Cheesy Buttermilk Scones.

Buttermilk Scones /Cheddar Cheese

The first scone that I remember tasting was made by Guthrie’s Bakery in Hespeler and Galt. My mom either whipped up a batch or would send me for a quick run down to the bakery.

This old fashioned British Isle styled bakery made the scones for years serving most of the founders of Hespeler Guelph and Galt Ontario.

They were served with clotted cream or a small dixie cup filled with strawberry jam.

At some restaurants they topped tuna or chicken salad or traditional with some fresh preserves and sided with a good cup of coffee or tea, they made a great morning nosh.

One of the most requested items at the old Knotty Pine Kofe Bar where I worked were the buttermilk scones that were made fresh each day by the hundreds. These flaky light biscuits were topped with tuna salad, minced ham or used for an eggs benny.

The cheddar cheese were by far the number one seller but the plain,  raisin, apricot, date and the cheddar bacon chive were sold out each and everyday.

I learned how to perfectly make these flaky biscuits after numerous trials and errors.

The trick to flaky scones is keeping your hot hands away from the frozen butter and handling the dough as little as possible.

You can make these sweet or savory and they’re good the next day.

3 cups fresh all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

¾ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp kosher salt

1-1/2 cups

6 oz unsalted butter, frozen.

1 cup graded aged cheddar cheese

1 cup of crisp fresh bacon bits. [optional]

2 tbs fresh chopped spring chive/onion [optional]

1-1/3 cups shaken cold buttermilk

2 tbs buttermilk for brushing tops

1 tbs coarse flaky sea salt for dusting

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In large mixing bowl, stir or whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt.

Quickly grate butter in large holes of box grater.

Add butter to flour mixture. Using fingertips, toss flour mixture over butter to gently combine.

Now is the time to add any if you should choose, cheddar, bacon and spring onion and toss to coat with flour mixture.

Make well in center of mixture; add buttermilk.

Using fork, stir dough until it just comes together and soft dough forms.

Turn out onto a floured large sheet of parchment paper and gently press into a rectangle that’s about 11/2 inch thick and 12 inches long by 8 inches wide.

Using the parchment paper, fold dough over itself, pressing gently. (The paper keeps your body heat from melting the butter.) Fold and press, incorporating any fallen dry bits, until mixture just comes together, handling dough as little as possibly to keep it tender and flaky.

Using a round cookie cutter or a soup can cut into 12 desired shapes.

Arrange scones, 1-inch apart, on prepared baking sheets.

Using pastry brush, brush tops with buttermilk. Sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt,

Bake in preheated 425F oven, in batches, until firm to touch and lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes.

Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Eat warm or seal in a container to be eaten within 24 hours.