low fodmap gluten free cheddar scones

i'm not sure about the difference between biscuits and scones, but i'm so happy with the way these turned out, you can call them whatever you want. my first attempt at making wheat free scones with sorghum and rice flours produced unrisen hockey pucks. a part of me died that day. i thought i would never try making scones again.

but, after my unexpected success with these amazing buckwheat pancakes, i decided to try the same flour mix for scones. my scone-loving heart is still singing. equal parts brown rice, oat and buckwheat flours is my personal magic formula for the best whole wheat flour replacement i've tried so far. you can just do 2 parts brown rice flour with 1 part oat flour, for a lighter, milder tasting flour that works well for more delicate cakes and baked goods, but i just like the darkness and flavour of buckwheat.

these have a beautiful rise, a nutty, slightly earthy flavour from the buckwheat, which I love, a crisp crust and a tender, layered crumb. brush the tops with your favourite glaze before baking. i used a mix of melted butter and a fat pinch of smoked paprika because i wanted them to look like george hamilton... and smell like bacon. oink.

makes 10 two-inch round scones (biscuits??)

dry

100 g (3 1/2 oz) brown rice flour
100 g (3 1/2 oz) buckwheat flour
100 g (3 1/2 oz) oat flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar (powdered tartaric acid, not dairy cream)
1 teaspoon baking soda
big pinch salt

80 g (2 3/4 oz) very cold firm butter, cubed
60 g (2 oz) grated sharp cheddar
200 ml (6 3/4 fl oz) ice cold water

your favourite glaze

• combine all dry ingredients and sift twice
• add butter and use a pastry blender to cut butter into flour mix
• stop when butter is still visible in flour coated fine gravel sized bits and pieces throughout the flour
• lightly stir in grated cheddar and freeze mixture (in the bowl) for 10 minutes
• remove bowl from freezer and pour in all the water
• stir water and flour mix together with a fork until a shaggy dough forms
• lightly push and form into a dough, without kneading
• pat to a thickness of 2 1/5 cm (1 inch) and use a 2 inch round cutter to cut out rounds
• place rounds on a lined baking sheet and freeze scones and sheet for 15 minutes
• preheat oven at 210 c (410 f) while scones freeze
• remove sheet from freezer and place into oven
• bake for 8 minutes then lower temperature to 185 c (365 f) 
• bake another 10 minutes then remove from oven
• cool on a rack until warm
• split open and serve with butter

notes

• i did not use cup measurements for this recipe as scones/biscuits are deceptively difficult to do right and require precise measurements and ratios
• a little too much or too little liquid or flour and you will have hockey pucks or misshapen lumps of crumbling dough
• stick to weight rather than volume measurements for best results