Discover ways to make good scones! My recipe is straightforward to customise along with your favourite add-ins, and it yields buttery, flaky, flavorful scones each time.
The most effective scones are buttery, flaky, and moist inside. They’re crisp and crumbly across the edges, good for pairing with a cup of espresso or tea.
Scones can get a foul rap for being bland or dry (my husband Jack swore he didn’t like them for years), however once they’re ready nicely, they shouldn’t be both of these issues.
I’m sharing my favourite scone recipe beneath. It’s simple to make with 10 primary substances, and you may customise it along with your favourite candy or savory mix-ins. Regardless of which of them you decide, it yields tender, flavorful, bakery-worthy scones each time.
If you happen to’re on the fence about scones, I feel this recipe will win you over. Even Jack will let you know that it’s scrumptious for breakfast or brunch!
What are scones?
Much like biscuits, scones are evenly candy baked items enriched with butter and/or cream and leavened with baking powder. Right here within the US, we frequently load them up with glazes and mix-ins like fruit and chocolate chips. In Britain, scones are usually easier, usually made with out mix-ins and left unglazed. Famously served as a part of excessive tea, British scones are the proper automobile for toppings like jam and clotted cream.
This recipe is for American scones. Although you possibly can make it with out mix-ins for extra of a British vibe, I feel they’re half the enjoyable right here. I’m sharing a few of my favourite taste variations afterward on this put up!
Fundamental Scone Recipe Elements
This primary scones recipe begins with 10 easy substances:
- Combine-ins of your alternative – You will discover a few of my favourite taste variations beneath. Choices embody lemon blueberry, cranberry orange, chocolate chip, and even cheddar herb!
- All-purpose flour – It creates the bottom of the dough. Spoon and degree it to keep away from packing an excessive amount of into your measuring cup.
- Cane sugar – It makes these scones evenly candy. I add sugar to the dough whether or not I’m making candy scones or savory ones. If I’m going the candy route, I additionally sprinkle coarse sugar on prime for sparkle and crunch.
- Baking powder – It helps the scones puff up as they bake.
- Unsalted butter – For richness and buttery taste. I freeze the butter for 1 hour, then grate it earlier than working it into the scone dough.
- Buttermilk – It provides extra richness and moisture to the dough. If you happen to don’t hold buttermilk readily available, discover options within the callout beneath!
- An egg – It makes these scones tender and light-weight.
- Vanilla – After I make candy scones, I all the time add a splash of vanilla for heat depth of taste. After I make savory ones, I skip it.
- And sea salt – To make all of the flavors pop!
Discover the whole recipe with measurements beneath.
Buttermilk Options
I like utilizing buttermilk in scones. It provides wealthy, tangy taste along with moisture, and its acidity helps the scones rise.
However when you don’t hold it readily available, that’s okay! Listed here are a couple of options:
- Heavy cream
- Full-fat coconut milk
- A scant 1/2 cup milk combined with 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice. Set the combination apart for five minutes to thicken earlier than including it to the dough.
Easy methods to Make Scones
Making scones from scratch may sound difficult, however I promise, this recipe is basically easy! Right here’s the way it goes:
Begin by making the scone dough. In a big bowl, whisk collectively the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Grate the frozen butter on the massive holes of a field grater, then use your fingers to work the butter shreds into the flour till the combination resembles a rough meal.
Do I want to make use of frozen grated butter?
I like to recommend it! I just like the frozen grated butter technique for 2 causes:
- It ensures that the butter is chilly, which is crucial for making flaky scones! Baked items like scones, biscuits, and pie crust grow to be flaky when small items of butter within the dough soften within the oven. They don’t prove as flaky if the butter melts earlier than that, while you’re dealing with the dough.
- It doesn’t require loads of dealing with. You need to depart some chunks of butter within the dough—these are what make the scones flaky! Grated butter items are already pretty small, so that you don’t want to interrupt them up a lot when you add them. You’ll be able to rapidly and simply work them into the flour.
That stated, when you desire to not use this technique, you don’t should! It’s also possible to work cubed chilly butter into the flour combination utilizing your fingers or a pastry cutter. An alternative choice is to chop the butter into the flour utilizing a meals processor.
After you add the butter, add your required mix-ins and toss to coat within the flour.
In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the remaining moist substances. Pour them into the flour combination.
Combine with a spatula till a shaggy dough varieties. Then, swap to your fingers and knead to include any remaining dry flour. Watch out to not overwork the dough to keep away from melting the butter.
- Tip: The combo-ins you utilize and the humidity in your kitchen can have an effect on the feel of your scone dough. It must be comfortable, however not sticky. Don’t hesitate to work in a bit additional flour if it feels too sticky or so as to add extra liquid if it feels too dry.
Subsequent, form the scones. On a evenly floured floor, flatten the dough right into a 1-inch-thick disk. Slice it into 8 equal wedges.
To maintain the butter chilly, freeze the scones for quarter-hour whilst you preheat the oven to 400°F. Then, brush the tops of the scones with buttermilk and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.
Bake till golden brown, 18 to 27 minutes. That’s it!
Scone Taste Variations
This scone recipe is a unbelievable template for almost any taste of scone! Have enjoyable experimenting with totally different add-ins.
Listed here are a couple of of my favourite variations:
- Lemon blueberry – A zesty twist on my blueberry scones! Use 1 1/2 cups blueberries because the mix-ins. Whisk 1 tablespoon lemon zest into the moist substances. Drizzle the cooled scones with my simple lemon glaze.
- Chocolate chip – Use 1/2 cup chocolate chips because the mix-ins. Add a pinch of nutmeg to the dry substances.
- Currant or raisin – Use 1/2 cup dried raisins or currants because the mix-ins. Add a pinch of cinnamon to the dry substances.
- Cranberry orange – Use 1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries because the mix-ins. Whisk 1 tablespoon orange zest into the moist substances.
- Cheddar herb – Omit the vanilla extract. Use 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup chopped recent chives because the mix-ins.
Let me know what variations you strive!
Finest Scone Recipe Ideas
- Modify the liquid based mostly in your mix-ins. Juicy mix-ins like raspberries and diced strawberries will launch moisture into the scone dough. In that case, you’ll doubtless want much less buttermilk. Begin by including simply 1/3 cup (as an alternative of 1/2) and progressively add extra as wanted to assist the dough come collectively.
- You gained’t use the identical quantity of each mix-in. rule of thumb is 1/2 cup for dried fruit and chocolate chips and 1 to 1 1/2 cups for recent fruit. And when you’re making savory herb scones, you possibly can use as little as 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary, sage, or thyme!
Easy methods to Freeze Scones
As soon as baked, scones hold nicely in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as 2 days.
It’s also possible to freeze them. Seal baked scones in an hermetic container or bag, and retailer them within the freezer for as much as 3 months. Let thaw at room temperature, or rapidly defrost within the microwave.
An alternative choice is to freeze the scones earlier than baking. Freeze them for 1 hour on a plate or baking sheet. Then, retailer them in an hermetic container or bag within the freezer for as much as 3 months. Bake them straight from frozen, including a minute or two to the baking time if wanted.
With scone dough within the freezer, you possibly can deal with your self to a freshly baked scone anytime you want!
Simple Scones Recipe
Serves 8
We love these buttery, flaky scones for breakfast or brunch! This simple recipe works nicely with a wide range of add-ins like blueberries, dried fruit, and chocolate chips. Discover a few of my favourite taste variations within the weblog put up above.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¼ cup cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 stick, frozen for a minimum of 1 hour
- ½ to 1½ cups mix-ins*, resembling berries, dried fruit, or chocolate chips, elective
- ½ cup chilly buttermilk*, or heavy cream, plus extra for brushing
- 1 massive egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, elective
- Coarse sugar, for sprinkling
Stop your display screen from going darkish
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Line a big baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a big bowl, whisk collectively the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
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On the massive holes of a field grater, grate the frozen butter. Add to the flour combination and toss to coat. Use your fingers to work the butter into the flour till the combination resembles a rough meal. Add desired mix-ins and toss to include.
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In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla, if utilizing. Pour over the flour combination and use a spatula to combine till a shaggy dough varieties. Knead along with your fingers to include any remaining dry flour. The dough ought to really feel comfortable however not sticky. If it’s sticky, work in a bit extra flour. If it’s dry, drizzle in a bit extra buttermilk. Type the dough right into a ball.
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Switch the dough ball to a evenly floured floor and type it right into a 7- to 8-inch disk about 1 inch thick. Slice into 8 equal wedges and switch to the ready baking sheet, leaving a bit house round every scone.
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Freeze the scones for quarter-hour. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400°F.
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Take away the scones from the freezer and brush with buttermilk. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if utilizing. Bake for 18 to 27 minutes, or till golden brown on prime.
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Switch to a wire rack to chill.
*Word: Combine-ins resembling recent raspberries or diced recent strawberries will add moisture to the scone dough. If utilizing these, begin by including simply ⅓ cup buttermilk to the dough. Add extra as wanted, 1 tablespoon at a time, till the dough comes collectively. You’ll doubtless want lower than ½ cup whole as a result of additional moisture from the fruit.
