My aunt brought a huge tray of these to the Sunday potluck and they were the very first thing to disappear.

Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it so the biscuits release easily and the bottoms brown evenly.

Place the finely chopped cooked country ham in a small bowl and set aside. You want the pieces fairly small so they distribute well through the dough and you get a bit of ham in every bite.

In a medium mixing bowl, add the self-rising biscuit mix. Make a well in the center and pour in 3/4 cup of the cold buttermilk.

Using a fork or your hand, gently stir from the center outward just until the dough starts to come together. If there are still dry pockets of mix, drizzle in a little more buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you have a soft, shaggy dough. It should be moist but not soupy.

Sprinkle the chopped country ham over the dough and gently fold it in until evenly distributed. Avoid overmixing; working the dough too much will make the biscuits tough instead of tender and flaky.

Lightly flour your countertop or a large cutting board with a spoonful of biscuit mix. Turn the dough out onto the surface and pat it gently into a rectangle about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. If the dough is very sticky, dust your hands lightly with biscuit mix as you work.

Fold the dough in half like a book, then pat it back out to about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. This simple fold helps create layers that bake up into nice, flaky biscuits with those golden, caramelized edges.

Using a small round biscuit cutter (about 1 1/2 to 2 inches) or the rim of a floured small glass, cut out biscuits, pressing straight down without twisting so they rise evenly. Gather the scraps, gently pat them together, and cut more biscuits until you’ve used all the dough.

Arrange the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet so they are just barely touching; this encourages them to rise up rather than spread out and keeps the sides soft while the tops and edges turn golden.

Bake on the center rack for 10–14 minutes, or until the biscuits are puffed and the tops are a rich golden color with lightly caramelized edges where the ham meets the dough.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the biscuits cool for 5 minutes on the pan. This brief rest helps set the crumb while keeping the centers soft and steamy.

Transfer the biscuits to a serving plate and serve warm. For a potluck, you can bake them just before leaving and cover the tray with a clean kitchen towel to keep them warm until you arrive.

Variations & Tips