Herby Ricotta Biscuits

Stages of cooking

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt in a large bowl.
   
2. Coat whole stick of butter in flour mixture. Grate butter on the large holes of a box grater into bowl. (If butter starts to melt, coat butter in flour mixture again and continue grating.) Use your fingers to toss butter in flour mixture until all butter pieces are separated and coated in flour. Mixture should resemble coarse crumbs.
   
3. Whisk together ricotta  and water in a small bowl; add to flour mixture. Gently fold to bring dough together. Dough should be moistened but still crumbly. If dough is too dry, add more cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until fully moistened.
   
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Lightly knead three or four times until dough comes together. Sprinkle with flour; pat to 3/4-inch thickness. Cut dough into four equal portions. Stack portions, press down, and pat again to form a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle. Repeat process three times, adding flour as needed.
   
5. Press a 2 1/2- to 3-inch biscuit cutter straight down into dough to cut out biscuits. Gently knead scraps together, pat to 3/4-inch thickness, and repeat cutting. Arrange on prepared baking sheet (biscuits should be barely touching).
   
6. Bake in the preheated oven until tops are crisp and golden brown, 15 to 16 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes.
   
7. Stir together fresh herbs and lemon zest in a small bowl. Brush tops of baked biscuits with melted butter; sprinkle with herb mixture and Parmesan cheese. (Store in an airtight container up to 3 days; chill up to 1 week. To reheat, bake about 10 minutes at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).