
• 3 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 heaping tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1 cup very cold shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 cups buttermilk, plus more as needed
• Butter, for serving (optional)
• Honey, for serving (optional)

1. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425F.
2. In a large bowl, place the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
3. Whisk together until well blended.
4. Add the shortening and use your hands or a pastry blender to very quickly blend it into the flour until there are some pieces the size of small peas and some twice that size.
5. If desired, you can transfer the mixture to a tightly sealed container and freeze until needed.
6. Add the buttermilk at once and stir just until blended into a sticky dough; if it seems dry, add more buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time.
7. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead with your hands 5 to 10 times, just until a ball forms.
8. Use a floured rolling pin to roll out the dough 1/2 inch thick.
9. Use a 2- or 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut out as many biscuits as you can and transfer them to an ungreased cookie sheet; place them close together so that all of the biscuits will fit on one sheet.
10. Gather the scraps together into a ball (handling the dough as little as possible).
11. Roll it out to 1/2 inch thick and cut out as many biscuits as you can.
12. Place them on the sheet; discard the remaining scraps.
13. Bake until puffed and golden on top, 15 to 18 minutes.
14. Serve hot, and spread with butter and honey if desired.

flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, very cold shortening, buttermilk, butter, honey

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/aunt-elsa-s-buttermilk-biscuits-377921 (may not work)