I’ve been working on a buckwheat biscuit recipe for quite some time now. I’ve had some successes and many, many fails. I thought I would have it all figured out by now but it’s still a toss up whether the next batch will work or not.

I had a Meat and Scone Brunch to attend but rather than hedging my bets with a new creation, I set aside my buckwheat flour and pulled out Blackbird Bakery’s Gluten Free Flour Mix. I keep a couple of her mixes on hand for “just in case moments” such as these. I opted to use her bread and pizza blend and create something a little different. Using a pre-made flour mix (use only those you know and love!) means baking like the days of yore. It means I’m not measuring flours but I’m still creating something from scratch which was exactly what I wanted and had time for. This recipe is loosely based on a Sausage Bialy Biscuit by Silvana’s Kitchen

Pancetta, Manchego, Caramelized Onion Biscuits
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 cups Blackbird Bakery GF flour mix
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus some
pepper
6 Tablespoons butter (earth balance), cold
3-4 slices pancetta, diced
1/4 cup chopped manchego cheese (or more)
3/4 cup almond milk, plus 2 Tablespoons for brushing

Preheat the oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a skillet, saute the pancetta until just crisp over medium heat. Remove the pancetta (leave the oil) and add the onion. Stir until translucent and soft. Set aside.

Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and a dash of pepper. Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix with your fingers until the dough is uniformly crumbly. Add the pancetta, onions, and cheese and mix. Stir in the milk and mix until completely absorbed (with a fork or your hands).

You have options here: roll about 1-2 tablespoons of the dough into a ball, place them on the baking sheet and leave them as is or flatten them with the palm of your hand for a uniform biscuit. Or my preferred look and feel: scoop the dough with an ice cream scoop, place on the baking sheet, and gently press with the tips of your fingers- this turns out a more rustic biscuit.

Brush all of the biscuits with the remaining almond milk and sprinkle with course salt. Bake for about 22-24 minutes (this will vary depending on how flat you pressed them), until they are golden brown in some spots.