Scones are some of the most unfairly maligned pastries. I blame the big coffee chains that mass produce hard, dry, and fairly bland excuses for scones nationwide. If they aren’t almost stale in texture, they’re often mysteriously soft, but still bland with almost no butter flavor.
Ideally, scones should be moist with a hint of crumble, sweet but not overly so, and tender. The secret to achieving that texture is to prepare the dough just like you would biscuits. And just like with biscuits, there are some rules it’s best to follow.
Read on to learn how to make scones which, while delicious with coffee, aren’t so dry you’ll feel the need to serve them with a cup of joe to get them down.
Just like with biscuits or pie dough, you want everything as cold as possible for scones. Not just the butter, but also the heavy cream and sour cream. When the butter is cold in the dough as it hits the hot oven the water in the butter turns to steam, creating lift in the dough (i.e. no dense scones). If the butter is too warm, it will melt and integrate into dough too quickly, which can create a cakey rather than flaky texture.
I really do believe your hands are your best tool, but they will heat things up. Adding cold cream and sour cream will help keep everything cool, but do your best to work the butter into the flour mixture quickly with your fingertips (or use a pastry cutter), so that the dough doesn’t get too warm.
A few delicate folds of the dough help create craggy layers, and bring the mixture together, but overdo this step and you’ll start to build gluten which in turn means a tough biscuit. To that end, don’t knead the dough, simply fold it over itself a few times (three at max). Then move on to shaping and slicing.
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling; Prop Stylist: Prissy Lee Montiel
Yes, it’s annoying to slide a baking sheet in your freezer I know. I develop recipes in my one-bedroom apartment before they go to the Southern Living Test Kitchen. That said, getting the scones really cold before going into the hot oven allows the gluten to rest, helps firm up the butter for the best final texture, and I find helps the scone keep a crisp, triangle shape. It’s worth sparing 30 minutes for this step, and you can do most of the cleanup in that downtime.
Now that you're prepared with these great tips for the best scones, try one of these recipes:
