Adapted from Whole Foods for the Whole Family, La Leche League International, 1981. We have eaten thousands of these biscuits over the years, often accompanied by homemade soup. Hot bread makes a celebration out of any meal.
4 cups flour (really, each cup should be less than full—say between 7/8 and 15/16 of a cup)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 stick of butter (8 tablespoons)
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
Place flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in food processor bowl with the steel knife and blend for a few seconds.
Cut the stick of butter into 8 or so pieces and place them into the processor bowl. Process dry ingredients and butter until crumbly, 13 seconds (count slowly to 13).
Add grated cheese and process just long enough for the cheese to disappear from view, 2 or 3 seconds. Add buttermilk. Process until it clumps a little, about 7 seconds.
Turn out onto floured surface and knead gently 5 to 10 times. I pat out the dough into a square, then fold it, then pat it out again, and so on, about 5 times, to give it some layers.
Cut into rounds with cookie or biscuit cutter. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 425ºF for about 15 minutes.