Bacon & Thyme Biscuits

I found this recipe on P. Allen Smith's website.  It sounded so good, I just had to give it a try.  This is a good one!

8 oz smoked, thick-sliced bacon (uncooked)
4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup baking powder
1/4 cup white sugar
2 Tbsp fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
3/4 lb butter
14 oz buttermilk
1/2 cup all purpose flour (for rolling out biscuits)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the raw bacon into 1/2" pieces and place them on a baking sheet.  Bake in the oven for 18 - 22 minutes.  The bacon should be cooked through, but not crisp.

Turn the oven up to 375 degrees when you remove the bacon so it will be ready for the biscuits.

Combine the dry ingredients and thyme in a mixing bowl.  Whisk thoroughly.

Cut the butter into 1" cubes and add to flour mixture.  Using a pastry cutter or a large fork, blend the butter and flour.  The texture will be coarse with pieces of butter still visible.

Add the buttermilk and stir until the flour and butter are evenly moist.  The key to flaky biscuits is to NOT over mix.

Sprinkle flour on a work surface or pastry cloth and then turn the biscuit dough out of the mixing bowl.

Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle about 3/4" thick.  Fold the dough in half, bringing the two short ends together, turn it a half turn, and roll it again.

At this point layer half the bacon onto the biscuit dough.

Repeat the fold, turn and roll two times and then add the rest of the bacon and turn and roll two more times, a total of four times.  This may seem like extra work, but it's worth it.  Your biscuits w ill melt in your mouth.

On the fourth and final roll, use the pin to roll the dough to a thickness of approximately 1/2".

Cut the biscuits using a 2 or 3" round biscuit cutter.  The dough should be layered with butter and bacon.

Bake the biscuits at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

This dough freezes well.  Just cut the dough and wrap the unbaked biscuits in two layers of plastic wrap.  Defrost for 15 minutes before baking.