Light, fluffy buttermilk bacon and cheese scones packed with sharp cheddar, nutty gruyere, and hearty chunks of thick bacon, these savory scones are bursting with flavor and surprisingly easy to make. This recipe can be made completely by hand, without the need for a mixer or biscuit cutter.
Ingredients Needed for Scones
- Bacon: Thick cut bacon allows for a nice salty ham chunk in every bite.
- Cheddar and Gruyere Cheese: Bold sharp cheddar either white or yellow blends nicely with nutty gruyere for a delicious cheesy scone.
- Buttermilk: Tangy full fat buttermilk enhances the flavor and creates a lovely fluffy texture.
- European Style Butter: For rich tangy butter taste, I prefer to bake with European style butter with 82% butterfat.
How to Make Bacon and Cheese Scones
Whisk together the dry ingredients first before adding in the cold butter cubes. Work the butter into the flour with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with small chunks of butter remaining. Add the grated cheeses and chunks of bacon to the flour and toss with your hands to evenly coat the cheese and bacon with flour.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk with a fork. Then pour the buttermilk into the flour ⅓ at a time, mixing with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a shaggy not too sticky dough has formed.
On a lightly floured work surface, shape the dough it into a ball with your hands. Sprinkle flour on top of the dough and pat it down until it can easily be folded in half like closing a book.
Re-shape the dough into a 1.5 inch (3.75 cm) thick circle and wither cut into 6 or 8 triangles with a sharp knive or bench scraper. Place the scones about two inches apart on a lined baking tray. Brush the tops with a thin layer of buttermilk for a golden finish, and for extra flavor, sprinkle on more cheddar cheese.
Chill the bacon and cheddar cheese scones in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes before baking. Then, pop them in the oven until fluffy and golden.
Tips for Making Bacon and Cheese Scones
- Use cold butter: Cold butter doesn’t completely blend into the dough, but instead creates a cornmeal like texture. When the scones are baking, these butter pieces melt, which then releases steam to create air pockets for flaky layers. I prefer to use European style butter with a higher percentage of butterfat. This style of butter is quite pliable when cold and easy to work into the flour with your fingertips. Plus the higher butterfat delivers a stronger buttery flavor for even tastier scones.
- Use cold buttermilk: Cold ingredients keep the dough firm and easier to handle, reducing the risk of over mixing.
- Fold the dough: Lamination is created by layering the dough. No need to cut and stack this dough like the process for Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits. Once you shape the it into a disc, just fold the dough like a book and then re-shape it back into a circle. This step helps to create a little extra fluffy texture.
- Choose thick sliced bacon and don't over cook it: Thick cut bacon ensures chunks of bacon throughout each scone. No bacon bits please! Ask your butcher for thick sliced bacon or see if you can find thick applewood smoked bacon to enhance the bread flavor even more. Be careful to avoid over-cooking the bacon or it will be too crunchy after baking the scones.
- Chill your scones before baking: When you mix together dough with your hands, the warmth from your skin will naturally warm the cold dough. Scones rise and bake more evenly when they go into the oven cold. After you place the scones on the baking tray and top with a final buttermilk coating and cheese, chill them in the fridge for 15 minutes before baking.
Leftover Scones
Scones are best enjoyed within 1–2 days of baking if kept at room temperature. Allow them to cool completely before placing in an air tight container to preven them from getting soggy. You can also wrap them in foil and keep on the counter for up to 3 days or refrigerate for 5 days. Reheat in the microwave for about 30 seconds if you to eat them warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cheddar, parmesan and gruyere are great cheese pairing for salty bacon scones.
Yes, to freeze baked scones wrap individually in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. Scones will keep fresh in freezer for up to 3 months. Re-heat to serve.
Cooked ham pieces, chorizo or even breakfast sausage will all work in this recipe. Make sure to properly cook the meat, soak up excess grease with a paper towel, and use the same amount before tossing it into mixture.
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Buttermilk Bacon and Cheese Scones
Ingredients
Method
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, bread flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and onion powder.
- Add in the cold butter cubes and work them into the flour with wither a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixtures resembles coarse cornmeal. Its ok if a few small chunks of butter remain.
- Add the grated cheddar cheeses and bacon pieces to the flour. Gently mix with your hands to evenly distribute.
- Separately, in a small bowl, stir together the buttermilk and egg with a fork or small whisk.
- Create a well in the flour mixture and pour in ⅔ of the buttermilk mixture.
- Using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, press the flour into the buttermilk to mix. Pour the remaining buttermilk mixture in a little at a time while pressing the ingredients together to form a shaggy dough.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, gently flattening enough to folding it in half. Fold one half of the dough back onto itself. Like closing a book or making a taco shell. Re-shape the dough into a thick round disc. *This is one step of layering the dough, no need to cut it in half.
- Pat the dough with your hands into an 8- to 9-inch (20 to 22-cm) circle, around 1.5 inches thick (3.75 cm). With a sharp knife or pastry scraper, cut the dough across its diameter to make two pieces of dough.
- Cut each piece of dough into thirds to make a total of 6 triangles. Space the scones about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the baking sheet. *You can also cut the dough in half, then into 8 pieces for smaller scones.
- Using a pastry brush, add a light coating of additional buttermilk to the tops of the scones.
- Sprinkle the scones with extra cheese. Place the pan in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes while the oven is pre-heating.
- Preheat the oven to 425℉ / 220℃ / 200℃ Fan (convection)).
- Place the tray of chilled scones in the center of the oven’s middle rack and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until they are light golden brown. Serve warm.
Notes
- Buttermilk: Swap evenly for full fat heavy cream.
- Bacon: Swap evenly for cooked breakfast sausage, chorizo, or ham.
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- Use cold butter: Cold butter doesn’t completely blend into the dough, but instead leaves small chunks. When the scones bake, these butter pieces melt, releasing steam that creates air pockets and flaky layers.
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- Use cold buttermilk: Cold ingredients keep the dough firm and easier to handle, reducing the risk of over mixing.
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- Don’t overwork the dough: Over worked dough will result in tough, dense scones instead of the light, tender ones we all want to eat. Shape the dough by hand until it just comes together, before cutting.
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- Don't over cook the bacon: Thick cut bacon ensures lots of bacon in every bite. Don't use overly crisp bacon or it will be too crunchy after baking the scones.
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