Everyone loves a classic English scone, and these tasty afternoon treats are the foundation of all good afternoon tea boxes and high tea. So if you’re making your own, how can you make a deliciously light and crumbly scone with just the right texture and sweetness? Let’s check out some top tips.
Keep the Butter Cold
The best way to enjoy flaky, light scones is to make sure the butter is really cold up until the point the scone is put into the oven. When it does this, the cold butter melts in the oven and creates steam, leading to a very fluffy, soft and flaky texture as the steam escapes through the dough. You can make this easy by cubing your butter and then freezing it for an hour. Or, if you’re short of time, simply order afternoon tea boxes from https://www.afternoonteabox.com/ and they’ll do the hard work for you.
Use Buttermilk
This is the best liquid to use with scones because the acidity reacts with baking powder to create a taller, more tender scone. It also gives a slight tang, which results in a fuller flavour. Scones were traditionally made with milk that had slightly soured for the same effect. This is a great way of using up any milk that has just gone over. Alternatively, use heavy cream or kefir. Regular milk won’t create that reaction that gives the tender, tangy finish you want.
Don’t Overmix Your Dough
If you overmix the dough, your scone will be heavy and dense. Just very quickly combine the dough with a bladed blender so that it is just combined and so it stays cold. You can also try using a marble or glass pastry board, as this will also prevent the dough from becoming warm. If the butter in the dough starts to melt, pause and put the entire mix in the freezer for ten minutes before you carry on. You can also put your unbaked scones in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes while you’re heating the oven, just to keep that butter as cold as possible.
