Kimchi Cheddar Savory Scone
Quick answer
Cold butter rubbed into flour creates the flaky, crumbly layers of a classic scone, but here the dough takes a savory turn with the addition of squeezed kimchi and sharp...
What makes this special
- Cold-butter layers in Kimchi Cheddar Savory Scone carry fermented kimchi tang and sharp cheddar in every fold.
- High heat 200°C bake delivers golden crust and moist interior together
- Kimchi acidity and cheddar saltiness alternate through each buttery layer
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Preheat the oven fully to 200C and line a tray with parchment.
- 2 In a bowl, mix 240 g flour, 10 g baking powder, 12 g sugar, and 3 g salt until even.
- 3 Rub the butter into the flour mixture with fingertips until most pieces are pea-sized.
Cold butter rubbed into flour creates the flaky, crumbly layers of a classic scone, but here the dough takes a savory turn with the addition of squeezed kimchi and sharp cheddar cheese. As the butter melts in the oven, it releases steam that puffs the layers apart, and between those layers the kimchi's spicy acidity and the cheddar's salty richness emerge in alternating waves. Removing moisture from the kimchi before mixing is critical; wet kimchi produces a dense, heavy dough instead of the light texture that defines a good scone. Overworking the dough develops gluten and sacrifices that crumbly snap, so the ingredients are combined just until they hold together. A brief bake at 200 degrees Celsius sets the crust golden while the interior stays tender. Eaten warm with a pat of butter, the scone delivers a pronounced sweet-salty-tangy interplay that works as well at breakfast as it does alongside a bowl of soup.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Preheat the oven fully to 200C and line a tray with parchment.
Squeeze 90 g of finely chopped kimchi firmly by hand first, removing loose moisture so the dough does not turn heavy or sticky.
- 2Season
In a bowl, mix 240 g flour, 10 g baking powder, 12 g sugar, and 3 g salt until even.
Add 80 g cold unsalted butter, keeping it chilled until the moment it goes in.
- 3Prep
Rub the butter into the flour mixture with fingertips until most pieces are pea-sized.
Stop before the butter softens or melts, breaking only the largest chunks so flaky layers can form.
- 4Heat
Add the squeezed kimchi and 80 g cheddar, then toss lightly so the dry mixture coats them.
Separate any clumped cheese, but do not press the dough yet or the scones may bake dense.
- 5Step
Beat 110 ml milk with 1 egg, pour it in, and fold with a spatula.
Stop as soon as the dry flour nearly disappears and the dough holds together, avoiding kneading that makes it tough.
- 6Heat
Pat the dough to 2.5 cm thickness, cut into 8 pieces, and space them on the tray.
Brush the tops with milk, bake for 20-22 minutes until golden, then cool briefly before serving warm.
After the steps
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