jetlag baking … Sausage and Cheddar Breakfast Scones

What’s the difference between a biscuit and a scone? I’ve always thought of scones more on the sweeter side, and a biscuit as more savory but then there’s savory scones and sweet biscuits so what the hell? They have basically the same ingredients – flour, leavening, fat, dairy – but the difference lies in texture. Scones can be a bit heavier and crumbly whereas biscuits tend to be lighter and flaky. But then … not all biscuits are flaky and yes, scones can sometimes be a bit flaky too. Back and forth, back and forth. Ugh. This author has rather strong opinions about it and I must say, I agree.

It’s been a bit radio silence around here. Travel, intense work projects and a general disinterest in personal cooking has derailed any blog plans I may have had. In my free time I’ve been avoiding my kitchen and subsisting on bags of granola and bits project leftovers – cheese and bits of random vegetables for the most part. But today I felt different. Today I was up before dawn due to jetlag and decided to bake something rather than pretend I’d fall back asleep. Scones were easy; I’d make scones. I’d accumulated a lot of cheese so I opted to add some cheddar and a stash of breakfast sausage in the freezer jumped into the fray. Sausage cheddar scones coming right up.

Not long ago, I tried a recipe from the King Arthur website, usually a good source, but wasn’t happy. Too dry, too crumbly, too bland. So this morning I turned to Stella Parks who provides consistently excellent recipes on the Serious Eats website and wrote a damn fine baking book (get it). I trust her. I took her recipe for ham & cheese scones from the site, made a few tweaks and was much happier with the results. This version was what I was looking for all along – crumbly yet moist, packed with flavor and crispy cheesy edges.

Did I make a biscuit or scone? I don’t know. They were really good scones that sort of resembled biscuits. Frankly, my sleepless brain didn’t really care – they were delicious. As I picked at the crispy cheese bits that oozed around the edges, I decided it didn’t really matter. They were good and that’s all I needed.

STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: HIGH MARKS. Early morning baking, when I can’t sleep and have simply had it with the tossing, turning and flailing, is a good thing. I often forget how it calms my buzzing thoughts, relaxes my shoulders and brings an overwhelming sense of peace to my mornings. I suffer from terrible jetlag, every damn time, and frequently fall asleep and wake and ungodly early hours for at least a week after returning. Earlier this year it coincided with the Winter Olympics and I was rather of delighted to watch all those events live at 3am. This week, not so much, so getting up to fry some sausage, smash some butter and pat some fat scones in place felt pretty good. Watching the sun come up on my back porch with a hot cheesy scone in hand was a pretty great way to start the day.

Nine years ago: Chocoflan, Lattice Love, Lessons in Pie Crust, Classic Apple Pie, Ratatouille, Peach Crostada, Apple Pear Crisp, Sour Cream Coffeecake
Eight years ago: Blueberry Raspberry Cobbler, Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cheese Turnovers, Chicken Sour Cream Enchiladas, Bangkok World Gourmet Festival, Radishes, Butter, Sea Salt
Seven years ago: Plum Kuchen, PB&J Bars
Six years ago: Kale & Squash Salad
Five years ago: Roasted Ratatouille with Sweet Corn Polenta, Spiced Honey Maple Roasted Pears, Muhammara – the best sauce you’ve never heard of
Four years ago: Aunt Patti’s Cornbread, Pumpkin Hummus, Whole Wheat English Muffins
Three years ago: Machaca – Mexican Shredded Beef, Machaca Enchiladas, Small Batch Spiced Plum Butter, Easy No Knead Olive Bread, Cotija Cumin Shortbread, Simple Pear Tart
Two years ago: German Apple Cheese Torte, Chicken Wing Friday – Miso Honey Butter Chicken Wings, Finnish Pulla (Finnish Cardamom Braid)
Last year: Miso Butterscotch Blondies, Rosemary White Beans with Toasted Breadcrumbs, Tabbouleh Salad, Ottolenghi and Buttermilk Garlic Sauce, Easy Squash Carrot Soup, Yemen Schug (chili herb sauce)

SAUSAGE & CHEDDAR BREAKFAST SCONES – adapted slightly from this recipe
makes 6 scones
This recipe makes six seriously big scones. Feel free to cut smaller or pat the dough into a rectangle and cut squares or smaller triangles if you prefer.

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
4 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes
1 ½ cups cooked, crumbled breakfast sausage (8oz raw – I opted for the spicy version)
¼ cup chopped scallions (1 fat scallion)
¾ cup diced sharp cheddar cheese, 1/8” cubes (3.5oz)
¼ cup whole milk
¾ cup heavy cream

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
2. If you haven’t already, cook your sausage and set aside to cool completely. Be sure to leave it fairly chunky.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, onion powder, sugar, salt and pepper.
4. Add the butter and toss to coat and break up the pieces, then smash each piece between your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
5. Add the cooled, cooked sausage, scallions, and cheese.
6. Toss until well combined, then stir in the milk and cream to form a stiff dough.
7. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7” round, no less than 1” thick.
8. Cut into 6 wedges with a long knife and arrange on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
9. Bake until puffed and golden, about 25 minutes.
10. Let cool at least 5 minutes.
11. Leftovers can be stored up to 24 hours in an airtight container, then briefly warmed in a 350°F (180°C) oven to serve.
12. Make ahead: unbaked scones can be frozen, on a sheet pan, until firm then stored in a Ziploc bag (write the baking directions on the bag). Bake directly from the freezer, adding a few minutes to the baking time.

 

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