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 5.0g, carbohydrate 42.0g, fat 9.0 g, saturated fat 6.0g, fibre 1.0g, sugar 5.0g, salt 0.9 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, March 2003.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 61-80

  • Binder photo Paul 1975

    13 February 2011

    Paul 1975 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I'm a culinary disaster, but these scones were easy to make and impressed my family enormously. Delicious!

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  • Binder photo Barbara

    12 March 2011

    Barbara commented on this recipe

    First time luck? No...I have used this recipe twice although with a slight change as I didn't have buttermilk at hand. I simply used 100ml milk (indeed semi-skimmed), added a tablespoon of yoghurt (I used 0% fat, so not Greek Yoghurt). At the end I also added 75 g raisins and it worked perfectly well. I baked them in ca. 205/210C and only for 12 minutes, which was enough. Simply Lovely, I will never buy scones ever again. These are soooo much better.

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  • Binder photo JoDee

    15 March 2011

    JoDee commented on this recipe

    Cornish woman here. By gum, I didn't know we did the cream differently, but we do. Spread a bit of jam and a big dollop of cream on top. Personally think it is silly to do the other way round as can see how you could spread jam onto cream. Maybe we are just prefer a bigger dollop of cream and the Devonians are more healthy :-) Look forward to trying this recipe and thanks in advance for the tips about milk and lemon juice. I too am living abroad (Hungary) and intend using Mascarpone instead of clotted cream. Its thick and rich (over here at least) so I am expecting good, fattening results LOL.

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  • Binder photo Clauds

    15 March 2011

    Clauds rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I've never been able to make decent scones until I came across this recipe. they turned out amazing and are so light and fluffy. I make a double batch of these once a week and they don't last long in our house!

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  • Binder photo nanasandie

    25 March 2011

    nanasandie rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo KD

    07 June 2011

    KD rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Very easy but with excellent results.

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  • Binder photo Jennifer

    29 June 2011

    Jennifer rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    very tasty, used the milk with a squeeze of lemon as i didn't have any butter milk, also added some raisins :)

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  • Binder photo Sylvia

    01 July 2011

    Sylvia rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I am in my late 60s and being a Yorkshire lass, I have been making scones from being very young but these have to be the best scones I have ever made!! My Husband and I have have just eaten them with Mrs Bridges Strawberry Preserve with Champagne ( Lakeland) and clotted cream, absolutely delicious!!! we are sat at home watching Wimbledon, perfect! Don't look at the calorie count, they are a treat!! I don't have a problem getting buttermilk ( St Ivel ) I can buy it in Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Tesco in my area of East Anglia.

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  • Binder photo Trow2

    08 July 2011

    Trow2 commented on this recipe

    Ultimate Scone recipe? I don't think so! The second worst I've tried!!! And I've tried quite a few. Try finding one that uses Bi-carb and cream of tartar - I've had far better results.

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  • Binder photo Masterbaker

    28 July 2011

    Masterbaker commented on this recipe

    Does the nutrition list include the jam and cream?

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  • Binder photo cowen84

    02 September 2011

    cowen84 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    first time making scones since i was a child and making them with my gran, these were amazing, tasted delicious, made the house smell divine and also froze well! simply heated them back up in the microwave and tasted just as good as straight out the oven!

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  • Binder photo caledoniangirl

    01 October 2011

    caledoniangirl rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Light and fluffy every time. Perfect.

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  • Binder photo nhogarth

    12 October 2011

    nhogarth rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I have always struggled with scones as mine always turned out stodgy but these were great! Very light and fluffy. I added sonme dried fruit too.

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  • Binder photo Eileen3388

    30 October 2011

    Eileen3388 commented on this recipe

    Just add tbsp of lemon juice to milk if you can't fin d buttermilk

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  • Binder photo Millie

    30 October 2011

    Millie rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    The results were yummy! Added lemon juice as could not get buttermilk. Can't wait to make these all over again :)

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  • Binder photo Missy G

    04 January 2012

    Missy G rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    AMAZING recipe! Changes I made: Added a little baking powder and bicarbonate of soda; didn't have buttermilk so used room temperature milk with a squirt of lemon juice; finally raisins too. Incredibly light, scrumptious and crispy crumbly edging...thank you!!

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  • Binder photo Jackie food

    21 January 2012

    Jackie food rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    perfect scones!! Added 2 teaspoons white vinegar to milk and let it sit 5 mins as substitute for buttermilk which i can't find in France

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  • Binder photo Niamh

    13 February 2012

    Niamh commented on this recipe

    These were fab I only had cream flour so I added 2 teaspoons of baking powder & I also added raisins &currants. I also brushed them with a beaten egg and milk to give them a finish they were lovely another great dish from this fab website :)

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  • Binder photo Veggie

    19 April 2012

    Veggie commented on this recipe

    Best Scones I have ever made!! The mix does only make about 5 scones but you only need one each believe me once you have piled on the jam and clotted cream. I have already passed this on :-)

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  • Binder photo Amchoor

    09 May 2012

    Amchoor rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Nice consistency, fluffy and moist but mine did not rise as much as I had hoped needed longer in the oven in order to brown.

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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 5.0g, carbohydrate 42.0g, fat 9.0 g, saturated fat 6.0g, fibre 1.0g, sugar 5.0g, salt 0.9 g

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