Let’s get back to basic with these simple smoked cheddar scones. They can be fancied up with chives or bacon, but simplicity is the goal here.

Smoked Cheddar and Sour Cream Scones

adapted from Bouchon Bakery book, makes 8 to 12 scones

Ingredients

3/4 cup + 1 teaspoon of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup + 1/2 tablespoon cake flower
1 1/2 + 1/8 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
2 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon of salt
132 grams of butter (equals to 4.7 ounces or 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon of heavy cream + more for topping
1/4 cup + 2 1/2 tablespoon of sour cream
2 cups of grated smoked cheddar (aged) + 1/4 cup more for topping
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Preperation

Make ahead: Freeze butter for about 2 hours minimum. Once frozen, grate when ready to use.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl together. Cut in the grated butter (by hand, with a pastry cutter or with two knives) until it resembles coarse meal. Pour in heavy cream and sour cream. With a fork, mix everything until the dough is just about to come together. (If the dough is looking too dry, add a tablespoon of cream at time until it looks moist – but not too moist!) Add the cheese and mix until it’s well incorporated.

Tip the dough on a work surface and use the heel of your hands to push it together. Knead the dough by pressing and folding it over until it comes together. Once the dough looks more uniformed, place a plastic wrap on top and press it into a 7-by-9-inch block. Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for about 2 hours OR place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough lengthwise in half and then cut each half into 6 rectangles. Or, shape them however you’d like! Arrange them on a prepare sheet pan, leaving some space between them. Cover with a plastic wrap and freeze the dough until frozen (about 2 hours or leave overnight). If you’d prefer to have the scones right away, you can bake right away or freeze for a minimum of 1 hour until it’s firm enough!

Arrange frozen scones on a prepared pan with baking parchment. Brush the top with cream and sprinkle with more cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 F for 30 minutes, until golden brown.