When it comes to British treats, you can’t beat a classic scone. Served with a generous helping of jam and cream, it’s the kind of indulgence that’s worth breaking a diet for.
Scones are a staple item on any afternoon tea menu, but you don’t have to take yourself out to a fancy cafe to enjoy the sweet treat as they’re so easy to whip up at home. Even if you’re not very well versed in baking, scones only require a few ingredients to be mixed together in one bowl, so it’s hard to go too far wrong. But there are two very important steps to follow when making scones to ensure a tall, even rise and an airy, light texture every single time.
The first important step is to ensure your butter is frozen before adding it to your mixture, as this prevents it from melting before your scones go into the oven.
Experts recommend grating frozen butter into the flour and as this melts, it releases steam and creates those desired air pockets for an airy, fluffy texture, and it also contributes to a richer flavour.
Sally’s Baking explains: “Keeping scone dough as cold as possible prevents over-spreading. When scones over-spread in the oven, they lose the flaky, moist, and deliciously crumbly texture. In other words, they’re ruined. But the easiest way to avoid disaster is to use cold ingredients like cold heavy cream, egg, and butter. But frozen grated butter is the real key to success.
“Like with pie crust, work the cold butter into the dry ingredients to create crumbs. The butter/flour crumbs melt as the scones bake, releasing steam and creating air pockets. These pockets create a flaky center while keeping the edges crumbly and crisp.
“Refrigerated butter might melt in the dough as you work with it, but frozen butter will hold out until the oven. And the finer the pieces of cold butter, the less the scones spread and the quicker the butter mixes into the dry ingredients.”
The second important step to ensure an even rise in the oven is to avoid twisting your cutter as you cut out your scones. If you twist your cutter this can seal the edges of the dough and prevent it from expanding, which can then result in an uneven bake, whereas an even cut allows the dough to rise and expand freely, giving you bigger and taller scones.
Home Bake Academy says: “When cutting out your scones with a round cutter, dip the cutter in flour each time before pressing it into the dough. This helps prevent sticking and gives you cleaner edges.
“Make sure you press the cutter straight down and lift it straight up, don’t twist it. Twisting the cutter seals the edges of the dough, which can stop the scones from rising evenly. For tall, even scones, it’s all about that clean cut.”