Sage and Pancetta Biscuits With Fontina Cheese

Bon Appétit Every-Night Cooking, September 2005.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 3  ounces  thinly sliced pancetta, chopped
• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 3 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 6  tablespoons  chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1  cup Fontina cheese, coarsely grated
• 1  tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
• 3⁄4 cup  chilled buttermilk
• 2  tablespoons  chilled buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F
2. Sauté pancetta in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes.
3. Remove pancetta from the heat and cool.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
5. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flower mixture until a coarse meal forms.
6. Stir in the Fontina cheese and the sage, making sure that the cheese does not clump together.
7. Add 3/4 cup buttermilk and the pancetta, along with the yummy pan drippings, and stir until moist clumps form.
8. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead just until the dough holds together. This should take about 4 to 6 turns.
9. Flatten the dough to a 3/4-inch thickness and cut out biscuits. (A 2 1/4 inch biscuit cutter will yield about a dozen biscuits.) Re-roll the dough and cut out more rounds until all dough is used.
10. Transfer the biscuits to an ungreased baking sheet, leaving at least an inch between biscuits. Brush the tops of the biscuits with the remaining 2 tablespoons of buttermilk.
11. Bake until biscuits are puffed and golden, about 14 minutes. Serve warm.