Preheat the oven to 450.

Mix all the dry ingredients together with a whisk.

Grate the cold butter straight from the fridge with a cheese grater. 

Toss the butter in the flour with your fingers.

Chop the butter up with a pastry blender until the butter is pea size.

Add the milk or buttermilk to flour and butter and mix with a wooden spoon.

Dump the mixture onto a floured surface and squish it together with your hands until the mixture sticks together. 

Roll the dough out on a wooden floured surface, or a counter, until is about 1/2" thick, being generous with the flour.

Fold the dough into quarters and roll out again. Folding the dough creates the fluffy, crusty layers that make good biscuits. Repeat the folding and rolling out a total of 4 times.

Cut biscuits out with a tin can or biscuit cutter and place on the cookie sheet. 

Gather up the remaining dough and repeat. 

Bake 8-12 minutes until golden brown on top, NOT brown like toast.