Savory Scones with Parmesan and Fennel

These Savory Scones will change your idea of a scone forever! Slightly sweet, with distinct savory flavor from Grana Padano cheese and fennel, they are quick and easy to make! Perfect for weekend brunch!

When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do was play with Play-Doh. You know, that soft, gushy stuff that comes in the yellow can? There used to be just a few colors, but now, of course, the possibilities are endless. (I’m aware that some kids, not to be named here, also used to eat this “non-toxic” stuff!) But even with my zero sculpting skills, I loved working with it. I was always the kid who had a grand idea in my head of what I wanted to make, but couldn’t quite put it altogether. You know, I would want to make a fully-functional Ferris Wheel with different colored baskets and people sitting in them. As if my 6-year-old hands could do that. Apparently, Tinker Toys were more my speed.

But, there’s something about working with dough, isn’t there? Whether it’s a yeast dough or something quick and easy like biscuits or scones, just the thought of making a dough and molding it into something that turns into bread is just so enticing. And, since I didn’t get any Play-Doh for Christmas, I had to make these Savory Scones with Parmesan and Fennel, just to get my dough fix!

And these scones, I’m here to say, are fan-tas-tic! A little bit sweet, just a tiny bit, to balance out the salty Grana Padano. You can use Parmeggiano-Reggiano if you want, but I like the slightly milder, kind of “sweeter” Grana Padano for this scone. I feel like it’s a better complement to the bit of sugar in the dough, and allows the more delicate fennel flavor to come through. 

The resulting scone is light as air, with that salty, cheesy flavor we all love and a bit of fennel. You can add a bit of fresh chive for some visual interest and a touch of flavor, if you like.

So if you need some time with dough, won’t you try these Savory Parmesan Fennel Scones? They are so quick and easy, and the flavor? Way better than Play-Doh!

Enjoy!

Looking for other scone recipes?  Check out my Easy Cheddar Onion Scones or these awesome Rhubarb Chevre Scones!

Ohter brunch recipes? You can’t go wrong with these Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Glaze or these delightful Chocolate Cherry Bread Rolls!

Savory Scones Recipe Details ->

I was inspired by and adapted this easy savory scone recipe from King Arthur Flour. I made several changes to the recipe, but kept their basic Savory Scone dough.

To increase the nutritional value (I live by the mantra “Make at least half your grains whole”), I used half Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, half all-purpose. You don’t need to do this, you can use 2 cups of AP flour or half AP/half whole wheat pastry flour.

The recipe starts with making some “fennel salt.” You can crush the Fennel Seed with a rolling pin or grind them in a spice/coffee grinder (This is the one I’ve used for years) as I did. Take half the ground fennel and mix it with some flaky sea salt (I like Maldon), and set it aside. This will be the topping for the scones while they bake. The remainder of the fennel gets mixed with the dry ingredients for the dough.

So the dough is a basic dough, where you will mix the dry ingredients – flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar; then cut in the butter. You can use your fingertips to do this or a pastry cutter. Add the grated cheese and crushed fennel seed. Then pour in the cream, stirring to create the dough.

Pat the dough into a circle about 3/4” thick, on a nicely floured surface. It will be around 7 inches diameter. Cut it into 8 pieces, then if you like (not totally necessary) brush some cream over them to help them brown nicely in the oven. Sprinkle the fennel salt over the tops and pop them in the oven,

At 375F in my Convection oven, these took 24 minutes. If you have a Conventional oven, you’ll want to bake at 400F, for 22-24 minutes.

Can I use a different Cheese? Or different Spices?

Yes! You can, the variations are endless! How about:

• Parmeggiano Reggiano with Fresh Rosemary
• Grana Padano with Thyme
• Romano Cheese with Fresh Basil
• Grana Padano with Tarragon

You could also use softer cheeses, like cheddar, just be aware that 1 cup will likely weigh more than 60g (2 oz.). 1 cup cheddar is about 4 oz, for instance. It would be delicious with 2-3 Tablespoons chives.

The possibilities are endless!

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