Tom sent me a link to the recipe for these Gruyère and ham scones and they sounded so good, I couldn’t wait to make them. They were a hit!
These scones are crunchy on top, tender in the middle, and flavorful throughout. The recipe comes from Tanya Bush, the pastry chef at Brooklyn’s Little Egg via the Washington Post. The Post made a few changes to Bush’s original recipe, which are described in the Post’s introduction.
The ham and cheese add smoky saltiness to these buttery scones, while the scallions provide a slighty sharp onion flavor to balance the richness.
The original recipe calls for country ham, a salty cured ham that is sometimes smoked. For more information, here’s a description of ham types (Southern Living). I used a thickly sliced deli ham.
This recipe makes 12 very large scones.
Tips
- The Post suggests cutting the cheese and ham into chunks and then pulsing them separately in a food processor. I grated the cheese and the ham instead, which was very easy. You can also finely chop the cheese and ham by hand.
- The Post used a stand mixer to mix the dough. I mixed the ingredients by hand.
- This recipe would be great without the ham for a vegetarian version. Add a little more cheese.
- Other cheeses that would be good are Comté, Fontina, or sharp cheddar.
- You can substitute chives for the scallions.
Ingredients
You need the following ingredients to make Gruyère and ham scones.
- 8 1/4 ounces Gruyère cheese
- 5 1/4 ounces ham
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 18 tablespoons (2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 1/4 cups cold, well-shaken, full-fat buttermilk
- 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions (4 to 6 scallions)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tablespoon heavy cream
- Sesame seeds, for sprinkling (at least 1/3 cup)
- Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling
Directions
Put a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using the large hole side of a grater, grate the cheese and ham. Add the cheese and ham to a large bowl, gently mix it together with your hands, and set it aside for later.
Sift the all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
Add the butter chunks to the flour mixture and cut the butter into the flour blend. You can use a pastry blender, two forks, or two knives to do this. You want the mixture to resemble coarse crumbs, with the butter pieces being about the size of peas. It won’t look like dough yet.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Gently combine the ingredients with a silicone spatula, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl to incorporate the dry ingredients.
Add the Gruyère, ham, and scallions and combine the ingredients, being careful not to overmix them. The dough will be rough, shaggy, and sticky. It will come together as you shape the scones.
Using a No. 8 (4-ounce) scoop or 1/2-cup measuring cup, scoop packed portions of dough and arrange them on the prepared sheet pans. Using your hands, shape each mound into 2-inch-tall cylinders, roughly the size of a lemon. Work quickly so that you don’t warm the butter. If the scooped scones are too sticky or soft to work with, refrigerate them until firm (15 to 30 minutes), then shape them into cylinders.
Put the baking sheets in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm the scones and help them keep their shape.
While the scones are chilling, whisk the egg and cream together in a small bowl.
Take one sheet of scones out of the refrigerator and prepare it for baking (keep the other sheet in the refrigerator). Generously brush each chilled scone all over with the egg wash. Sprinkle the scones with lots of sesame seeds and some flaky salt.
Bake the scones until they are deep golden brown and glossy (30 to 35 minutes), rotating the sheet front to back after they’ve baked for 15 minutes. You may see some fat pooling around the scones as they bake, which is fine.
Remove the scones from the oven, let them cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer them to a wire rack. Repeat the baking prep and baking with the remaining pan of scones.
Serve the scones warm or at room temperature.
Refrigerate leftover scones. For the best flavor, warm them in the oven before serving.
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