Preheat oven to 425°F, sift dry ingredients into a large bowl, cut in cold lard/shortening and butter into the flour using a pastry cutter or your fingers until it resembles course crumbs.

Add buttermilk 1/2 cup at a time, mixing with a fork or your hands until dough staystarts to come away from sides of the bowl, you may need all the milk or not if dough is too dry add more milk if it's too wet add a little more flour, on a lightly floured surface turn out dough, knead 7-10 times then pat out into a rectangle 1/2 inch thick

Fold dough into thirds on top of itself like an envelope, using a rolling pin roll into 1/2 inch thick rectangle then repeat the fold and roll step 2 more times, this is what creates flaky layers into the biscuit.

Roll dough into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle after the final fold and roll, cut out biscuits with a 1 1/2 to 2 inch biscuit cutter, place biscuits close together on a greased baking pan or cake pan

Beat egg with 1 teaspoon of water brush tops of biscuits bake for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown, brush tops with melted butter, enjoy