Sweet, juicy blueberries and tart blackberries join forces in these 100% whole grain beauties. Easy enough to make on an average weekday but pretty enough for a gathering or brunch, these scones marry all the things I love in a breakfast pastry: not at all too sweet, substantial with a little bit of heft, and boasting interesting seasonal ingredients. I prefer natural cane sugar here because it’s not as refined, but the recipe will work just fine with granulated white sugar.
Serves 6 | start to finish: 50-60 minutes (active time: 20 minutes)
1 1/4 cups (150g) barley flour, plus more for forming scones
1 cup (170g) whole-wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (65g) natural cane sugar (like turbinado), plus more for topping
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons (85g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (205 ml) buttermilk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
3/4 cup / 90g fresh or frozen blueberries
3/4 cup / 90g fresh or frozen blackberries
Preheat the oven to 375 F°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the cubed butter and, using your hands or a pastry cutter, rub or cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles small, course peas. It’s okay to have a few larger chunks of butter.
In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Add to the dry ingredients and, using a wooden spoon or flat spatula, stir until the dough gathers together in an uneven ball (I actually use my hands at this point). Fold in the berries. The dough will be pretty wet; Let it sit for 10 minutes to allow the whole-grain flours to soak up a bit of the moisture.
Take out a large wooden board (or use a clean table or counter) and sprinkle generously with flour before turning out the dough onto the surface. With well-floured hands, quickly gather the dough into a ball and pat/push it down so it’s circular in shape and about 1-inch thick. Cut into 6 large wedges. Place the wedges on prepared baking sheet about 2-3 inches apart, brush the tops with buttermilk (or water, if you prefer), and sprinkle with a little sugar. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until tops are lightly brown. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Cover leftovers and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.