Savory Scones

The recipe of my nightmares… but it’s delicious! I made these to keep using up my gifted buttermilk, though it didn’t use nearly enough. At least these freeze well for a brunch date at home!

If only I had any freezer space right now whatsoever.

Savory Cheddar & Herb Scones, from Floriole (so probably originally from Tartine)

When I was an intern, scooping 300 of these buggers was the project of my nightmares. The dough is so very crumbly, which translates into a very light and biscuity scone, but half of the scoops would crumble when I turned them out of the scoop. It was very frustrating, to say the least. Luckily, at home, you only have to scoop a few or can avoid it altogether by rolling and cutting. This recipe has been conveniently scaled down from a 60-quart batch for your brunch cooking pleasures.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, paddle to combine:
- 12 oz AP flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1.5 oz sugar
Add on low speed until sandy texture:
- 5 oz butter, cubed
When the butter chunks are mostly pea (some bigger pieces are fine), drizzle in on low speed:
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- (can add up to 2 Tbsp more if it’s not coming together, but the less the better.
Then add:
- 1/2 cup coarsely shredded cheese
- 1/3 cup chopped herbs (a mixture of anything you want! I always have parsley and chive/green onion.)
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Paddle until mixture is still loose, but starting to visibly clump together.
- Be careful not to overmix. If a palmful lightly packed in your hand holds itself together, it’s good to go.
Portion with a 4-oz (gray) scoop onto a sheet tray - pack it tight before you turn it out!
- OR roll the whole dough about 1-inch thick, and punch out triangles/squares/rounds.
- If punching rounds with a ring mold, the scraps can be rerolled 1-2 more times, if you just gently smoosh the scraps together (don’t knead it into one mass again).
At this point, they can be frozen on a tray, and when they’re solid, stored in a freezer bag.
- At the bakery, we brushed them with heavy cream and sprinkled black pepper on top before freezing, for ease of baking later on.
Bake at 325F convection or 350F regular, from frozen, for about 30-45 minutes, or until golden brown on the outside and it feels done on the inside.
- Scone should bounce back slowly-ish when gently poked on the side with your finger. It’s hard to explain, especially with scones, but if you’re unsure, you can always rip one open and check.