Description
These classic cheese scones are delightfully flaky and packed with sharp cheddar cheese, perfect as a savory snack or for breakfast. Made with simple ingredients including flour, butter, baking powder, and milk, these scones are quick to prepare using a food processor and bake to a beautiful golden crust topped with melted cheese. Enjoy them warm with butter for the best flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt or kosher salt (halve if using table salt, increase by 50% if using flakes)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or tasty cheese (tightly packed)
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese (for topping)
Wet Ingredients
- 100g (7 tbsp) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1 cm cubes
- 3/4 cup cold milk (preferably full fat, plus a little extra for brushing)
- Butter for spreading on warm scones
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F) or 180°C (fan-forced).
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Place flour, baking powder, and salt in a food processor fitted with a standard “S” blade and pulse once to mix.
- Incorporate Butter: Add the cold cubed butter to the dry mix and pulse 4 to 5 times until the largest butter pieces are pea-sized, ensuring small chunks remain to create flakiness.
- Add Cheese: Add the shredded cheddar cheese to the mixture and pulse once to distribute evenly.
- Add Milk: Pour cold milk through the food processor’s feeding tube while pulsing 8 to 10 times until the flour is just incorporated and the dough looks shaggy and slightly sticky.
- Form Dough: Lightly flour a clean work surface and scrape the dough out onto it. Gently bring it together into a ball, adding minimal extra flour if necessary to prevent sticking.
- Shape Disc and Prepare for Baking: Place the dough on a sheet of baking paper and pat into a 3cm (1.2 inch) thick round disc. Brush the top and sides of the dough with milk, then sprinkle the reserved shredded cheese over the top and lightly press it in. Cut the disc into 6 wedges.
- Arrange on Tray: Transfer the wedges, still on the baking paper, onto a baking tray. Gently pull the wedges apart so there’s about 5cm (2 inches) spacing between each.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the scones are golden on top and cooked through.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the scones to cool on the tray for 5 minutes. Serve warm with a smear of butter for an optimum experience.
Notes
- Note 1: Shredded cheese can be store-bought pre-shredded or freshly grated for best results.
- Note 2: Using baking powder is essential to achieve the light rise of the scones.
- Note 3: You can mix the dough by hand if you don’t have a food processor. Rub the butter into the flour and baking powder mixture until pea-sized crumbs form, then add cheese and milk as described.
- Note 4: When shaping the dough, avoid overworking it to maintain the scones’ tender texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: cheese scones, savory scones, cheddar scones, baking, British baking, snack recipe, breakfast scones
