Cheddar Scallion Scones

Before you start

These are savory scones built for a brunch plate or a bowl of soup. Sharp cheddar does most of the work, so choose a well-aged block and grate it yourself; pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking starch and melts less evenly. Dry mustard and a pinch of cayenne sharpen the cheese flavor without making the scones taste of mustard.

Cheese adds fat and moisture, so the dough needs slightly less butter than a sweet scone and a slightly lower oven so the cheese on the edges browns instead of scorching. Toss the cheese and scallions with the flour before the liquid goes in; that coats them and keeps them evenly spread without extra mixing.

Ingredients

• 300 g (2½ cups, spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp (12 g) baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp dry mustard powder
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ⅛ to ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 85 g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter — cold, cubed
• 150 g (1½ cups) sharp cheddar — coarsely grated; plus 25 g for the tops
• 4 scallions (about 40 g) — thinly sliced, white and green parts
• 180 ml (¾ cup) cold buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp milk or buttermilk — for brushing

Method

1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, mustard powder, black pepper and cayenne in a large bowl.
2. Cut in the cold butter until the pieces are pea-sized. Add 150 g cheddar and the scallions and toss with your fingers until every shred is coated in flour.
3. Whisk the buttermilk and egg together. Pour into the bowl and stir with a fork until the dough just holds together; a few dry spots are fine.
4. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and press it together with 3 or 4 gentle kneads. Pat into a 20 cm (8 in) round about 2.5 cm (1 in) thick.
5. Cut into 8 wedges and arrange 5 cm (2 in) apart on a parchment-lined sheet. Refrigerate for 15 minutes while the oven heats to 200°C (400°F).
6. Brush the tops with milk and scatter the remaining 25 g cheddar over them.
7. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until deep golden and the cheese on top is browned and crisp at the edges. A skewer in the center of a wedge should come out free of wet dough.
8. Cool on a rack for at least 10 minutes. Melted cheese inside is extremely hot straight from the oven.

Tips for success

• Grate the cheese coarsely. Larger shreds leave visible pockets of melted cheese; very fine shreds disappear into the dough.
• Pat the scallions dry after washing; extra water makes the dough sticky.
• Melted cheese that spills onto the parchment crisps into lacy bits. Leave them on; they are good.

Substitutions

Sharp cheddar

Gruyère, aged Gouda or pepper jack all work at the same weight. Mild cheeses like young mozzarella make bland, chewy scones.

Scallions

Use 3 tbsp chopped chives for a milder onion flavor, or 60 g crumbled cooked bacon for a smoky version.

Buttermilk

Plain yogurt thinned with milk to a pourable consistency gives a similar tang. Plain milk works if you skip the baking soda.

Variations

Jalapeño cheddar scones

Replace the scallions with 1 seeded, finely diced jalapeño and use pepper jack for half the cheese.

Ham and Gruyère scones

Use Gruyère instead of cheddar and fold in 75 g finely diced ham with the cheese.

Troubleshooting

Cheese on top burned before the scones baked through

The oven runs hot or the rack was too high. Bake in the center, and tent loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes if the tops brown early.

Greasy scones

The butter or cheese warmed up too much. Keep the dough cold, chill the wedges before baking and avoid oily pre-shredded cheese.

Bland flavor

Use an aged cheese and do not skip the salt and mustard powder; cheese needs seasoning around it to taste sharp.

Storage

Because they contain cheese and egg, refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat at 175°C (350°F) for 6 to 8 minutes to re-crisp the crust. Do not leave them at room temperature longer than 2 hours.

Safety notes

Wait to eat the dough until baked; it contains raw egg and raw flour. Contains wheat, milk and egg.