BLUBERRY BUTTERMILK SCONES (Bruleé)
Notes: This recipe for blueberry buttermilk scones is so tender, simple and delicious. Who wants a dry-ass scone? Not me. The secret is to use lots of buttermilk and butter for a very wet dough. Since the dough is so wet instead of fussing with extra flour dusted on top to try to shape the scones before baking I skip that completely and dump the dough directly onto the baking sheet. On the sheet it’s shaped into a rough circle, baked, and cut afterwards. Another good thing about this recipe is that we don’t add extra leavening (i.e., baking powder) as there is no need. I can’t tell you how many buttermilk scone recipes I’ve seen that use both baking soda and baking powder. Baking soda needs an acid to react and form CO2 gas bubbles (i.e., the buttermilk in this recipe), but baking powder can leaven on it’s own. The only reason to add baking powder is if the recipe has very little acid to react with baking soda and/or the baking soda quickly neutralizes the acid source. The amount of baking soda used in this recipe will not completely neutralize the buttermilk, so you can definitely taste that tang in the final product. Also baking powder doesn’t taste good on it’s own. Although you wouldn’t necessarily taste a teaspoon of baking powder added to a recipe like this per se, the recipe tastes cleaner without it.
The last touch, which is optional, is to sprinkle some muscovado sugar on top and bruleé it with a blow torch for a little extra sweetness, caramel flavor and unctuous burnt notes. Once you try bruleé at home you’ll want to do it on everything. If you don’t want to do the bruleé step, then definitely still sprinkle muscovado or coarse sugar on top, but do this before baking.
As usual ingredients, where noted in grams, were weighed and the cup measures are approximations.
Total time: 50-60 mins
Special Equipment:
Small blow torch. I have the Blow Torch, Professional Kitchen Cooking Torch with Lock Adjustable Flame (Refillable).
It’s a great price, very easy to use, and also to refill with butane. You need to get the butane separately, which any smoke shop and most grocery stores will carry.
Silicone air mat (optional but recommended), if you don’t have one use parchment paper.
Pastry cutter (you could also use a large fork or a cheese grater).
Ingredients:
255 g (2 cups) AP flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
50 g (1/4 cup) sugar
1 teaspoon salt (I use pink Himalayan, you can also use kosher)
Zest of 1 lemon
113 g (1/2 cup) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
170 g (1 heaping cup) fresh blueberries
240 mL (1 cup) buttermilk
1 egg + 1 tablespoon milk, whisked together
Muscovado sugar (for sprinkling on top).
*You can also use turbinado or other coase sugar crystals
Directions:
Line a baking sheet with a silicone air mat (or parchment paper), place oven rack in center of oven and preheat to 400 F.
In a large mixing bowl add the flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking soda, and salt and whisk until combined.
Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture, and cut it in with a pastry cutter. I only used the pastry cutter for about a minute so that I would still have visible butter lumps spread throughout the dough. You can also grate cold butter into the flour mixture with a cheese grater, but I prefer this method.
Add the cold buttermilk and give it a few folds, then add in the blueberries and gently fold in/mix until they are just dispersed.
Turn the wet dough directly onto the prepared baking sheet and with the help of a butter knife, form into a circle ~7 inches in diameter, and about 1.5 inches high. Freeze for 15-20 mins then remove from freezer and generously brush on the whisked egg and milk. In the video you see me “pre-cut” the scones before baking with a dough cutter, this step is not necessary and you can skip it. *If you don’t want to do the bruleé step after they’re baked then sprinkle the muscovado sugar on the scones right before baking.
Bake for 24-26 minutes (rotating halfway through), or until the scones are firm and golden in color.
Let the scones cool before sprinkling sugar on top for the bruleé step. Use a blowtorch to bruleé the sugar, which should only take 25-30 seconds.
Cut into 8 wedges and enjoy by themselves or with a pat of butter on top.