Try this Scones, Classic recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 38.0574741896446 g
- Cholesterol 61.55421874197 mg
- Fat 12.8882801597517 g
- Fiber 1.95834927197614 g
- Protein 5.63418429390991 g
- Saturated Fat 7.744494760127 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (111g)
- Sodium 2374.03127592797 mg
- Sugar 36.0991249176685 g
- Trans Fat 0.992836824344504 g
- Calories 286 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 425.
- Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt.
- Cut in butter until largest are pea-sized and others like bread crumbs.
- In separate bowl, whisk together egg, heavy cream and zest. Add all at once to flour mixture.
- Mix with rubber spatula just until moistened. Gather dough into a ball and knead against sides of bowl 5-10 times until loose pieces adhere.
- Transfer to lightly floured surface. Pat into 8" round about 3/4" thick. Cut into 8 wedges and place on baking sheet 1/2" apart.
- Brush tops with cream and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake 12-15 mins until golden brown.
A properly baked scone yields a shattery, crisp exterior enclosing a tender, steam-fluffed crumb that parts effortlessly without crumbling into dust. Achieving this textural balance relies entirely on how the fat interacts with the dry ingredients during mixing. Incorporating cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces and working them quickly until some bits remain the size of peas creates pockets of steam that expand in a hot 425 degree oven. When substituting up to half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a nuttier profile, expect a slightly denser crumb and an earthier flavor that pairs well with dried fruit.
Preventing Toughness
Overworking the dough is the single fastest route to a heavy, tough baked good. Gluten develops rapidly once liquid meets flour, meaning that minimal intervention yields the tenderest results. Stir the heavy cream and egg mixture into the dry ingredients using a rubber spatula just until moistened, then knead the loose mass against the sides of the bowl no more than five to ten times to bring it together. Pat the round out to a thickness of three-quarters of an inch before slicing into eight wedges, ensuring even baking without dry edges.
- Overmixing the dough activates excess gluten, turning a flaky pastry into a dense, chewy biscuit.
- Working in a warm kitchen melts the butter before baking; if the fat softens too much, chill the shaped wedges on the baking sheet for fifteen minutes prior to placing them in the oven.
- Stale scones revive well when split and toasted gently in a 300 degree oven for five minutes to re-crisp the outer crust.
