I used to frequent a coffee shop that sold the best scones. The owner said the secret was “lots of butter” and I guess I took that to heart because I never really bothered trying olive oil scones or any other scone recipes with oil. This morning, eager to use some “light tasting olive oil” acquired in a buy one, get one deal, I made Blueberry Olive Oil Scones.
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Olive Oil Scones Texture
The texture of olive oil scones is a little different from the texture of buttery scones. While they are moist, olive oil scones have a harder crust and crumblier interior. If using whole wheat flour, the flavor and texture may remind you of cornbread even though there is no cornmeal in the recipe. So using olive oil in scones definitely changes the texture, but it's a pleasant texture and worth a try. It's also a lot faster than cutting in the butter!
Raspberry Variation
Here's a photo from a recent batch where I made a variation with fresh raspberries. For this batch I used all-purpose flour. The dough was quite a bit softer because the flour didn't absorb as much liquid and the interiors were a little fluffier. These really are quite different from buttery scones, but good in their own way.
Scone Ingredients
- White Whole Wheat Flour -- White whole wheat flour works well, but you can substitute 1 cup of whole wheat and 1 cup of AP or 2 cups of AP. If using all-purpose or a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat, you will probably not need as much liquid, so be sure to add it gradually. If you accidentally add too much, just put extra flour on the mat and gently work it into the dough as you fold in the berries.
- Olive Oil -- I used “extra light” when I first made these because we didn’t want any extra virgin flavor mingling with the blueberries. Now I actually like the flavor of extra virgin in baked goods, so I use whatever olive oil we have.
- Buttermilk --Regular buttermilk is the best, but I more often than not reconstituted Saco or Bob's Red Mill. You can also use the substitute of 2 teaspoons of lemon juice mixed with regular milk to make ¾ cup total.
- Berries -- I've since made these with raspberries, which of course work well too. And the berries can be fresh or frozen.
- Sparkling Sugar -- The final and best ingredient is sparkling sugar!
King Arthur Sparkling Sugar
Sparkling white sugar is one of the best scone ingredients. Not only does it make the scones pretty, it adds crunch and sweetness. The sweetness on top helps you get away with using less sugar in the dough. Since sugar causes spreading, less sugar in the dough usually means puffier scones. I buy sparkling sugar from King Arthur flour and it is well worth whatever it costs. It comes in white sugar and colored.
I've since made these a few times and have updated the notes a bit. I hope you try them too. However, if you are looking for a really good buttery scone recipe and don't necessarily need olive oil scones, I highly recommend the Maple Oat Scones.
Recipe
Blueberry Olive Oil Scones
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour (280 grams)
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar plus extra for topping (40 grams)
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup olive oil use light tasting or any other oil
- ¾ cup buttermilk plus a little extra for brushing
- 1 teaspoon vanilla or 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- Sparkling Sugar or extra sugar plus milk or cream for brushing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Have ready a heavy baking sheet lined with parchment.
- In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda, then stir in the sugar.
- In second bowl, stir together egg and oil, then add buttermilk and vanilla (or lemon).
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in half the liquid ingredients. Stir well, then continue adding liquid ingredients very gradually until you have a rather stiff dough. Turn dough onto a pastry mat (add more flour if needed) and pat it flat.
- Dot the flat slab of dough with blueberries and fold over on itself. Repeat, flattening dough without crushing the blueberries (much!) and adding more berries.
- Shape the dough into a circle and cut into 8 wedges. Brush surfaces with 1% milk and sprinkle with sugar. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Bake scones for 10 minutes at 425, then reduce heat and bake at 375 for another 10 minutes.
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