Ingredients

• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 1 recipe Buttermilk Biscuit Dough, recipe follows
• 1/2 cup whole-grain mustard
• 8 thin slices city ham
• 4 cups shredded sharp white or yellow Cheddar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 1/2 cups cold buttermilk

Instructions

1. Special equipment: a 5-inch round cutter
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Dust your work surface with flour and roll the biscuit dough out 1/4-inch thick or slightly thicker. Cut out 5-inch rounds with a cutter. Reroll the scraps and cut again.
4. Spread a tablespoon of mustard over half of the top of each round. Fold the ham slices, put them on top of the mustard, leaving a 1/4-inch border, and then mound a scant 1/2 cup of the Cheddar on top. Fold the dough over to make a half-moon and press with a fork to seal. As you go, transfer each finished biscuit to the prepared baking sheet.
5. Brush the tops of the biscuits with cream and top with a sprinkling of black pepper. Bake until golden brown and baked through, about 15 minutes. Cool briefly and serve hot.
6. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter using your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and mix gently until the mixture just begins to come together.