Easy Buttermilk Scones
Tall, flaky and ready in half an hour, no mixer needed.
Good scones come down to cold butter and a gentle hand, not skill. Rub cold butter into the flour, bring it together with just enough buttermilk, and don't twist the cutter. That's the whole trick to getting them tall and flaky for jam and cream.
👩🍳 Method
-
1
Heat the oven to 210°C / 410°F and line a tray with baking paper. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a big bowl.
-
2
Add the cold butter cubes and rub them into the flour with your fingertips. Stop when it looks like rough breadcrumbs with a few pea-sized bits left. Those bits make the flaky layers.
-
3
Pour in most of the cold buttermilk and stir with a knife until it just comes together into a rough, shaggy dough. Add the last bit only if it looks dry. You want it barely holding together.
-
4
Tip it onto a floured surface. Pat it (don't roll) into a slab about 3 cm thick, fold it over on itself once or twice, then pat back to 3 cm. This builds the layers.
-
5
Cut out rounds with a floured cutter, pressing straight down. Don't twist, or the edges seal and they won't rise. Gently press the scraps together and cut the rest.
-
6
Put them on the tray, brush the tops (not the sides) with beaten egg, and bake for 13 to 16 minutes until risen and golden. Let cool a little, then split while still warm.
💡 Baker's tips
- Keep everything cold. Warm butter melts into the dough and you lose the flake. Some bakers freeze the butter and grate it in.
- Brushing only the tops with egg keeps the sides free to rise into tall, straight layers.
🔀 Make it your own
- Fold in 75 g of sultanas or dried cranberries with the buttermilk.
- Go savoury: drop the sugar to 1 tablespoon and add 60 g grated cheese and a pinch of mustard powder.
📦 Storing & freezing
Best the day they're made. Refresh day-old scones in a warm oven for 5 minutes, or freeze and reheat from frozen.
❓ Frequently asked
No buttermilk?
Stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into ¾ cup (180 g) of milk and let it sit for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
Why didn't my scones rise?
Usually warm butter, over-worked dough, or twisting the cutter. Keep the butter cold, handle the dough as little as possible, and press the cutter straight down.
Baking in a different unit? Use the cups ↔ grams converter or the recipe scaler to halve or double this recipe.
More to bake
Muffins & Scones
Bakery-Style Blueberry Muffins
Tall domed tops, tender crumb, bursting with fruit.
Cookies
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Deeply toffee-ish, crisp at the edge, chewy in the middle.
Brownies & Bars
One-Bowl Fudgy Cocoa Brownies
Dense, glossy-topped and made with cocoa, no melting chocolate.