Scattering grated cheese on the baking sheet before placing the biscuits on top results in crispy, toasty “feet.”

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk to combine in a large bowl:

Add:

Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or your fingers to work it into the flour until it is in small, flattened pieces and the mixture is crumbly. Stir in:

Add and stir just until the dough comes together:

Use the larger amount of buttermilk if the dough is crumbly and dry after adding ¾ cup. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead very briefly just to bring the dough together. Pat the dough out into a rectangle. Starting at a short end, fold one-third of the dough toward the center, then fold the opposite end over the first folded end (a business letter fold). Pat out the dough into a rectangle again and give it one more business letter fold. Pat the dough out into a 6 × 9-inch rectangle ¾ to 1 inch thick. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 6 square or 8 rectangular biscuits. Sprinkle in small mounds on the baking sheet, one mound for each biscuit:

Place each biscuit on a mound of cheese on the baking sheet. If needed, scatter the cheese a bit so it sticks out from under each biscuit (this ensures that every biscuit has crispy cheese “feet”). Brush the biscuits with:

Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.