Pizza scones with dipping sauce

Pizza scones are an easy-to-eat and flavorful breakfast, lunch or snack.

These flaky buttermilk scones taste like pizza, right down to the gooey cheese. They are a welcome addition to the lunch box or fun to dip in tomato sauce after school. Pizza scones also freeze beautifully, so you can make them ahead of time and bake off individual servings as needed.

Pizza scones

Makes 8 regular scones or 16 mini scones

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 stick butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
• 3/4 cup buttermilk, plus 1/4 cup for brushing
• 8 ounces grated mozzarella cheese (about 2-1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped pepperoni (optional)
• Tomato dipping sauce for serving, recipe below

Directions:

1. To the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and oregano and pulse to combine. Add the chilled butter pieces and pulse until the pieces average the size of peas. Pour in the buttermilk and pulse until the dough just starts to come together. Add the cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and pepperoni (if using) and pulse five times to incorporate.
2. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead for just a minute to bring it all together. Form the dough into a flat disc (or two discs for mini scones) and cover in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap from the disc(s) and cut into eight wedges. Move to a baking sheet, spacing at least 2 inches apart. (At this point you can freeze the uncooked scones for future baking.)
4. Add the buttermilk to a small bowl and use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the scones lightly with buttermilk. Move the scones to the preheated oven and bake until the tops just start to turn golden, 15 to 17 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature with the tomato dipping sauce.

Tomato dipping sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

Directions:

1. Coat the bottom of a large saucepan over medium heat with the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and cook for about five minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and cook until reduced by a third, about 15 minutes. Serve slightly chunky, or process in a blender or food processor until smooth.

More pizza-inspired recipes

Healthy nibbles: Quinoa pizza bites
White pizza grilled cheese
Stuffed portobello mushroom pizzas