Combine the dry ingredients from the all-purpose flour through the sea salt.
Drop in the cubes of butter. Then using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until pea-sized pieces remain.
Combine the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Then pour the mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix with a fork until a small amount of dry ingredients are left at the bottom.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Flatten and fold the dough three times. Then slightly flatten the dough into a circular shape and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat an oven to 425 F. Roll the dough out to a 2-2 ½” thickness. Cut the biscuits with a round cutter. Press down directly, do not twist the cutter as it will seal off the layers and not allow the biscuit to puff in the oven.
Brush the biscuits with melted butter and bake for 20-22 minutes or until puffed and golden brown on top. When the biscuits come out of the oven, brush them with any remaining butter and sprinkle them with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
Tip
Cut open the biscuits and serve them with additional salted, softened butter and honey for an extra special treat.