His advice?

"I never re-roll the scraps. I like the odd bits and pieces of leftover dough baked right alongside the biscuits. They're a treat to eat."

More good advice:

Use any good unbleached all-purpose flour — unbleached flour contains more protein than bleached flour and makes a slightly sturdier biscuit. "I prefer organic unbleached flour. Whichever flour you use, always sift the flour first and measure after sifting. Sifting the flour produces lighter biscuits."

Making your own baking powder is easy and economical. Sift together three times the following: 1/4 cup cream of tartar and 2 tablespoons baking soda. Store in a clean, dry, tight-sealing jar at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, up to 4 weeks. Use in any recipe calling for purchased baking powder.

"Working the lard in properly is the secret to success. First, coat the lard in the flour mixture and rub between your fingertips until roughly half the lard is coarsely blended and the other half remains in large pieces, about 3/4 inch in size."

When mixing the dough, stir just until the batter is well-moistened and begins to cling together. Overworking can lead to tough, dry, and heavy biscuits; underworking can result in biscuits that are crumbly and leaden.

Go for a light touch when kneading. Knead gently but quickly and avoid pressing too firmly. Lift and fold the dough gently onto itself, giving it a quarter turn after each knead.

Dust your rolling pin with flour and roll from center toward edges. Avoid pressing too firmly. If dough sticks to rolling pin, dust the pin, not the dough.

Pricking the dough with a fork before baking allows steam to be released during baking and helps the biscuits rise more evenly.

Cut biscuits out as close together as possible to get the maximum yield. Press down firmly, but do not twist the cutter. Twisting seals the sides, preventing biscuits from rising as nicely.

Slightly shake the filled cutter to free the biscuit. Don't overhandle. Arrange biscuits as close together as you can so they barely touch.

CLASSIC BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Heat oven to 500 degrees. In large bowl whisk together flour, homemade baking powder and kosher salt. Add lard, coating in flour. Working quickly, rub lard between fingertips until roughly half the lard is coarsely blended and half remains in large pieces, about 3/4 inch.

Make a well in center of flour mixture. Add buttermilk all at once.

With a large spoon stir mixture quickly, just until it is blended and begins to mass and form a sticky dough. (If dough appears dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons additional buttermilk.)

Immediately turn dough onto generously floured surface. Using floured hands, knead briskly 8 to 10 times until cohesive ball of dough forms. Gently flatten dough with hands to even thickness. Using floured rolling pin, lightly roll dough to 3/4-inch thickness.

Using a dinner fork dipped in flour, pierce dough completely through at 1/2-inch intervals. Flour a 2 1/2- or 3-inch biscuit cutter. Stamp out rounds and arrange on heavy parchment-lined baking sheet. Add dough pieces, as is, to baking sheet.

Place on rack in upper third of oven. Bake 8 to 12 minutes until crusty and golden brown. Remove. Brush with melted butter. Serve hot.

Makes 12 to 16 biscuits.

For videos and more how-tos from Scott, log on to www.bhg.com/americanclassics/biscuits.