Cheddar-Scallion Scones | Baking with Dorie

Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.

Working in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, mustard powder, paprika and baking soda. Scatter the bits of cold butter over the flour, reach in and use your fingers to mash and press and mush the butter into the flour. (You can do this with a pastry cutter, but it’s really easier and faster to use your fingers.) Keep tossing the dry ingredients around and smushing the butter until you’ve broken it into flour-coated pieces as small as cornflakes and as large as peas. Add the cheese and scallions to the bowl and toss them around until they’re coated with flour too.

Whisk the egg and milk together in a small bowl, pour the mixture over the dry ingredients and, using a fork, toss, turn and stir everything together until the flour is moistened. With your hands, gently—and sparingly—squeeze and knead the dough just enough to pull it into a ball. It’s futile (and unnecessary) to expect a smooth, neat packet of dough, because this dough is sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a rectangle that’s about 6 × 7 inches and 1 inch high. (The height is more important than the exact measurements of the rectangle’s sides.) Dust the top of the dough with flour. Using a bench scraper or a chef’s knife, cut the dough lengthwise in half and then cut it crosswise into 1-inch-wide bars. Carefully transfer them to the baking sheet. this point, the scones can be frozen for up to 2 months.

If you’d like, brush the tops of the scones lightly with milk, and, if you’ve saved them, sprinkle with the sliced scallion greens. Bake the scones for 17 to 20 minutes, or until they’re tall and golden brown on top and bottom. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and wait a couple of minutes, then lift the scones onto the rack. The scones are ready to eat about 15 minutes out of the oven and at their best within 3 or 4 hours.

Storing: The scones are best the day they’re made. After that, they’ll be good reheated or toasted. You can keep baked scones in the freezer for up to 2 months, or you can freeze them before you bake them (a better option), as directed above.

Playing Around: If you’d like to accentuate the onion flavor, finely dice or chop a small onion and sauté it in a little olive oil. When it’s cool, drain and stir it into the dough along with the cheese and scallions. And it almost goes without saying that these scones would be extra-good with some crisply cooked bacon bits added to the mix; 2 strips is all you’ll need.

Working ahead: The dough can be made, cut and frozen up to 2 months ahead—make sure to wrap the scones airtight—and then baked straight from the freezer. As soon as you start to preheat the oven, place the scones on a lined baking sheet and let them stand until the oven reaches temperature. You may need to bake them a few minutes longer.