Ultimate scones

Ultimate scones

Learn the secret of making perfect scones every time, with Angela Nilsen's ultimate recipe

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 5 - 6

Easily doubled

Preparation and cooking times

Total time

Takes 25-35 minutes

Freezable

Freeze only after baking

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7/fan 200C and lightly butter a baking sheet (unless you're using a non-stick sheet). Tip the flour into a mixing bowl with the salt. Shoot in the butter, then rub together with your fingers to make a reasonably fine crumbed mixture, lifting to aerate the mixture as you go. Try not to overrub, as the mixture will be lighter if it's a little bit flaky. Now stir in the sugar.
  2. Measure the buttermilk, then mix in the milk to slacken it. Make a bit of a well in the middle of the flour mixture with a round-bladed knife, then pour in most of this buttermilk mixture, holding a little bit back in case it's not needed. Using the knife, gently work the mixture together until it forms a soft, almost sticky, dough. Work in any loose dry bits of mixture with the rest of the buttermilk. Don't overwork at this point or you will toughen the dough.
  3. Lift the ball of soft dough out of the bowl and put it on to a very lightly floured surface. Knead the mixture just 3-4 times to get rid of the cracks.
  4. Pat the dough gently with your hands to a thickness of no less than 2cm and no more than 2.5cm. Dip a 5.5cm round fluted cutter into a bowl of flour - this helps to stop the dough sticking to it, then cut out the scones by pushing down quickly and firmly on the cutter with the palm of your hand - don't twist it.You will hear the dough give a big sigh as the cutter goes in. Gather the trimmings lightly then pat and cut out a couple more scones.
  5. Place on the baking sheet and sift over a light dusting of flour or glaze if you wish. Bake for 10-12 minutes until risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack, uncovered if you prefer crisp tops, or covered loosely with a cloth for soft ones.
  6. Serve with strawberry jam and a generous mound of clotted cream (Cornish people put cream first, then jam, Devonians the other way round). Eat them as fresh as you can.

Per scone (without the trimmings)

262 kcalories, protein 5g, carbohydrate 42g, fat 9 g, saturated fat 6g, fibre 1g, sugar 5g, salt 0.9 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, March 2003.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 1-20

  • Binder photo Nennepus

    2008-02-10 09:33:33.109779

    Nennepus rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo rosiesscram

    2008-02-15 13:53:48.116302

    rosiesscram commented on this recipe

    Absolutely the best scone recepie! A wonderful light airy texture and so simple the children enjoy making them.

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  • Binder photo Nicola

    2008-03-26 19:08:18.521179

    Nicola commented on this recipe

    This is a great recipe. I have used it often and it never lets me down! Thank you.

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  • Binder photo ida zuraida

    2008-04-11 05:55:34.810512

    ida zuraida commented on this recipe

    I can't find buttermilk in the stores, what can I use as substitute?

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  • Binder photo Girl Flower

    2008-04-23 16:14:52.522829

    Girl Flower commented on this recipe

    I haven't tried this recipe yet. But am planning to.. I found this following tip on another scone recipe.. it might help.. Know-how Adding a squeeze of lemon juice to the milk sours it slightly, mimicking sharp-tasting buttermilk, often used in scones but sometimes tricky to find. The slightly acidic mix gives a boost to the raising agents in the flour and baking powder.

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  • Binder photo munch

    2008-05-04 16:37:17.567073

    munch rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Absolutely brilliant recipe, worked perfectly

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  • Binder photo Laurette, Cambs.

    2008-05-13 12:07:54.656769

    Laurette, Cambs. commented on this recipe

    Love the recipe. First time I tried making scones and they turned out gorgeous with my favourite strawberry conserve: Bonne Maman.

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  • Binder photo Alex87

    2008-05-23 10:40:12.498292

    Alex87 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Perfect texture, lovely and light, not too dense. I added a squeeze of lemon to milk to mimic buttermilk, as advised above. Worked a treat.

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  • Binder photo Kathryn

    2008-05-31 16:30:03.189925

    Kathryn rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Excellent recipe, quick, easy and produced beautifully light scones. Wonderful with thick cream, fresh srawberries and a pot of tea!

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  • Binder photo nanajill

    2008-06-21 15:38:03.649431

    nanajill rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Have been making scones for years,tried lots of recipes,these are superb.

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  • Binder photo Devonshire girl

    2008-06-21 21:23:51.878224

    Devonshire girl commented on this recipe

    A lovely light recipe. Lemon juice in ordinary milk works well. But you have got your Devonshire and Cornish muddled up! Devonians put the cream first then the jam (the sensible way!) The Cornish folk do it the wrong way round!

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  • Binder photo Karen

    2008-06-23 22:20:46.854239

    Karen commented on this recipe

    I have never been very good at making scones, but when I made these they came out perfect. They are so light and tasty, they never last long in this house! As I now live in New Zealand the thing I do miss to go with my scones is clotted cream!

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  • Binder photo Juno

    2008-06-27 14:28:12.965077

    Juno rated and commented on this recipe

    1 stars

    I didn't find these as tasty as my old tried and tested recipe that I learned years ago in Home Economics class: 8ozs self-raising flour Half teaspoon salt 2ozs butter (it has to be real butter) 1oz caster sugar milk or egg for brushing. With scones too much handling makes the dough tough.

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  • Binder photo sue

    2008-08-27 21:38:11.336376

    sue commented on this recipe

    just wondered is it ok to add fruit to the mixture, or will it ruin the receipe

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  • Binder photo sue

    2008-09-06 15:02:46.080572

    sue commented on this recipe

    I was making Muffins from a previous page, and had some buttermilk left.So I clicked onto this recipe. I was a bit dubious about no baking - powder, as I have always used it in scones. When I saw these little gems rising I had to keep looking through the glass door. They came out as light as a feather, I `m eating a hot one now, and wooo. They are GOOD.

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  • Binder photo kiwilou

    2008-10-22 23:46:52.901363

    kiwilou commented on this recipe

    HI, Just wondered if anyone knew where to located clotted cream in New Zealand - scones just aren't the same without it!

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  • Binder photo Muslingpige

    2009-01-24 13:27:50.684704

    Muslingpige rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Really nice and quick to make. Had a lovely light texture...

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  • Binder photo Abi

    2009-02-04 17:14:43.463813

    Abi commented on this recipe

    John Torode suggests making clotted cream by heating 500ml double cream and 25g butter together. SImmer for 8 minutes so it reduces by half. then ad a vanilla pod, split and the seeds from it. simmer for a couple of minutes and then chill in a flat dish.

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  • Binder photo Cazza

    2009-03-01 17:39:01.589064

    Cazza rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Really simple recipe and as others said perfect scones were the result! I've had problems before with them being a bit hard but these are delicious. Will try adding fruit next time. I even used low-fat spreadable butter, and semi-skimmed milk and they turned out fine.

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  • Binder photo Heather

    2009-03-08 01:07:21.837985

    Heather rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Like so many others - I'd been looking for the perfect scone recipe for years - so simple and excellent results.

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 5 - 6

Easily doubled

Preparation and cooking times

Total time

Takes 25-35 minutes

Freezable

Freeze only after baking

A crisp edge - fluffy inside

Ingredients

  • 225g self-raising flour , preferably organic
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 50g slightly salted butter , chilled, cut in small pieces
  • 25g golden caster sugar
  • 125ml buttermilk
  • 4 tbsp full-fat milk
  • a little extra flour for dusting
  • strawberry jam and clotted cream, to serve
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Per scone (without the trimmings)

262 kcalories, protein 5g, carbohydrate 42g, fat 9 g, saturated fat 6g, fibre 1g, sugar 5g, salt 0.9 g

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