Bacon Cheddar Scone Bites

Cold butter and buttermilk are essential for flaky texture. Don't overwork the dough - lumps of butter are good. Freeze cubed butter for 10 minutes before using if your kitchen is warm. Extra-sharp cheddar provides the best flavor. Serve with honey butter for sweet-savory contrast.

Scones originated in Scotland and were first documented in English by early 16th-century Scottish sources; they were originally made from unleavened oat dough baked on a griddle. The word likely comes from the Dutch schoonbrood (fine bread) or from the town of Scone in Scotland. With the development of chemical leavening (baking soda became commercially available in the 1840s and baking powder in the 1850s), scones evolved from unleavened griddle breads to the light, tender leavened baked goods served at British afternoon tea. The British teatime scone tradition was formalized from the 1840s onward following the Duchess of Bedford's establishment of afternoon tea as a social institution. Savory scones — incorporating cheese, herbs, or cured meat — developed as a variation on the sweet standard, appearing in British and Irish baking from the late 19th century onward. The bacon and cheddar combination reflects a particularly Anglo-American flavor preference: English dry-cured back bacon and aged cheddar (which takes its name from Cheddar in Somerset, where it has been produced since at least the 12th century) are both foundational British products. The American brunch culture that adopted savory scones from the 1990s onward drew from both British baking tradition and the American love of combining pork and dairy in breakfast preparations.