All-Purpose Biscuits

Makes 12 biscuits

3          cups cake flour, plus more for shaping

2          tablespoons granulated sugar, optional, if making sweet biscuits

1½       tablespoons baking powder

¾         teaspoon sea salt

4         tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed

2         cups heavy cream, cold

Egg wash

1        large egg plus 1 teaspoon water, whisked together

1        to 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar, optional, for sprinkling if making sweet biscuits

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Reserve.
2. Put the flour, sugar (if using), baking powder, and salt into the work bowl fitted with the metal chopping blade. Process to sift, about 10 seconds. Add the butter and pulse until small pieces form and they are coated with flour. While pulsing, add the heavy cream through the feed tube. Pulse until very few dry bits of flour are visible. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. 
3. Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and lightly dust the top of the dough with additional flour. With floured hands, gently form the dough into a ½-inch-thick rectangle. Fold one-third of the dough toward the center, and then the opposite side folded over that (like folding a letter to put into an envelope). Dust the top lightly with flour, turn 180 degrees and then repeat the folding and turning process 2 additional times (this is what helps to create the desired layers in biscuits).
4. Gently press the dough into a 1-inch thickness (shape does not matter). Cut into individual biscuits using a well-floured 3-inch round cutter. Scraps can be reformed to cut additional biscuits, but they will not be as perfectly uniform (but still delicious!). Gently place the biscuits 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
5. Gently brush the top of each biscuit with the egg wash, and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar, if using.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the tops are golden brown. Serve warm.