As the weather begins to get colder most of us will be dreaming of our favourite cosy recipes including scones which are incredibly easy to make as long as you use the proper ingredients. It might be common to use milk to make dough, but Jessica Holmes, a baker and creator of the Sweetest Menu, says you get much better scones if you use buttermilk instead.
She said: “I tested this recipe multiple times including use regular milk instead of buttermilk. The scones still work! But there’s no denying that buttermilk ensures they rise even more and have a tender texture that lasts longer.” Buttermilk is an acidic substance, which means it will react if mixed with baking powder which helps the scones riser a lot taller in the oven.
It also helps improve the texture of the dough, so you will make a softener and flakier crumb as well as much fluffier scones.
Scones are very simple to bake from scratch so while you can use milk, they will be a lot tastier and look a lot more professional if you use buttermilk.
If you cannot get a hold of buttermilk then do not worry, as you can make your own substitute by simply mixing together some milk and lemon juice.
How to make much tastier homemade scones
Ingredients
- 480g of plain flour
- 20g of baking powder
- 80g of caster sugar
- 130g of unsalted butter (cubed)
- 300ml of buttermilk
- One large egg
- Half a teaspoon of salt
Make sure the buttermilk, butter and egg are taken straight from the fridge so they are cold when using them.
You will also need to make a egg wash to brush over the scones. You can either mix another egg until it is beaten or use any leftover buttermilk.
Instructions
To begin, line a tray with baking paper. Then place the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Give it a mix so all the dry ingredients are incorporated, then add the cold butter.
Squish the butter into the mixture using your fingers or a pasty cutter until the mixture has turned into crumbs and had no lumps.
In a different bowl, add the egg and buttermilk. Then, whisk together with a fork until you have a foamy liquid.
Carefully pour the buttermilk mixture onto the breadcrumb mixture and then stir until you have a dough.
Sprinkle some flour on a clean work surface and then turn out the dough. Use your hands to shape the dough into a round disc, and then cut it into four quarters.
Stack the four pieces on top of each other, then use the palm of your hand to gently press down on the dough until it is around three centimetres thick.
Use a round six-centimetre cookie cutter to cut out the scones. You should get at least eight scones, but you can press the remains together to get some extra ones.
Place the scones on the prepared tray and make sure they are not touching or squashed together. Then place in the fridge and let them chill for 30 minutes.
Once the time is up, preheat the oven to 220C (standard) or 200C (fan). Brush the eggs with a beaten egg or leftover buttermilk, and it is time for them to go in the oven.
Cook the scones for 15 minutes or until the top of them are golden brown, Your tasty and extremely fluffy scones will be ready to eat once they have cooled down.
