How do I make good scones?
Light, tall scones from cold butter and a light hand — plus why yours are coming out flat and hard.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 30 min
- Read
- 2 min
Short answer
Keep the butter cold, handle the dough as little as possible, and cut straight down with a sharp cutter without twisting. Flat, tough scones are almost always over-worked dough or a twisted cutter sealing the edges.
Scones rise on baking powder and steam, held by a barely-developed structure. Everything about the method is aimed at not developing gluten, which is the opposite instinct from bread and catches people out.
What you'll need
- Self-raising flour
- Cold butter
- Milk
- Sharp round cutter
- Baking sheet (optional)
Step by step
- Rub cold cubed butter into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs.Roughly a quarter of the flour weight in butter. Fingertips only, and stop as soon as the texture is right.
- Add the milk quickly and mix with a knife, not your hands.A round-bladed knife cuts through without warming or working the dough. Stop the moment it comes together.
- Tip onto a floured surface and pat — do not roll — to about 2.5cm thick.Thickness is what gives height. Rolling thin guarantees flat scones no matter what else you do.
- Cut straight down with a sharp cutter and lift straight up.Never twist. Twisting seals the cut edge and the scone cannot rise evenly — it will lean or stay squat.
- Press the offcuts together gently and cut again.The second batch is always slightly tougher because the dough has been worked. Accept it rather than kneading it smooth.
- Brush the tops with milk or beaten egg, avoiding the sides.Glaze running down the sides glues them and restricts the rise.
- Bake at a high temperature, around 220°C, for 10-12 minutes.High heat creates fast steam, which is what pushes them up. A moderate oven produces dense scones.
- Place them close together on the tray.Sides touching means they support each other upwards rather than spreading outwards.
Tips
- Buttermilk or plain yoghurt in place of milk gives a lighter, more tender scone thanks to the acidity.
- Scones are best within hours of baking. They freeze well raw — cut and freeze on a tray, then bake from frozen with a few extra minutes.
- A wet, sticky dough makes better scones than a firm one. Flour your hands, not the dough.
Common mistakes
- Twisting the cutter — It seals and distorts the edge, so the scone rises unevenly or barely at all. Straight down, straight up.
- Kneading the dough smooth — Gluten development makes scones hard and heavy. Minimal handling is the entire technique.
- Rolling too thin — A scone cannot rise higher than it can hold together. Start at 2.5cm and do not compromise.
Questions people ask
Why are my scones flat?
Usually rolled too thin, a twisted cutter, over-worked dough, or an oven that is not hot enough. Pat to 2.5cm, cut straight down, handle minimally and bake at 220°C.
Why are my scones hard?
The dough was over-worked, which developed gluten. Mix with a knife rather than your hands and stop as soon as it comes together, even if it looks rough.