We wanted a little something to bring down to a short meeting the other day. Something that we could bake up quickly in the morning and get it out the door. Something a bit breakfast-like, but more savory than sweet. We figured scones would be fine, especially since we have a flexible recipe that allows you to make and shape the scones ahead of time and just bake them when you need them. That way, if you want, you can have fresh, hot scones every day for a week.
This recipe is a simple variation on Bouchon’s Cheddar Scones, which we posted several years ago. Even after all these years, we think it’s the best scone recipe ever. And, even though it seems complicated, it’s really not. The dough comes together quickly and easily, although you do need to practice mise en place, or getting the ingredients measured and prepared before you start.
Gruyere and Rosemary Scones
Ingredients
- 107 g all-purpose flour (3/4 cup + 1 tsp)
- 196 g cake flour (1 1/2 cups + 1 Tbs)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/8 tsp baking soda
- 27 g sugar (2 Tbs)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 132 g unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes (9 Tbs)
- 70 g heavy cream (1/4 cup + 1 Tbs)
- 70 g créme fraîche or homemade sour cream (1/4 cup + 1 Tbs)
- 144 g grated Gruyére cheese (2 cups)
- 1 Tbs chopped fresh rosemary
- heavy cream (for topping)
- freshly ground black pepper (for topping)
- 32 g grated Gruyere cheese (for topping)
Instructions
- Sift together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add salt.
- Using the paddle attachment for the mixer, mix on low for 15 seconds to distribute the salt.
- Add the butter and mix on low until the butter is completely incorporated and the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal, about 3 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream and créme fraîche and mix until all the ingredients are moistened.
- Add the cheese and rosemary and pulse to incorporate.
- Turn the mixture out unto a clean work surface, and, using the heel of your hand and a dough scraper, shape into a 7×9 inch block.
- Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 2 hours.
- Cut block in half lengthwise, then cut each section into 7 scones. Place on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight. Scones may be transferred to a plastic bag and kept frozen for longer term storage.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Arrange scones about an inch apart on baking sheets lined with silicone mats. Brush with heavy cream, and sprinkle with black pepper and cheese.
- Bake for 33 to 36 minutes, rotating from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, or until puffed and browned. Serve warm.
Notes
Ingredient discussion:
You’ll note that we list the measurements for our ingredients by weight in some cases, and in some by volume. This reflects the way we measure them. We still find it easiest to measure small amounts using measuring spoons, but, for larger amounts, we use a scale. We know that the ingredient list seems daunting; all those specific measurements, such as 196 grams, but, with a scale it’s just as easy to measure out 196 grams as it is to measure 200 grams, so we do it, even though we know that being 4 grams off won’t matter.
Procedure in detail:
We won’t post all the detailed instructions for this recipe, since it’s nothing but a variation of Bouchon’s Cheddar Scones, and you can easily refer to that post, if needed.
As you might expect, these are very good scones. We love the savory Gruyére cheese flavor with the hint of rosemary, which makes them almost impossible to stop eating. With the cake flour, they turn out tender and light, and the cheese on top gets a little crispy, making for nearly the perfect snack. Five stars.
