durham scones

Nevermind the fact that your house (or apartment) smells awesome or that you get a plethora of delicious treats in the end. I love making bread while studying. Why? There's little prep work, little effort required (if you have a mixer) and there's a lot of downtime. Fermentation, proofing, baking - they all point towards time to study. So even though I'm busy studying for my 5 4 finals within the next 7 days, I'm still able to produce tasty food.

This scone recipe is from my friend Glen. I've been trying to get my hands on it for the longest time and I guess he finally decided that I was worthy enough. It's quite an honor to receive a family recipe like this - it's like being inducted into their family or something. These aren't the triangular scones you may be used to from Starbucks. Soft and chewy, they're more like a sweeter and richer version of an English muffin.

You can pair these with pretty much anything - jam, butter, honey, fried egg, sausage - they're all great accompaniments. I've been eating them all last week and they hold pretty well for a few days in an air-tight container.

Durham Scones
Adapted from Glen's Family Recipe, Makes About 16 Small Scones

Ingredients:
- 1 package of yeast (or 2.25 teaspoons of yeast)
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter, cooled
- 4.5 cups AP flour
- 1/4 cup warm water + 3/4 cup warm water

1) Activate the yeast by mixing it with 1/4 cup of warm water. Leave it alone for 10 minutes or so until it bubbles and activates.
2) In a mixer or mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, salt and butter until incorporated.
3) Add the yeast + water mixture to the mixing bowl and mix again to incorporate.
4) Add flour and mix until thoroughly combined. The mixture will be somewhat sticky. Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and let it double in size. It'll take about 1 - 2 hours.

5) After the dough's doubled in size, punch it down and shape the scones. I used an ice cream scoop to get even portions and because the mixture is sticky. You can use wet hands or spoons to shape also.
6) In a dry non-stick pan over medium-low/medium heat, cook the scones until golden brown on both sides. About 1.5 - 2 minutes per side. If the scones aren't being cooked throughout, try putting a lid on top to trap the heat (see picture below). Also, if the scones are getting browned too quickly, lower the heat. I suggest making a test scone in the beginning to make any temperature adjustments.

7) Serve warm (room temp is okay too!) with your favorite condiment/accompaniments.