Cheesy Herb Scones

Make your whole house smell incredible with these cheesy herb scones. They have a soft, buttery center and flaky crisp top, plenty of sharp Pecorino Romano cheese and warm herbs throughout. Plus, with no mixers required and able to be prepped in advance, you can have these scones on the table in minutes.

I don’t think there is anything as wonderful as the smell of fresh baked cheesy breads. Add in some herbs, and these scones are impossible to pass up. Perfect for roast chicken dinners, Thanksgiving tables, and savory brunch boards.

Looking for other cheesy breads? Try this pesto braided bread or this easy no-knead pepperoni and mozzarella bread!

What Makes these Cheesy Scones Special?

• The dough is filled with plenty of cheese and herbs throughout, so they are packed with flavor.
• Lots of cold butter makes for a buttery and flaky center with a crisp top.
• No mixer required makes them an easy option for the table with a dough that can be made in minutes.
• They can be prepped far in advance and baked as needed. You can even bake one or two at a time and keep the remaining in the freezer for on-demand deliciousness.

Ingredients

I start these cheesy herb scones with my classic buttermilk scone base. After testing, and testing, and testing, it become my signature product at farmers markets around Charleston! The addition of cheesiness and herbiness makes them so special.

• All-purpose flour. A classic base for scones.
• Baking powder. Gives our scones a beautiful rise.
• Unsalted butter. Make sure your butter is cold! And use a good quality butter, it’s such a key component to these scones.
• Pecorino Romano cheese. You can also use Parmesan, but I prefer the sharp and bold flavor of aged Pecorino Romano. Parmesan is a bit more mild and nutty. Whichever you choose, grate your own cheese for the best flavor.
• Fresh herbs: thyme, rosemary and oregano. These are a powerhouse of flavor. They make that classic “savory” flavor. Use fresh, not dried herbs here.
• Salt and Pepper. I use cracked black pepper to make it pop on top of the scones. It cuts the cheesiness and balances the herbs. A little salt ups the flavors (but not too much, our cheese is already salty!)
• Egg. Egg helps to set the scone texture. Biscuits do not use eggs, but scones do for a slightly more cake-like interior.
• Buttermilk. Buttermilk provides a little tang and also makes for a tender and flaky texture.

How to Make Scones

I’ve included a video above that shows how to make a basic scone and the process is exactly the same for these cheesy scones. Let’s discuss the main details of scone-making!

Cold ingredients. Cold butter, buttermilk and eggs is essentials. Typically in baking, I say to bring everything to room temperature, so this is a bit unique. The cold ingredients in the dough will create steam in the hot oven. The steam provides lift and flakes in the dough.

Rub in butter. Use fingertips to rub in cubes of cold butter to create a sandy texture. I like to leave some larger pea-sized clumps for larger, craggy flakes. Not a fan of using your fingers? A pastry cutter is also a great option.

Use buttermilk as needed. Only add as much buttermilk as you need to create a shaggy, sticky dough. Avoid a sloppy and wet mixture. The amount you need will differ depending on the day, humidity, brand of flour, cheese etc. Trust your gut! If the dough is a bit wet to cut, you can dust a bit of extra flour on top.

Slice then freeze. Freezing the scones before baking will rechill the butter which has warmed up by now. This prevents butter leakage while baking, gives us a nice high rise and provides lots of flakes.

Egg wash. Before baking, brush the tops with an egg wash and sprinkle on a bit of extra cheese and cracked black pepper. An easy finishing touch.