Cheddar bacon biscuits



By Diane

3 strips bacon
2 cups (300g) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4-6* tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut in cubes
1 cup (235mL) buttermilk
1 ounce of sharp cheddar, cut in tiny pieces

1. Cook bacon in a skillet and remove to a paper towel. Chop or crumble, and set aside. Allow grease to cool. When it is close to room temperature, place in a container and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees (220 Celsius) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Measure out the bacon fat and add it to the dry ingredients. Add enough butter so that with the bacon grease, the amount reaches 7-8 tablespoons. With a pastry cutter, two knives, or clean hands, mix together ingredients until they resemble coarse meal. Add in buttermilk, reserved bacon, and cheddar pieces. Stir until just combined. Turn out onto a well-floured board. Knead a few times to pull the dough together.

3. Pat the dough into a 12 inch square, and cut into 9 squares with a sharp knife. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until biscuits are puffed and beginning to turn golden brown. Cool almost completely, and cut with a sharp knife.

* The amount of fat for this recipe should equal roughly 8 tablespoons. My bacon produced 3 tablespoons, so I used about 5 tablespoons of butter. If you won’t be using the bacon fat, then use a full stick of butter.