Buttermilk Cheese Scones

These are my easy Buttermilk Cheese Scones - moist and oh-so-cheesy savoury scones packed with cheddar cheese and sprinkled with parmesan.

I love a good scone, so I decided I'd like a scone recipe that would suit breakfast, lunch or dinner - enter my latest scone obsession - buttermilk cheese scones.

I have eaten entirely too many of these in the last few days! These are savoury scones, so no sugar. Instead, they are packed with cheddar cheese, then sprinkled with parmesan cheese to make a cheesy little mouthful that is just waiting for a thick spread of butter...so let's get our scone on!

Ingredients you will need

• self-raising flour (self-rising flour)
• buttermilk
• mature/sharp cheddar cheese
• parmesan cheese
• salted butter
• fine salt
• milk for brushing

*Please see the recipe card below for exact quantities and detailed instructions

How to make these cheese scones

1. Add self-raising flour and butter to a medium-sized bowl.
2. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour (or you can use a pastry cutter like you see in the photo) until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
3. Add the cheddar cheese and salt to the flour mixture and combine using a flat-bladed knife.
4. Then add buttermilk and mix to combine, again using a flat-bladed knife. For the final few strokes, I bring the dough together with my hands.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured bench/board and knead the dough very lightly until just smooth, then pat the dough out into an even disc.
6. Dip a round cutter into some extra flour and cut out scones. Place onto a baking tray, brush with milk and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top then bake.

My top tips for making these scones

• When you cut out these scones, try not to twist or rotate the cutter at all. If you twist the cutter when pushing down into the dough or when lifting it back out, this will mess up the clean edges you need on your scones to help them rise.
• Likewise, when you are putting them on to the baking tray try not to handle the edges. I use a thin metal cake slice to transfer my raw scones to the tray for baking.
• Any type of cheddar cheese will do for this recipe, I have used a mature one for the extra flavour.
• No buttermilk? My go-to substitute is to add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or fresh lemon juice to 1 cup (250ml) of whole milk, then leave for 5-10 minutes at room temperature until the mixture looks slightly thickened and curdled. Sounds weird but it works! This link has some more alternatives.
• No self-raising flour? For every cup of plain flour (150g) add 2 teaspoon of baking powder and sift together well.

Other scone recipes you may like

Date Scones - moist, fluffy date scones. No need to rub the butter into the flour, just a quick mix and they're done! Also egg-free.

Easy Sultana Scones - my super easy recipe for moist and fluffy buttermilk scones packed with sweet and juicy sultanas.

Buttermilk Cheese Scones

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Buttermilk Cheese Scones - a super easy recipe for moist savoury scones packed with cheddar cheese and sprinkled with parmesan.

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Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 14

Calories: 208kcal

Author: Lee-Ann Grace

Ingredients

• 3 cups self-raising/self-rising flour 450 g plus extra for dusting
• 1 cup buttermilk 250 ml
• 100 g salted butter cold - chopped
• 2 cups grated mature cheddar cheese 160 g
• ½ teaspoon fine salt
• 2 tablespoon finely grated fresh parmesan cheese
• milk for brushing

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 220c/430f
• Add self-raising flour (3 cups/450 g) and chopped butter (100 g) to a medium-sized bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour (or you can use a pastry cutter like you see in the process photo in the body of this post) until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
• Add the grated cheddar cheese (2 cups/160 g) and salt (½ tsp) to the flour mixture and combine using a flat-bladed knife.
• Then add buttermilk and mix to combine, again using a flat-bladed knife. For the final few strokes, I bring the dough together with my hands.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured bench/board and knead the dough very lightly (only a few turns) until just smooth, then pat the dough out into an even disc approximately 2½ cm/1" thick.
• Dip a round 6cm/2½″ scone cutter into some extra flour and cut out scones, being careful not to twist the cutter or touch the edges of the scones (see my notes). Lightly push together any remaining dough and repeat.
• Place scones onto a baking tray, brush the tops with milk and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top then bake for 12 - 15 minutes.

Notes

• When you cut out these scones, try not to twist or rotate the cutter at all. If you twist the cutter when pushing down into the dough or when lifting it back out, this will mess up the clean edges you need on your scones to help them rise.
• Likewise, when you are putting them on to the baking tray try not to handle the edges. I use a thin metal cake slice to transfer my raw scones to the tray for baking.
• Try not to knead the leftover dough too much when you are re-rolling the scraps, this will also help with the rise.
• No buttermilk? My go-to substitute is to add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or fresh lemon juice to 1 cup (250ml) of whole milk, then leave for 5-10 minutes at room temperature until the mixture looks slightly thickened and curdled. Sounds weird but it works! This link has some more alternatives.
• No self-raising flour? For every cup of plain flour (150g) add 2 teaspoon of baking powder and sift together well.

*Please note that the amount of calories per serve is provided as a guide only, as ingredients and cooking methods can vary greatly*