These scones are a perfect breakfast accompaniment with salty bacon, rich cheddar, and fresh chive.  They also pare beautifully with hearty soups, cut in half with fresh tomato and mayo, and cut up in cubes and served on top of a caesar salad (in place of croutons).  Not only are they incredibly versatile, they freeze well, so if you love them as much as we do, double the batch, freeze them, and pull out as many as you’d like to bake at any given time.  While white cheddar works well with this scone, you may want to experiment with Gouda, or Colby cheese too.  Enjoy one of our favourite scones!

Ingredients 

3/4 cup + 1 tsp All-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups + 1 1/2 tsp Cake flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Baking soda
2 Tbs + 1 tsp Sugar
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt Kosher Salt
132 grams or 4.7 ounces Cold unsalted butter cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/4 cup + 1 Tbs Heavy cream, plus extra for brushing
1/4 cup + 2 1/2 Tbs Full fat sour cream
12 ounces Metzger bacon, cooked, drained, and cut into 1/8-inch pieces (77 grams cooked weight)
2 cups

1/2 cup

 Grated white cheddar cheese
1/4 cup Minced chives
Fresh cracked black pepper

Method

  1. Combine the all-purpose flour in the bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Sift in the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar, and mix on lowest speed for 15-20 seconds or until combined.
  2. Add the salt and mix to combine.
  3. With the mixer stopped, add the chunks of cold butter and on the lowest speed, pulse to begin incorporating the butter.  Increase the speed to low once the flour is safe from flying out of the bowl, and mix for 3 minutes to break up the butter and incorporate it into the dry mixture.  If any large pieces of butter remain, stop the mixer, break them up by hand, and mix until just incorporated.
  4. With the mixer running, slowly add the cream.  Add the sour cream and mix on low for about 30 seconds, or until the dough comes together around the paddle.
  5. Scrape down the paddle, and the sides and bottom of the bowl and pulse again to combine.
  6. Add the bacon, 2 cups of cheese, and chives.  Pulse to incorporate.
  7. Mound the dough on a work surface and using the heel of your hand or a pastry scraper, push it together.
  8. Place the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap, and using your hands, press it into a circle, smoothing the top.  Press the sides of your hands against the sides of the dough to straighten them.
  9. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.
  10. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.  Cut the circle into 10 triangles and arrange on the parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until frozen solid (2 hours, or overnight).  The scones can remain in the freezer for up to 1 month if you’d like to make a large batch and pull out a few at a time to bake.
  11. Preheat the oven the 325F (convention) or 350F (standard).
  12. Line a sheet pan with parchment.
  13. Arrange the frozen scones 1 inch apart and brush the tops with cream, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and black pepper.
  14. Bake for 24-27 minutes in convention or 33-36 minutes in a standard oven, until golden brown.
  15. Set the sheet on a cooling rack and let cool completely.
  16. These scones are best the day they are baked but can be stored in a covered container for 1 day.