Oh the weather outside is frightful . . .
As I am sitting here at home watching our first major snowstorm arrive (they say 6-10 inches), I’m surprised that I am actually looking forward to the snowstorm. There’s something about inclement weather that forces me (or likely many of us) to stop, slow down, and take a deep breath.
This time of year is always really, really hectic. When I was a student there were always exams, final projects, and then the mad dash to pack and fly home for the holidays. As I got older, the exams were replaced by end-of-year work deadlines, holiday parties, and just the general hustle and bustle of activity.
It takes a major winter snowstorm to slow me down.
Once it snows, things close. Other things get canceled. And all of a sudden, expectations change.
It’s OK just to sit at home.
Reflect.
Maybe organize those kitchen cabinets you never had time to look at.
Or bake.
Here’s a classic recipe I learned at a two-day baking seminar at King Arthur Flour’s Baking Education Center in Vermont.
It’s a whole wheat scone that is surprisingly moist and flavorful. It’s really, really good even though it’s made with whole wheat flour.
And it just might be the perfect thing to make on a snowy, snowy Sunday afternoon.
First, we start by “cutting” the unsalted butter into the dry ingredients. According to our instructor, it’s better to use unsalted butter because it’s typically more fresh. Furthermore, it’s better to have finer control over the salt level by adding it yourself.
“Cake or Flake”
There are two “stopping points” when you cut butter. If you want a more flaky scone, cut the butter so that the butter “bits” are about pea-sized. If you prefer a more cake-like scone, cut the butter even more until it’s crumbly – almost sandy. The flour will look almost damp.
If you don’t like manual labor, you can also do this in a food processor. Just make sure to freeze the butter beforehand.
Now add your mix-ins! In my case I added dried cherries. You can also add chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, crystallized ginger . . . really, it’s up to you.
Whisk together the buttermilk and egg yolk (the liquids) and stir them into the dry mixture until a dough forms.
The addition of an acid (such as buttermilk) activates the baking soda, allowing carbon dioxide to be released which helps the dough rise.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and gently and quickly knead. You don’t want to overwork it. Too much time and agitation can result in a tough scone.
Once everything is nicely mixed, pat the dough into a flat disk about 7 inches across and cut it into wedges.
Transfer the disk to a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet. For crispier scones, separate the wedges; for softer, higher rising scones, leave them in the circle.
Brush the tops of the scones with the egg whites.
Optionally sprinkle with sparkling white sugar.
Bake the scones in a preheated 375°F oven for 25 to 27 minutes, inspecting halfway through to turn the pan.
Remove the scones from the oven when they’re light, golden brown and cool them on a wire rack.
Enjoy!
Pictured: fellow bloggers from the workshop: Brandy from Nutmeg Nanny, Rebecca from Foodie with Family, Tara from Ladies Home Journal, and Audra from The Baker Chick.
Whole Wheat Scones
source: King Arthur’s Flour
Ingredients
2 cups (8 ounces) King Arthur 100% White Whole Wheat Flour
2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (4 ounces, 1 stick) chilled, unsalted butter
3/4 cup (6 ounces) buttermilk
1 egg yolk (save the white for topping the scones)
1/2 cup dried fruit (optional)
Sparkling white sugar
Recipe
• Place the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
• Cut in the butter with a pastry blender.
• Whisk together the buttermilk and egg yolk and stir into the dry mixture until a dough forms.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, and gently and quickly knead in the optional dried fruit.
• Pat the dough into a flat disk about 7 inches across and cut it into wedges.
• Transfer the disk to a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet. For crispier scones, separate the wedges; for softer, higher rising scones, leave them in the circle.
• Brush the tops of the scones with the egg white and sprinkle with sparkling white sugar. Bake them in a preheated 375°F oven for 25 to 27 minutes, inspecting at midpoint to admire and turn.
• Remove the scones from the oven when they’re light, golden brown and cool them on a wire rack.
Disclaimer – King Arthur Flour paid for the cost of the two-day baking workshop and lodging in Vermont
All Rights Reserved
these are really good tips! I wonder if I can substitute yogurt for the buttermilk…
Such a fun time!
Those scones remind me of some seriously good times!! I might have to get a batch going in my oven again soon. 🙂
Made these and they are sadly bitter, presumably because of the large amount of baking powder. They’ll be OK covered in PB or Nutella, but that wasn’t the point…and other KA recipes online have much less baking powder. Was it a typo?
Hi DG,
I’m sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you! I haven’t tried repeating it since I came back from my baking workshop, but the recipe came straight from King Arthur’s Flour. Perhaps it is a typo. Thanks for pointing this out!
Jen
Thanks for sharing the recipe, Jen! I made these this morning and they were delicious. Moist, fluffy, and, even though I doubled the sugar, not too sweet, with the classic nutty taste of whole wheat flour. Adjustments: addition of 1/4 tsp salt, since I’ve never seen a scone recipe without it; 1/2 c. fresh blueberries instead of dried fruit; 4 tbsp sugar rather than 2, since the berries were tart.
For those of you who, like me, initially raised your eyebrows at the amount of baking powder, don’t be alarmed. The baking powder:flour ratio in the recipe for “whole wheat raisin scones” on King Arthur’s website is exactly the same. The KA website version is a bit different in that it includes 1/2 c. bran, 1/2 tsp salt, and a full cup of dried fruit, and calls for a 50/50 white and whole wheat blend.
The bitterness DG experienced could definitely come from using stale whole wheat flour (which is easy to do- it turns rancid and bitter-tasting more quickly than you’d think) or baking powder with aluminum (which can often give off a metallic taste). Like I said, the recipe on the KA website also includes salt, which I would definitely recommend. Without it, baked goods usually taste oddly bland or bitter. Here’s the link to the KA website recipe: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/whole-wheat-raisin-scones-recipe
Does the “turn” in “admire and turn” mean to slip them or turn the baking dish in the other direction?
I think it just means to turn the baking dish around.
Mmmmm, these were less than impressive in the pic’s, and recipe is very high fat, dousing in white sugar is overly sweet (best to mix with Cinammon) and they really don’t present well cut from a large round, too thin and over-cooked too. Not Scone’s seriously as us Scot’s here in Scotland would ever call.
I made these with frozen blueberries, regular milk & brown sugar and they were AMAZING. I put slightly less baking soda too though.