Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Dry Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Sift the flour into a large bowl, add salt and powdered fennel and mix to combine. Add the butter, cut into small cubes, and gently rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Fold in the fennel seeds.

Step 2: Make the Dough
Whisk the egg with 2 tablespoons of buttermilk. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and pour in the egg mixture. Using a round-bladed knife, gradually mix the liquid into the dry ingredients. Once a dough begins to form, bring it together with your hands. Don’t over-handle. The dough should be soft but not sticky—add extra buttermilk, a little at a time, if needed. Shape the dough into a rough ball and gently roll it into a round.

Step 3: Cut Out the Scones
Lightly flour a clean work surface and a rolling pin. Roll out the dough to a thickness of at least one inch. Dip a cutter in flour and cut out the scones by pressing straight down—avoid twisting the cutter. Carefully lift the scones and ease them out of the cutter. Gather the trimmings, re-roll the dough to the same thickness, and cut out.

Step 4: Bake the Scones
Dust a large baking tray with flour and arrange the scones on it, spacing them slightly apart. Lightly brush the tops with buttermilk and sprinkle with a little flour. Bake on the top shelf of the oven for 10–12 minutes, or until the scones are well-risen and golden brown.

Step 5. Make the filling and assemble
Melt the butter and sauté the sliced fennel bulb. Set aside. Dice the celeriac bulb and cook in salted boiling water until soft. Blend with the cream cheese and the butter left over from sautéeing the fennel until smooth. Assemble the scones with a layer of celeriac purée, topped with a layer of sautéed fennel and a fold of smoked salmon.