Biscuit-Bowl Biscuits

Preheat oven to 500°F. Grease a small or medium (no smaller than 8-inch) round cast-iron griddle pan with shortening. Place flour in a large bowl. Spoon 2½ cups of the flour into a sifter; sift flour back into bowl. Using the back of your hand, create a nestlike shape in flour in center of bowl, pressing and packing flour down firmly.

Pour buttermilk directly into nest. Add shortening to buttermilk. Squeeze together using 1 hand to incorporate until no large pieces remain. Using a circular motion with your hands, gradually begin incorporating flour from sides of bowl into buttermilk mixture, working as quickly and gently as you can and incorporating only as much flour as needed until a soft dough forms. (You will not need to use all the flour in the bowl.) The dough should be soft but not wet, and it can be a bit sticky. Reserve remaining flour in bowl for flouring and, if desired, for another batch of biscuits.

Flour your hands, and transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Pat dough to about 1-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut out 8 biscuits, flouring cutter after each cutting. Reroll dough scraps, and pat to 1-inch thickness. Cut remaining 4 biscuits using floured cutter. Discard any remaining scraps.

Arrange biscuits as close together as possible (they should be touching) on prepared griddle pan. Bake in preheated oven until tops are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before serving.