Traditional Cream Scones
A proper scone relies on cold butter and minimal handling to create a light, flaky crumb. You mix the dry ingredients, cut in the butter until it resembles coarse meal, fold in the cream just until combined, and bake at a high heat until they rise tall and golden.
Temperature is your primary tool.
Keep your butter and heavy cream chilled until the very last second. If the butter melts before the scones hit the oven, you lose the layers.
- large mixing bowl
- pastry cutter or two butter knives
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
What goes in.
- 2 1/2 cupsall-purpose flour
- 1/3 cupgranulated sugar
- 1 tbspbaking powder
- 1/2 tspfine sea salt
- 1/2 cupunsalted butter, frozen and cubed
- 3/4 cupcold heavy cream
- 1large egg
- 1 tspvanilla extract
Don't overwork the dough
Stop mixing the moment the dry flour disappears into the cream. A shaggy, uneven dough is exactly what you want; smooth dough yields a tough, bread-like texture.
The method.
Prep the oven
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix dry
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
Cut in butter
Add the frozen butter cubes. Use your pastry cutter to work the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized chunks remaining.
Combine liquids
In a separate small bowl, whisk the cream, egg, and vanilla. Pour this over the dry mixture.
Form the disc
Use a sturdy spatula to fold the mixture just until it barely holds together. Turn it onto a lightly floured surface, gently press it into a 1-inch thick circle, and cut into 8 wedges.
Bake
Place the wedges on your baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are a deep golden brown and the edges feel firm to the touch.
Other turns to take.
Currant Scones
Fold in 1/2 cup of dried currants when you add the cream.
Lemon Zest
Rub the zest of one lemon into the sugar before mixing with the flour to release the oils.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use a bench scraper to move the sticky wedges to the baking sheet so you don't compress the dough with your hands.
If your kitchen is warm, put the flour bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes before adding the butter.
Brush the tops with a little extra heavy cream right before baking for a glossy finish.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my scones spread into flat puddles?
The butter was likely too warm. It must be frozen or very cold so it creates steam pockets when it hits the hot oven, pushing the dough up rather than out.
Can I use milk instead of cream?
You can, but the scones will be noticeably less tender. Cream provides the fat necessary for a rich, crumbly texture.
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