Sourdough Scones

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups Honoré Sonora flour, plus more for dusting

• 1 cup Red Fife whole wheat flour

• ⅓ cup granulated sugar, preferably organic

• 2 TBLS Demerara sugar for sprinkling

• 1 ½ TBLS baking powder

• 2 tsp fine sea salt (or 1 tablespoon kosher salt)

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 to 2 TBLS dry spices (optional; see Kitchen Note A, below)

• ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ¼-½-inch cubes and chilled

• ½ cup chilled heavy cream

• 3 TBLS chilled buttermilk, or substitute ½ cup whole milk mixed with 2 TBLS fresh lemon juice and use only 3 TBLS for the dough. You’ll use the extra for brushing onto the scones at the end before baking

• 3 TBLS chilled crème fraîche, or whole milk yogurt

• 2 TBLS honey

• 2 TBLS sourdough starter discard

• 1 TBLS finely grated orange or lemon zest (see Kitchen Note B, below)

• 1 cup (¼-inch pieces) fresh fruit

See VARIATIONS below for optional add-ins

METHOD

1. If fruit is the main flavoring component of your scones, pick what you like. Better yet, use what you have to use up before it goes bad to stay true to the spirit of not wasting, but valuing food. If using berries, whole blueberries and raspberries, halved blackberries, and chopped strawberries all work well, but since all berries are delicate, spread the chopped berries out on a foil-lined sheet and freeze them for at least 20 minutes first so they hold their shape when mixed into the dough.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or by hand in a large bowl, whisk together both flours, the sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add the spices, if using, and whisk them into the dry ingredients. Add the butter, toss it to coat with the dry ingredients, then place the bowl in the freezer until the butter is well-chilled, 10 minutes. If a bowl is too large to fit in your freezer, transfer the ingredients into a shallow baking dish while in the freezer.

3. Meanwhile, in a large liquid measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the cream, buttermilk (or whole milk + lemon juice), crème fraîche (or yogurt), honey, sourdough starter and citrus zest. Keep the liquid ingredients cold in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use them. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Place the bowl of dry ingredients and butter on the stand mixer fitted with a paddle and beat on low speed until the butter breaks down to the size of peas, 1 to 2 minutes. (Alternatively, use your fingertips to smash the butter into the dry ingredients repeatedly until the butter breaks down to the size of peas.)

5. Add the partially frozen fruit to the chilled dry ingredients and toss to coat with the flour. Pour in the chilled liquid ingredients. With a fork, gently stir together the two mixtures and fruit until they form large clumps of dough. Do not over mix!

6. Scrape the dough onto parchment paper that has been lightly floured and shape with your hands into a 7-inch-diameter disk, 1 ½ inches thick. Cut the disk into 8 wedges (or any quantity and shape you like), then arrange the wedges on the prepared baking sheet, spaced evenly apart. Freeze the scones on the baking sheet for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven.

7. When ready to bake, brush the frozen dough wedges with remaining buttermilk and sprinkle liberally with demerara sugar. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake, rotating the sheet halfway through baking, until the scones are deep golden brown on the outside, 30 to 32 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack. Let the scones cool completely before serving so they maintain their shape and achieve a lovely crumbly texture.

VARIATIONS

Candied Ginger, Lemon and Poppy seed Scones
Whisk 1 tablespoon each poppy seeds and ground ginger into the dry ingredients. Use lemon zest in the dough. Stir 1 cup chopped (¼-inch) candied ginger into the dough with the addition of the liquid ingredients.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Scones
Use orange zest in the dough. Toss ½ cup chopped (¼-inch) rhubarb with ½ teaspoon granulated sugar and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in ½ cup chopped (¼-inch) frozen strawberries then stir both fruits into the dough with the addition of the liquid ingredients.

Blueberry-Turmeric Scones
Whisk 1 tablespoon ground turmeric in with the dry ingredients. Use orange zest in the dough. Stir 1 cup small or halved, large frozen blueberries into the dough with the addition of the liquid ingredients.

Cherry-Almond Scones
Use orange or lemon zest in the dough. Stir 1 cup chopped (¼-inch) pitted sour cherries and ¼ cup finely chopped toasted almonds into the dough with the addition of the liquid ingredients.

Chocolate Chip Scones
Omit the citrus zest. Stir 1 cup chopped dark chocolate, preferably 60% to 70%, or high-quality bittersweet chocolate chips into the dough with the addition of the liquid ingredients.

KITCHEN NOTES

A Says Flores, “These spices should complement whatever fruit and citrus zest you’re using. Poppy seeds pair well with just about any fruit. Ground turmeric plays well with summer fruit like berries and peaches, while ground cinnamon or ginger pair well with fall and winter fruits like apples, pears, and persimmons. Cacao nibs are great to add with orange citrus in the winter. Even savory spices like sumac, which is tart like lemon, or coriander, add brightness to citrus or stone fruit scones. Let the fruit guide what spices you use and don’t be afraid to experiment!”

B Ideally a majority of the zest should come from an orange-type citrus, like navel oranges, mandarins, tangerines or Cara Cara oranges, but if you only have lemons, use those — just about any citrus will work here, even grapefruit and lime. Try to pair the zest with whatever fruit and spices you’ll be using to flavor your scones.

C This fruit is the main flavoring component of your scones, so pick what you like. Better yet, use what you have to use up before it goes bad to stay true to the spirit of these scones. Whole blueberries and raspberries, halved blackberries, and chopped strawberries all work well, but since all berries are delicate, spread the chopped berries out on a foil-lined sheet and freeze them for at least 20 minutes first so they hold their shape when mixed into the dough. For all other fruits, just be sure to cut them into 1/4-inch pieces so they incorporate into the dough easily, giving you even amounts of fruit in each bite. Chopped thin-skinned citrus like kumquats, mandarins, and tangerines make great candidates in winter, while rhubarb and berries are great in spring. In summer, use any stone fruit like peaches, plums, nectarines, or cherries. Cooked quince, chopped apples, pears, and persimmons are fantastic in fall. You can also bake these scones plain, with no fruit, and the recipe will work the same.

D  If you don’t have fresh fruit, you can easily use dried in its place; just make sure to chop it into 1/4-inch pieces for even distribution in the dough. Candied ginger, currants, dried apricots, and figs all make great additions. Similarly, use nuts in addition to fruit or by themselves. Before mixing into the dough, spread the whole nuts on a baking sheet and toast in a 350-degree oven until fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely, then finely chop before mixing into the dough.

Make Ahead:

The scones can be made through Step 6 and frozen on the baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer the scones to a plastic bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen; the cooking time will be the same. Once baked, the scones will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.