Try this Berry Scones recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 27.8627416666667 g
- Cholesterol 22.75625 mg
- Fat 8.1027375 g
- Fiber 1.14216666984558 g
- Protein 3.5823125 g
- Saturated Fat 5.104035 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (131g)
- Sodium 1009.15060176926 mg
- Sugar 26.7205749968211 g
- Trans Fat 0.75246625 g
- Calories 204 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat your oven to 400degreesF. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
- Combine the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Transfer a few tablespoons of this dry ingredient mixture to a small bowl and add the frozen berries. Toss to coat the berries and set aside the small bowl.
- To the large bowl with the dry ingredients, add the diced butter. Cut it in until the butter resembles pea-size chunks covered in flour. You can either use a pastry cutter or two knives and pretend like you are cutting steak with them over and over.
- Add the milk to the dry ingredient/butter mixture and stir to combine. The dough will come together. Once the dough has come together, add the berries to the dough and gently fold them in until they are evenly distributed throughout. Handling it as little as possible to keep the butter from melting in your hands, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.
- Cut the dough into 8 triangles. Transfer the triangles to baking sheets lined with parchment paper, a couple of inches apart. Brush with a bit of milk and sprinkle with a tiny bit of sugar, if you like.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the scones are puffed up and slightly brown around the edges. Serve immediately.
The Role of Xanthan Gum and Gluten-Free Flour
Baking without standard wheat flour removes the structural network responsible for elasticity, which requires adding xanthan gum to mimic that missing protein binder. All-purpose gluten-free flour blends rely on starches like potato starch and rice flour, absorbing moisture differently than wheat. Measuring these dry components by weight prevents dense, heavy pastries, as over-measuring flour compacts the dough. Coating the frozen berries in a portion of this dry mix before incorporating them prevents the fruit from sinking to the bottom of the baking sheet during the expansion phase.
Fat Temperature and Cutting Technique
Unsalted butter must remain chilled when introduced to the dry ingredients, specifically held at refrigerator temperatures until the exact moment it gets cut in. Using a pastry cutter or two knives prevents body heat from your hands from melting the butter prematurely. Pea-sized butter pieces create steam pockets inside the 400 degree Fahrenheit oven environment, resulting in flaky internal layers as the water content evaporates. Low-fat milk provides adequate liquid volume, but completely nonfat options lack the necessary fat solids to properly enrich the crumb structure.
Handling and Baking Mechanics
Minimal physical manipulation of the dough preserves those crucial pockets of solid fat before the baking sheet goes into the oven. Patting the dough to a precise half-inch thickness ensures even internal heat penetration during the fifteen to twenty minute bake time. Visual cues dictate doneness rather than clock time alone; look for puffed bodies and distinct golden-brown edges. Dietary modifications like swapping dairy milk for unsweetened plant-based alternatives alter browning rates due to differing sugar profiles, requiring close visual monitoring near the end of the baking window.
