Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.
Combine flour, baking powder, pepper, and salt in a large bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Chill 10 minutes.
Combine buttermilk and honey, stirring with a whisk until well blended; add cheese.
Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moist.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 4 times.
Roll dough into a (1/2-inch-thick) 9 x 5inch rectangle; dust top of dough with flour. Fold dough crosswise into thirds (as if folding a piece of paper to fit into an envelope). Re-roll dough into a (1/2-inch-thick) 9 x 5inch rectangle; dust top of dough with flour. Fold dough crosswise into thirds; gently roll or pat to a 3/4-inch thickness.
Cut dough with a 1 3/4-inch biscuit cutter to form 14 dough rounds.
Place dough rounds, 1 inch apart, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.