Rise and Shine
FRESH BREADS AND SCONES ARE PERFECT CHOICES FOR BREAKFAST.
To serve a crowd for breakfast, a make-ahead baked treat beats acting like a short order cook any time. And that doesn’t have to mean sugarladen pastries. For our take on English scones, we skew savory by lacing them with kale, cheddar, and pecorino Romano, plus currants for contrasting pops of sweet-tart flavor. From Morocco, harcha are semolina flatbreads baked in a skillet, which pair well with either sweet or savory accompaniments. And from Eastern Europe, a swirled poppy seed loaf gets mild sweetness from a quick powdered sugar glaze.
Savory Kale and Two-Cheese Scones
MAKES 12 LARGE SCONES
This recipe is our adaptation of the hearty kale and cheese scones created by Briana Holt, of Tandem Coffee + Bakery in Portland, Maine. Either lacinato (also called dinosaur or Tuscan kale) or curly kale will work; you will need an average-sized bunch to obtain the amount of chopped, stemmed leaves
for the recipe.
The buttermilk and butter should stay chilled before use; keeping them cold helps ensure that the dough will remain workable and won’t become unmanageably soft during shaping.
And, when rotating the baking sheets halfway through the baking time, work quickly so the oven doesn’t lose too much heat.
½ cup (80 grams) dried currants 4 cups (87 grams) stemmed and finely chopped lacinato or curly kale (see headnote)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3½ cups (455 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
¼ cup (50 grams) white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1¼ teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) salted butter, cut into
½-inch pieces and chilled
4 ounces (1 cup) sharp or extrasharp cheddar cheese, cut into
¼-inch cubes
½ ounce (¼ cup) finely grated pecorino Romano cheese
1½ cups cold buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten
¼ cup raw, shelled sunflower seeds
Heat the oven to 375 degrees with racks in the upper- and lower-middle positions. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with kitchen parchment. In a small microwave-safe bowl, stir together the currants and 2 tablespoons water. Microwave
uncovered on high until warm and plump, about 30 seconds; set aside. In a medium bowl, toss the kale and lemon juice; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper.
To a food processor, add about half of the flour mixture and scatter all of the butter over the top. Pulse until the butter is in pieces slightly larger than peas, 10 to 12 pulses. Transfer to the bowl with the remaining flour mixture. Add the currants and any remaining liquid, and the cheddar, pecorino, and kale.
Toss with your hands until well combined. Add about ‚ of the buttermilk and toss just a few times with your hands, making sure to scrape along the bottom of the bowl, until the liquid is absorbed. Add the remaining buttermilk in 2 more additions, tossing after each. After the final addition of buttermilk, toss until no dry, floury bits remain. The mixture will be quite crumbly and will not form a cohesive dough.
Lightly dust the counter with flour, turn the mixture out onto it, then give it a final toss. Divide it into 2 even piles, gathering each into a mound, then briefly knead each mound; it’s fine if the mixture is still somewhat crumbly. Gather each mound into a ball, then press firmly into a cohesive 5-inch disk about 1½-inches thick. Using a chef ’s knife, cut each disk into 6 wedges. Place 6 wedges on each prepared baking sheet, spaced evenly apart. Brush the tops with the beaten egg, then sprinkle with the sunflower seeds, pressing lightly to adhere.
Bake until the scones are deep golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through. Cool on the baking sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes, then transfer directly to a rack
and cool for at least another 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.