Fall-over buttermilk biscuits

Heat the oven to 450F or 475F, almost 250C.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a large bowl.

Cut the very cold butter into the flour with a pastry cutter until the chunks are little but still clearly visible; work fast so the butter does not melt.

Pour in most of the buttermilk, keeping a little back, and mix with a spoon; the dough should feel pretty wet.

Knead with a floured hand just until it comes together into a ball.

Turn onto a well-floured cutting board and flatten by hand to about half an inch, as close to a rectangle as possible.

Fold over, flatten again to half an inch, flipping so the folded surface is well floured; repeat for seven folds in total.

Before the seventh fold, paint the surface with some of the reserved buttermilk as glue; after folding, press only to about an inch tall.

Chill in the bowl in the freezer about 10 minutes.

Cut into triangles with a sawing motion of the knife.

Optionally brush the tops with melted butter or glaze with the remaining buttermilk.

Bake in the very hot oven without the convection fan until puffed and fallen over and pale gold, about 15 minutes total.