Blueberry buttermilk scones

Servings: 9 or 10 scones
Preheat: 350
Prep Time: 30 min
Source: Huckleberry

These scones taste traditional in every sense. The problem with most blueberry scones is they have been overmixed – the blueberries get smashed and result is a very off-putting grayish-blue dough. I avoid this problem by mixing the dough almost completely without the blueberries and then rolling them in, like you would a cinnamon roll, at the very last minute. These steps will leave you with a much cleaner-looking pastry. You can also make great lemon buttermilk scones with this recipe; just omit the blueberries and add the zest of three more lemons. I love to serve these scones with very lightly sweetened whipped cream or fresh-made jam, honey, or maple syrup.

Ingredients: 

3¼ cups + 2 tablespoons (420 grams) plain flour
½ cup + 2 tablespoons (130 grams) granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
¼ cup (55 grams) brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (230 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-in cubes
¾ cup (180 ml) buttermilk
zest of 1 lemon
1½ cups fresh blueberries
Egg wash – 2 egg yolks and 2 tablespoons cream whisked together

Directions: 

In a very large bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Throw in the butter and work with your fingertips until the pieces are pea-and-lima bean-size. Add the buttermilk and lemon zest. Lightly toss to distribute.

Immediately dump everything onto a clean surface with more than enough space to work the dough. Using only the heel of your palm, quickly flatten the dough. Gather the dough back together in a mound and repeat. After two or three repetitions, the dough should begin holding together. Don’t overwork the dough, it should still be quite crumbly – this is what creates the most luscious short buttery scones ever.

Pat down the dough to a 3/4-in/2cm thickness , about a 9-by-12-in/23-by-30.5cm slab and spread the frozen blueberries evenly on the top. Roll the long side of the dough, like a jelly roll, into a log with the blueberries enveloped inside. Shape the dough into a 12-in-/30.5-cm-long cylinder. Lightly flatten the top so that it is a little less than 1/2in/12 mm thick and cut out nine or ten triangles. Transfer them to an ungreased sheet pan and freeze for at least 2 hours before baking, or up to 1 month, tightly wrapped.

Preheat your oven to 350F/180C. Remove the scones from the freezer. Space them with plenty of breathing room on two ungreased sheet pans, brush with the egg wash, and sprinkle liberally with granulated sugar. Bake from frozen until cooked through, nicely browned, and easily lifted off the pan, about 25 minutes.