Bacon, Cheddar, Scallion & Herb Scones

Yields 8 Scones

When I worked at a coffee shop throughout college, we sourced these amazing scones from a local bakery. They were fluffy, buttery, and way more tender than the dry, crumbly scones I was used to. The house favorite? The bacon cheddar.

The bakery isn’t around anymore, so I knew I had to figure out how to make them myself. And here they are.

The key to that fluffy texture? Cold butter, a good chill, and a not-so-secret ingredient: sour cream. It adds moisture and helps tenderize the final scone. You can skip the bacon if you want to keep them vegetarian—they're still just as good.

Great on their own, with an extra spread of butter, or as an indulgent breakfast sandwich.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

INGREDIENTS

Bacon Cheddar Scallion Scones

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (300 g)

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 ¼ teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or ¾ teaspoon Morton kosher)

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (25 g)

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold and cut into ½-inch cubes (113 g)

  • 5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (142 g)

  • 6 slices cooked bacon, chopped (about 100–120 g)

  • 6 tablespoons sliced scallions (about 3 medium scallions; 40 grams)

  • 1 ½ tablespoons chives, finely chopped

  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

  • 1 large egg

  • ¾ cup cold heavy cream (180 ml)

  • ¼ cup full-fat sour cream (60 g)

For Topping

  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water (for egg wash)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 425 °F (220 °C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.

  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.

  3. Add the cold butter and work it in using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits of butter. Avoid leaving large chunks of butter, which can melt out while baking.

  4. Mix in the shredded cheddar, chopped bacon, scallions, chives, and thyme.

  5. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, heavy cream, and sour cream.

  6. Add the wet mixture to the dry and gently mix with a spatula until a shaggy dough forms.

  7. Turn out the dough onto a work surface and press together by hand until a relatively cohesive dough forms. Don’t overwork or knead, just press together.

  8. Pat the dough into a round or square that’s 1 ¼ inches thick. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

  9. If the dough is circular, cut into 8 equal wedges. If the dough is square, cut into 4 equal squares, then slice each square in half diagonally to form triangles.

  10. Place scones on the prepared baking sheet and chill in the freezer for another 15–20 minutes. After chilling, brush the tops with egg wash.

  11. Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until golden brown and the interior reaches 200°F (93°C). Let cool slightly and serve.

RECIPE NOTES & TIPS

  • Store scones at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat at 350 °F (175 °C) for 5–8 minutes to restore texture.

  • Want to use this scone base for other flavors? You can. Just leave out the savory mix-ins (bacon, cheddar, scallions, and chives) and swap in whatever you’d like. Just keep in mind that fillings with lots of moisture can affect the texture and bake time. Want to turn it sweet? The base stays the same — just increase the sugar a bit to suit your flavor.

  • Instead of freezing the scones for 15 minutes before baking, you can chill them in the refrigerator overnight and bake fresh in the morning. If you’d like to freeze the scones before baking, store in an airtight container or bag, then bake straight from frozen—just add a few extra minutes to the bake time.

  • Chilling the dough does a few important things. First, it allows the gluten to relax, which results in a more tender scone. Second, it gives the butter time to firm up and the flour time to fully hydrate — both of which improve the rise and help the scones hold their shape instead of spreading too much in the oven.