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Whole Wheat Dried Fruit Scones, Bittman-ized

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Makes 8 scones 1x

Time about 90 minutes, unless fermenting

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup good-quality butter, cold, cut into small cubes and kept in the freezer until you’re ready to add
  • 1 cup sourdough starter
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing
  • 3/4 cup dried cranberries (or whatever dried fruit you’ve chosen).
  • 2 tablespoons tangelo zest (again, whatever compliments the fruit you’ve chosen)
  • 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (optional)

Instructions

  1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl to combine.
  2. Add the cold butter to the dry ingredients and cut together with a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers until the mixture looks like wet sand. In a separate bowl, whisk the starter with the eggs and heavy cream until smooth and pour over the flour mixture. Add the cranberries and zest to the bowl, and gently mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined.
  3. Dump the dough onto the prepared pan and, working quickly, form into a 6-inch by 8-inch rectangle, about 1/2-inch thick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, for the dough to rest.
  4. If you’re ready to bake after resting, preheat oven to 400°F. Line 1 large or 2 small baking sheets with fresh parchment.  Remove pan of dough to a work surface. Cut the rectangle into any shape you like. (I used a 3-inch round fluted cookie cutter.) Move the scones to the parchment-lined sheet pans with at least 1/2-inch between them. Gather, re-roll and shape the scraps into another 1 or 2 scones.
  5. Brush the tops of the scones with extra cream, and sprinkle with turbinado sugar if you’d like. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan(s) halfway through, until golden brown and set on top.

— Recipe developed by Denise Petersen

Recipe variations

To ferment the scones, wrap the trays of cut scones. Then put them in the refrigerator to rest again, for 24 to 72 hours. No need to let them come to room temperature before baking. Brush with cream and follow the directions in Step 5.