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Oat Scones from The Cheese Board Collective in Berkeley
An oat scone makes a hearty breakfast. It has a lingering caramel taste. The addition of oats makes it necessary for the dough to sit for a bit so that the oats can absorb some of the liquid. Rolling and folding the dough gives the finished scone a layered, flakier crumb. Unlike most Cheese Board scones, this scone can be treated like a biscuit and split in half for jam.
Makes 10 to 12 Scones
Preparation time including baking: 1 hour
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1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter cut into 1-inch cubes
3/4 cup dried currants
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
Preheat the oven to 375º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
Sift the flours, baking soda, and baking powder together into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl.
If using a stand mixer, add the salt, brown sugar, and oats to the bowl and mix with the paddle attachment on low speed until combined. Add the butter and cut it in on low speed for about 4 minutes, or until it is the size of small peas. Mix in the currants. Make a well in the center and add the cream and buttermilk. Mix briefly, just until the ingredients come together. Add a bit more buttermilk or cream if the dough seems too dry. Let the batter stand for 10 minutes.
If making by hand, add the salt, brown sugar, and oats to the bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add the butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter or 2 dinner knives until it is the size of small peas. Using the spoon, mix in the currants. Make a well in the center and add the cream and buttermilk. Mix briefly, just until the ingredients come together. Add a bit more buttermilk or cream if the dough seems too dry. Let the batter stand for 10 minutes.
Place the dough on a generously floured surface. Pat it into a 2-inch-thick rectangle and dust the top with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll it into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Fold the rectangle in half, shor ends together, and roll it out again until it is 1 inch thick. Repeat this process a second time. Fold a third time and roll out into a rectangle with a final size of 6 by 12 by 1 1/4 inches thick.
Dip a 3-inch circular biscuit cutter or drinking glass into flour and cut out scones from the dough. Place the scones on the prepared pan about 2 inches apart. The scraps can be rolled out again and the process repeated until all the dough is used.
Brush the tops and sides of the scones with the beaten egg. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a rich, golden brown. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool.