Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Grate a cold stick of butter (straight from the fridge) on a cheese grater and mix into flour with a fork.

Pour milk into flour mixture while stirring with a fork. Mix in milk just until dough is soft, moist and pulls away from the side of the bowl.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. No need to knead the dough, the less you touch it they flakier the biscuits will be. You can take a bench scraper and press dough together if it’s a little crumbly. Roll dough out into a 3/4 inch thick sheet and cut with a floured or oiled biscuit or cookie cutter. Don’t turn the cutter, just press straight down.

Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter. For sweet biscuits, sprinkle a little granulated sugar on top; for savory, sprinkle a little sea salt.

Place biscuits on ungreased baking sheets and bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 10–12 minutes.