English Cream Scones

Makes 10

Unlike American scone recipes, which produce a wet, shaggy-looking dough, this one is more sturdy and easier to press out. The scones are what I like to think of as a sweeter, more structured, version of Southern biscuits.

1/2 cup (125 ml) plus 2 teaspoons heavy cream

1 large egg

1 cup (128 grams) whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup (135 grams) all purpose flour, plus more sprinkling

1/4 cup (47 grams) natural cane sugar

1 tablespoon (14 grams) baking powder

1/4 teaspoon (2 grams) fine sea salt

5 tablespoons (2.5 ounces) very cold unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces

Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.

Using a fork, lightly beat the cream and egg together in a small bowl; set aside.

Add the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt to a deep medium-sized bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the butter and rub together quickly with your fingers, until it forms a sandy-looking texture with some pebble-sized pieces. Pour in the cream-egg mixture, and use a wooden spoon to stir together until it forms a crumbly-looking dough.

Knead the dough in the bowl a few times until it forms a solid piece. It will seem more dry than other scone recipes if you've made them before—don't worry. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Knead it once or twice to give the dough a smoother appearance. Using your fingertips, press the dough out into a 1/2-inch thick circle. Dip a 2 1/2-inch round cutter into flour, and cut out the scones—it’s okay to re-roll and press the dough out again once if you need to.

Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet, and bake for 10 minutes, until bottoms are deep golden and the tops are barely tanned-looking. Remove from oven and rest tray on a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving. Leftovers may be stored in an air-tight container and heated in the toaster the next day.