Cheddar Bacon Beer Biscuits

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat liner.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder until well combined. Grate in the frozen butter (or cut it in with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs; I find grating faster and easier) and mix it together gently. Stir in the bacon and the cheddar cheese. Pour in the beer and stir until the dough comes together in a ball.

Move the dough to a lightly floured counter top. With lightly floured hands, shape the dough into a rough rectangle, about one inch thick. Lift one end up and fold it in half. Turn the dough a quarter turn and press it out into a one-inch thick rectangle again. Repeat this folding and turning process 5-6 times. Add a bit more flour underneath and on your hands if it gets too sticky.

Press out one last time into a one inch thick rectangle. Cut out the biscuits with a 2.5 inch wide circle biscuit cutter, making sure to cut straight down and not twist at all when you’re cutting, as this will seal the edges and they won’t rise well in the oven. Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet and repeat the process with the scraps. If you don’t have a biscuit cutter, you can just cut them in squares with a sharp knife, pressing straight down.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until risen and lightly browned on top. Serve warm.