Gluten Free Spinach and Feta Scones

I was craving cheese-y scones the other day and after some investigation of what was in the fridge, I whipped these up. Feta and spinach is an incredible combo and these scones do not disappoint. They make a satisfying breakfast or midday snack and are, of course, undetectably gluten free.

I’ve been thinking about the difference between (USAmerican) scones and biscuits since my last scone post and I’ve refined my theory. Last time, I postulated that it’s about the shape of the quick bread (e.g. circle vs triangle), as they seem to have entirely similar recipes and textures to the point of there being no real distinction. However, with more thought I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s actually about what type of meal they are meant to be eaten as or with. A scone is a stand-alone pastry meant to be eaten as breakfast or an afternoon snack, typically accompanied by coffee or tea. A biscuit is part of a larger meal, usually dinner, as the bread accompaniment to the meal. As such, biscuits usually have simple flavor profiles, meant to be dipped in gravy or combined with other flavors on the plate, whereas scones tend to have a lot more going on and can stand on their own.

But whatever you want to call these, whether scone or biscuit, they’re sure to be a big hit.

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Required Equipment

• A bench scraper with measurements on it is useful, but not necessary
• A pastry brush is also very helpful

I use this bench scraper. I like it because it doubles as a large spatula that is excellent for removing dough from bowls.

Pastry brushes are generally extremely useful for applying egg washes or any other liquid to the top of baked goods. I recommend a silicone pastry brush like this one because it’s easy to wash compared to brushes with bristles.

Sourcing Gluten Free Flours for Baking

The quality of gluten free flours is very important for the final product. The more finely ground the flour, the more successful your baked goods will be. If your baked goods aren’t turning out quite how you’d like them to, your flour might be the culprit.

For information on where I source my gluten free flours, see my post on sourcing gluten free flours.

Detailed Instructions

Scones are a type of pastry, which means that it’s very important for the butter and other wet ingredients to remain very cold. This helps to create the flakey texture that they are known for by preventing the butter from completely integrating into the flour.

This recipe requires both frozen butter and melted butter. The 6 tablespoons frozen butter is used in the dough and should be kept in the freezer until right before you use it. The 2 tablespoons melted butter are used for brushing the tops of the scones before and after baking.

Prepare your ingredients. Start by whisking the sour cream, cream, and eggs together and then placing them in the refrigerator until you need them later in the recipe. Thaw the frozen spinach by microwaving in 30 second increments. Once thawed, squeeze out the moisture and set aside the dry spinach. Weigh out and crumble the feta. Measure out your dry ingredients and whisk them together thoroughly.

Using the large side of the grater, grate the frozen butter into the dry ingredients.

Gently stir the grated butter into the dry ingredients using a spatula. Add the spinach and feta and stir until combined. Make sure to thoroughly break up any clumps of spinach.

Remove the sour cream mixture from the fridge and add to the dry ingredients. Mix, using the spatula, until the dough is course and shaggy and you can’t incorporate any more of the flour.

Begin kneading the dough, either on a countertop lightly dusted with rice flour or directly in the bowl. Continue kneading until the dough has just come together. Avoid continuing to work the dough — heat from your hands will warm the butter and reduce the flakiness of the baked scones.

Press the dough out into a round and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the flours to hydrate. The refrigeration keeps the butter cool to prevent full integration into the dough.

While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 500^oF. We won’t bake the scones at this temperature, but the extra heat at the beginning of baking will increase rise and help the tops to brown without burning the bottoms. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone liner.

After the 30 minutes is over, remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a countertop lightly floured with rice flour. Pat into a round roughly 6 inches in diameter. This is where the bench scraper with marked measurements comes in very handy.

Cut the dough into six equally sized wedges. I’ve found that flouring the blade (especially after the first cut) can make cutting the wedges easier. Smooth any spinach pieces sticking off the edges of the scones, then arrange the wedges on the prepared baking sheet and use a pastry brush to generously brush the top of each with melted butter.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 425^oF. Bake for 14-15 minutes until the tops are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and brush the tops again with melted butter. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool 5 to 10 minutes before eating.

Storage

After scones have cooled completely, store in a plastic bag or tupperware for up to four days.

Gluten free baked goods can sometimes have a tough, crumbly texture after a day or two. I’ve found that reheating restores them to their previous tender state. To reheat, microwave for 15-30 seconds.