Scones can be pretty simple to bake but they do require a bit of technique to perfect them. Follow this guide for the best scone baking tips including some recommended tools and troubleshooting so your homemade scones shine every time!
What is a Scone?
Scones are a lightly sweetened tea time treat. Originating in the United Kingdom, scones are often served during a cream tea or an afternoon tea service with clotted cream and preserves and, of course, cup of tea. They can be plain, dotted with fruit, spiced or even savoury.
What Makes a Great Scone?
Scones are all about texture. They shouldn’t be cake-like or overly flaky like a biscuit. A great scone should be:
- Tender and slightly crumbly (but not too dry!)
- Tall and golden
- Crispy exterior, soft and airy interior
- Absolutely delicious!!
Recommended Tools for Baking the Best Scones
To make the best scone, there are a few tools I recommend that are outside from the main list of items like baking sheets and bowls.
These are recommended tools, not required tools. Not having any or all of them will not make or break your recipe but they can help, especially if you will be making scones regularly at home.
- Pastry Cutter: A key step to getting the desired scone texture is cutting butter into flour and this is the main purpose of the pastry cutter. If you don’t have a pastry cutter, you can also use a fork.
- Scone or Biscuit Cutter: Traditional scones are tall and round in shape. When you’re not cutting your scones into wedges, a scone cutter (or biscuit cutter) is used to get that desired shape.
- Pastry Brush: Before baking, scones are usually brushed with a egg and/or milk mixture for that golden top. A pastry brush is best for this task.
- Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper: Scones will lift off the baking sheet easily, no tearing or crumbling when using either of these items instead of just greasing a baking sheet. Also, they will help with even baking.
- Kitchen Scale: This item is important if you’re using a scone recipe that uses grams for the measurements. Weighing the ingredients will help ensure accuracy.
Top Scone Baking Tips
You’re not alone if you have ever baked scones that ended up too dry, too flat or too heavy. Here are some tips that I have learned along the way that have helped me a lot when baking scones at home.
1. Check Expiration Dates
Before getting started, grab all of the ingredients needed for the scone recipe and make sure they are still good.
Old or expired ingredients, especially leavening agents like baking powder can lose its potency. This can leave you with flat, dense scones no matter how well you follow the recipe. Fresh ingredients mean better lift, texture and overall flavour.
2. Use Cold Ingredients
Cold butter or even frozen butter is a must when baking scones. But it’s also key to make sure other ingredients are cold or remain cold (ie. milk, eggs or cream).
Cold ingredients prevent the fat from melting too early, which gives you the best scone texture. It can help to chill your mixing bowl prior to using, too.
3. Cut Butter into Flour
Using cold or frozen butter and a pastry cutter or fork, cut the butter right into the flour mixture. This creates small, buttery pockets that steam as they bake, giving your scones a light, tender texture. If you were to simply just mix soft butter into the flour, the scones will be more like break or cake.
4. Handle with Care
Always be gentle when handling the dough. Do not overwork the dough as this can make the finished scones tough and chewy instead of light and tender. The dough should be slightly crumby.
5. Don’t Use Food Processors and Mixers
Do not use a stand mixer/hand mixer or a food processor when baking scones. The best scones are made by hand. This gives you better control over the dough, helping you avoid overmixing and keeping the ingredients cold.
Mixers and food processors often work the dough too much and warm the butter, which can ruin the shape and texture of the scone.
6. Avoid Twisting the Cutter
When cutting scones with a biscuit cutter, be sure to press straight down and lift straight up. Do not twist. Twisting the cutter seals the edges of the dough, which can lead to scones that rise unevenly or end up shorter and denser. Some small air bubbles should be visible along the edges after cutting.
7. Chill Before Baking
After cutting the scones, place them in the fridge or freezer for 10-15 minutes before baking. Chilling the scones before baking will help them hold their height and structure.
8. Brush Tops Only
Before baking, brushing the tops of each scone with an egg and/or milk mixture will give you that signature golden finish. However, it’s important to be careful when doing this step to ensure that the egg or milk is brushed on the top only and not excessive that it will drop along the sides of the scones.
If the wash drips down the sides, it can seal the dough and fill the tiny air pockets that help the scone rise. This prevents the edges from expanding properly in the oven.
Scone Troubleshooting Guide
Why didn’t my scones rise?
If your scones came out flat, there could be a few different reasons. Your baking powder may no longer be active, the butter warm or you may have twisted the cutter when shaping. Both can prevent the scones from lifting properly in the oven.
Always check the freshness of your baking powder (follow this guide here), use cold or even frozen butter and press straight down when cutting for the best rise.
Why are my scones too dry or crumbly?
Dry scones usually mean there wasn’t enough liquid, possibly too much flour or the dough was overmixed. Try adding more milk (just a small amount!) next time and mix just until the dough comes together.
Why is my scone dough too wet or sticky?
Scone dough that is too wet or too sticky is usually because of there being too much liquid and not enough dry ingredients. To fix this, slowly add a bit more flour to the mixture and mix just until the dough comes together.
It is also possible that you overworked the dough causing the butter to get warm and melt so being gentle is key!
Why are my scones lopsided?
This can happen if the oven temperature isn’t hot enough or if the scones are placed too close together on the baking sheet. Make sure your oven is fully preheated and leave enough space for heat to circulate around each scone.
Why are my scones too tough or chewy?
Tough scones are a sign the dough was handled too much. Gentle handling and minimal mixing will help keep your scones light and tender.
Check out these Scone Recipes:
- Classic English Scones
- Lemon Rosemary Scones
- Raspberry White Chocolate Scones
- Cheddar Chive Scones
- Mini Egg Scones
- Wild Blueberry Chocolate Scones
- Pumpkin Scones
- Bruschetta Scones
- ….and so much more here!
Gracias, excelentes comentarios para hornear.