Za’atar, herb + caramelised onion scones
Savoury scones are quintessential kiwi café fare, and this is my answer to the search for a vegan scone to match the classically buttery counterpart. Using fridge-cold coconut oil and a cut-and-layer technique for rolling the dough means that you still get those flaky layers you look for in a good scone. The za’atar and caramelised onions add that big umami oomph while also giving them a more rustic flavour.
Top Tip - I have purposely crafted this recipe to be vegan, but you can easily swap the coconut oil for chilled butter, non-dairy milk for dairy milk, and nutritional yeast for some grated cheese if desired. For a recipe to make your own za’atar, click here.
hands-on time
40 minutes
1 hour 30 minutes
total time
9 large or 12 medium scones
makes
Ingredients
2 medium brown onions, sliced thinly
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
530ml non-dairy milk (oat, almond or soy)
juice of 1 lemon
750g plain white flour
2 tsp sea salt
4 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
4 tbsp za’atar
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp chopped thyme leaves
1 tbsp finely chopped oregano leaves
1 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves
300g fridge-cold coconut oil, chopped into 2cm chunks
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp maple syrup
Method
First make the caramelised onions. Place the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the sliced onions and cook for 15 minutes until softened and starting to caramelise. Add the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar and cook for a further 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl, and place in the freezer to quickly cool.
For the scones, in a medium bowl, whisk together 500ml milk and the lemon juice. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle slightly. Line a large oven tray with baking paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, nutritional yeast, cayenne pepper, 2 tbsp za’atar, lemon zest, chopped thyme, oregano and mint. Add the coconut oil to the dry ingredients and using your hands, rub the oil into the flour so that there are small discs and pea-sized lumps of coconut oil throughout. Create a well in the centre of the dry ingredients.
Once the milk has curdled a little, whisk in the dijon mustard and stir through the caramelised onions. Pour the milk and onions into the dry ingredients and using a spoon, gently fold together until the crumbs are moist but not quite coming together - be careful not to overmix. Tip the dough out onto a floured work surface, gently form the dough into a rough rectangle with your hands, and using a rolling pin, roll out into a rectangle about 1cm thick. Only roll in one direction so as not to overwork the dough. If needed, sprinkle with extra flour as you go. Cut the dough into four even pieces, stack them on top of one another, and then roll out into a 3cm thick rectangle. This layering gives the scones a tall and flaky structure. If desired, trim the edges of the dough with a clean cut to expose the layers. Cleanly cut the dough into 9 or 12 evenly-sized pieces (depending on how large you would like your scones to be), using a single cutting motion, and being careful not to touch the sides of the scones with your hands, as smooshing the sides will stop them from rising fully.
Place the scones on the baking paper-lined tray, evenly spaced apart, and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 190°C fan-forced (210°C conventional).
In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 30ml milk and maple syrup. Remove the scones from the fridge, brush the tops with the maple milk, and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tbsp of za’atar.
Bake on the top shelf of the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and beautifully risen. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm as is, or slathered with vegan butter.