Potato Scones
I am fully aware that I must add more savory pastries to my repertoire. In parallel, I am also fully aware that my cooking skills are far more inferior to my baking skills.
However, some pastries, such as the following potato scones, caught my attention and had me try to bring them closer to perfection. Scones feature a crispy coating that reminds a little bit of a cookie, and a soft and airy interior texture that reminds a little bit of cake.
And it won’t be a total mistake to assume that this pastry is some strange hybrid between a cookie and a cake. The airy texture is obtained by the relatively large amounts of baking powder, while the crisp texture is the result of a cold dough mixture, that is under-processed.
This pastry is perfect for breakfast, and is very versatile. You can choose for yourself any grated cheese that you like to add to the dough, and also assemble your own spices mix. I hope you will give it a try and love it as much as I do.
First published:
Last modified:
Potato Scones:
Equipment: No special equipment is needed
Recipe: Makes 6 large scones
| Ingredient | Amount (g / units) |
| Cake Flour | 150g |
| White Granulated Sugar | 25g |
| Salt | 5g |
| Baking Powder | 5g |
| Cold Unsalted Butter, cubed | 55g |
| Cold Milk | 45g |
| Eggs | 15g |
| Baking Potatoes | 300g |
| Grated Cheese of your choice | 95g |
| Additional Grated Cheese (for topping) | 20g |
Spices Mix (suggestion only):
| Ingredient | Amount (g / units) |
| Salt | 3/8 tsp |
| Black Pepper | 1/8 tsp |
| Dried Rosemary | 1/4 tsp |
| Dried Thyme | 1/2 tsp |
| Dried Basil | 1/4 tsp |
| Chili Flakes | 1/8 tsp |
Preparation instructions:
Preparing the potatoes:
- Wash the potatoes and peel any bad skin.
- Cut each potato lengthwise, into quartered boats. Put them in a pot and fill with boiling water to cover.
- Cook over high heat, for 14 minutes with a lid open, or until a fork easily pierces through the potatoes.
- Strain and immediately rinse the potatoes with cold water to stop them from cooking any further.
- Reserve a few quartered boats (depending on the number of scones you are making) to decorate the top. Marinate them in some olive oil and a pinch of salt, and set to the side.
- After the potatoes have cooled down, cut them into small cubes of about 1-1.5 cm.
Pre-heat the oven to 180C (fan mode on) and place a baking rack at the lowest level inside the oven.
For the Scones:
- Into a food processor, add all the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder and sugar, and pulse them together to combine.
- Add the cubed butter and pulse until the texture looks like small peas.
- Mix the milk with the eggs and add it into the food processor. Pulse until rough peas are formed.
- Transfer the mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add in the grated cheese, potato cubes and spices mix (this mix is optional, and you are welcome to create your own spices mix). Mix everything with a plastic scraper or a tablespoon, but do not overmix.
- Portion each scone (about 120g each), and place the portions on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Evenly space them apart as they rise and spread in the oven. Round each portion lightly with your hands and shape it to make it bit taller. Brush each scone with the egg wash
- Place a potato quarter on top of each scone, and sprinkle some more grated cheese and some more dried thyme.
- Bake for 23 minutes. Serve warm.
