Big Fluffy Scones

What are scones?

A scone is simply a baked good that is either sweet or savory, made from flour (wheat or oat), butter, baking powder (or soda), and milk. These tasty delights originated in Cornwall, England. But are enjoyed in my home country of South Africa, and are popular here in New Zealand, and Australia.

This is my South African scone recipe that is pretty much a British or English scone recipe.

British Scones vs American Scones

British scones, which are the same types of scones traditionally enjoyed in South Africa and New Zealand, are generally very simple, contain very few ingredients, and are served with cream and jam.

In South Africa, if you order a scone at a coffee shop or restaurant, the scones may be served with butter, jam, cream, and cheese. And, I won't lie, I love the combo of sweet jam with savory cheese. Sweet and salty = yum in my book.

Savory scones are also fairly popular in South Africa, and here in New Zealand. And I really do love a savory scone - which is why I have cheese scones, cheese, and onion scones, as well as cheese and chives scone recipes as well!

American scones are designed to be enjoyed by themselves as a self-contained snack and are usually triangular in shape. They are sweeter and commonly contain additions such as spices, fruits, nuts, and chocolate chips, and sometimes contain a sugary top or icing glaze once the scone has baked.

Update Notes

What I wanted in my updated classic scone recipe:

• A foolproof big fluffy scones recipe for the masses that would work in any house.
• Being able to easily jump between metric and cup measurements - making this recipe and these delicious scones more accessible for you, my readers.
• Added moisture.
• To decrease the baking powder so that there could be a simple switch between plain flour and self-raising or self-rising flour. This decrease in baking powder also improves the flavor of the scones overall, IMO.
• I wanted this recipe to result in a big, tall, light, soft, and fluffy scone.
• To be a completely eggless scone - use milk to brush the tops of the scones to create that delicious brown top.

I forged ahead, made a few adjustments and I made the best scone I have ever had in my entire life. Like we were blown away.

Why This Recipe Works

• It's simple, it's easy and it results in a big fluffy scone.
• You can easily swap between plain and self-rising flour.
• I used milk to brush the tops of my scones, because who can waste eggs in this economy, so this scone is completely eggless.

Ingredients

Flour - plain, standard grade, or all-purpose wheat flour. I have on occasion used bread flour in a pinch, being extra careful to not work the dough too much.

Make sure your baking powder is fresh (especially if you haven't bought some in a while) by placing a ½ teaspoon into a cup or bowl. Pour about a ¼ cup of boiling water over the baking powder. If it foams and bubbles it is still fresh.

Self-rising or self-raising flour substitute - to make these scones with self-rising or self-raising flour, simply substitute the plain flour with self-rising and leave out the baking powder.

Salt is a crucial ingredient in all baked goods. I use table salt in all my recipes. One teaspoon of table salt equals 1.5 teaspoons of Morton Kosher Salt equals 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal.

Butter - cold, but not hard, and cut into small squares about 1.5cm x 1.5cm. Smaller cubes allow for the butter to be worked into the flour a little bit more quickly. Butter adds flavor, softness, and moisture and acts as a leavening agent in these scones. I use New Zealand butter in my recipes, which has approximately 82% butterfat and can be very yellow (similar to European or Irish butter). Butter cannot be substituted with butter or margarine spreads, but it can be substituted with baking margarine.

Icing sugar is used to add the lightest touch of sweetness with the starch stabilizer of the icing sugar adding a lightness to the scone dough overall. Icing sugar can be substituted with caster or plain sugar.

Milk - whole (standard) or low-fat (trim) milk varieties will work just fine.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F. Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside.

Step 2 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, icing sugar, and salt. This makes sure everything is evenly distributed throughout the flour.

Step 3 - Cut the butter into a small square and toss it into the flour. Rub the butter into the flour using your fingers. This basically constitutes squeezing the butter in the flour between your thumb and forefinger. Do this until there are only pea-sized pieces of butter left.

Step 4 - Pour the milk into the flour mixture and mix through with a fork. Do not overwork or overmix the scone dough. The scone dough will be sticky and wet.

Step 5 - Flour the kitchen counter quite liberally. Place the dough onto the flour and then sprinkle more flour over the top of the dough. Pat the dough together into a rough square or triangle.

Step 6 - Using a bench scraper or knife and spatula. Cut the dough into 3, lift the two outer edges, and place them in the middle. Press the dough down until about 3cm tall. Repeat this step 2 more times, adding more flour to the counter and top of the scone dough if required.

Step 7 - Press the dough down or roll it out using a rolling pin until it is about 2cm tall. Then cut out the scones using a cookie cutter (7cm/3"). Place the scones on the baking tray.

Step 8 - Bring together the leftover dough. I like to squash it together, and then I take my bench scraper, cut it in half, place one half on top of the other and press down until it is 2cm tall. Cut out additional scones and repeat if necessary.

NOTE - I use a round cookie cutter that is 7cm in diameter (about 3"). Press down the cookie cutter through the dough and do not twist the dough. For smaller scones about an inch in diameter, only bake for 10 to 15 minutes.

NOTE - for a nice even rise in the scone, the dough must be fairly even. If one side is shorter than the other, it will rise into an uneven scone. This will still be delicious.

Step 9 - Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the scones with milk. Try to avoid the milk dripping down the sides. Bake for 20 minutes.

Step 10 - Allow the scones to cool for a few minutes before serving them with whipped or clotted cream, jam, butter, and some grated cheese.

Pro Tips for this Recipe

Cold ingredients for scones are a must. The butter should be cold (but not hard), as well as the milk.

Rubbing in the butter is an important step. As the butter is rubbed into the flour, it coats the flour, which inhibits gluten formation, keeping the scones tender. The chunks of butter that are not completely rubbed in (the pea-sized pieces of butter) will also release steam when baked, leading to those soft, flakey, tender layers in the scone.

BUT - if your butter is a bit warmer than cold, and you have a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment on a low speed to rub the butter in.

Handle the scone dough as little as possible.

Make sure the oven is properly preheated before baking the scones.

Ovens and Air-Fryers

The temperatures stated are for conventional ovens. For convection, fan-forced, fan-assisted, or air-fryers, the temperature must be reduced by 20°C/25°F, or the gas mark by 1.

For baking, a general rule is to have the oven rack in the middle of the oven.

For best baking results invest in an oven thermometer, as the temperature dials on the oven may not be accurate. Place the thermometer in the middle of the center rack for the most accurate results. I hang my oven thermometer off the center of my oven rack.

Keep in mind that all ovens work slightly differently and bake times may need to be adjusted slightly for your specific oven.

Storage and Freezing

Store the baked scones in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To heat up the scones, simply pop them into the microwave for 10-20 seconds.

Scone dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Store the cutout scones between layers of baking paper. Allow the scones to come to room temperature while the oven preheats, they don't need to be fully defrosted.

Baked scones can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow the scones to defrost before serving. Scones can be heated in the microwave before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions