Ginger Scones

Accurately described by Zingerman’s Bakehouse as “remarkably tender and delicate,” these delicious Ginger Scones are a wonderful addition to any breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea.

I should’ve known that these scones would be so darn good.

Truthfully the thought of ginger scones isn’t the kind of recipe that usually strikes my fancy, but my friend raved about them and said they were one of Zingerman’s most popular items.

After tasting one fresh from the bakehouse, all I can say is that they’re further proof that Zingerman’s Bakehouse does everything right. Wow.

Thanks to a particularly high ratio of butter and cream, and a mixing method that makes a “short dough,” these are some of the most tender and light scones I’ve ever had. 

The best part? No chilling time required, and they’re so easy to make.

If you’re not familiar with Zingerman’s, it’s a bakehouse, deli, and specialty food store located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Despite the fact that I grew up nowhere near Ann Arbor, I’ve been eating their food all my life. Every Christmas my dad would mail-order a selection of their breads and baked goods, and we still order them for each other during the holidays.

Some of the recipes on this blog, like Asiago Black Pepper Bread, are inspired by my childhood memories of some of their most popular loaves.

A few months back I discovered that they published a cookbook titled Zingerman’s Bakehouse (affiliate), and I was delighted to see that these scones are one of the included recipes. The ginger flavor comes from two places, but it’s well balanced.

Let’s dig into the step-by-step!

Step by Step Overview:

For the dry ingredients, combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and ground ginger in a large bowl:

I used all-purpose flour and had great results, but Zingerman’s original recipe calls for pastry flour. Use that if you have it, but because most people don’t have it on hand (myself included), I didn’t use it.

Whisk those ingredients until blended, then work cold, cubed butter into the dry ingredients, squishing the cold butter cubes with your fingertips (or you may use a pastry blender or pastry cutter):

Once the butter cubes have broken down into large pea-sized pieces, add crystalized ginger to the mix:

You can also do candied orange peel, candied lemon peel, or currants, if you want to try some other flavor combinations!

Toss that through to evenly distribute, then make a well in the center and add heavy cream.

Use a fork to push the dry ingredients from the sides into the well:

Continue using the fork to gently combine the dry ingredients and heavy whipping cream, until you get a shaggy mess, like this:

Knead the dough gently by hand about 6-8 times, making sure not to overdo it. You can do this either on a lightly floured surface or in the bowl.

Note that it should be a cohesive dough, but still somewhat loose.

Split the dough in half, and roll each half into a ball.

The ball doesn’t need to be perfect, and remember that any additional kneading you do will make the scones tougher.

Roll the dough 7″ in diameter, then cut into 6 pieces using a sharp knife. I like to do pie-shaped wedges, though you can cut whatever shape you prefer.

By the way, since I get asked all the time, this is the baking mat pictured above (affiliate) that has the diameter measurements labeled. It’s really helpful whenever I bake!

Repeat with the remaining dough, then place all the scone triangles on a parchment paper-lined half sheet pan. Though parchment is preferred, you can make a prepared baking sheet by greasing with butter or using a silicone mat.

Beat one egg and one tablespoon of water in a small bowl, then brush the tops with the egg wash:

This will give the tops of the scones a gorgeous golden sheen when they come out of the oven.

Bake in a 400F preheated oven for 18 minutes.

When they are done, they should be a deep golden brown on the bottom too.

They’re now ready to be enjoyed, either warm out of the oven, or at room temperature.

If you want an even fluffier and softer scone, try my popular English Style Scones. They are my favorite of all my scone recipes on this site.

I also have savory Bacon Cheddar Scallion Scones, Cheddar Chive Scones, and sweet Maple Scones.

Enjoy!

More Breakfast Baked Goods:

• Blueberry Buckle
• Banana Bread
• Pumpkin Muffins

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