As National Baking Week begins on Wednesday (October 14), chefs and food experts have shared advice on how to make tall and fluffy scones, with buttermilk highlighted as the key ingredient for a dramatic rise.
Buttermilk for a towering rise
Mark McShane, a HACCP and food hygiene consultant, said buttermilk is the best singular ingredient for the "ultimate tall, dramatic rise" in homemade scones. He explained that its mild acidity reacts with baking powder to create a network of carbon dioxide bubbles that expand rapidly in the oven, while also tenderising gluten strands to allow the dough to spring upward. Buttermilk's thicker consistency also gives the dough structural body to hold its shape.
Kevin Connor, head chef at Audley Scarcroft Park, agreed that buttermilk is superior to cream or milk, noting it retains its acid content and is virtually fat-free, making it lighter and healthier.
Mayonnaise as an unexpected alternative
James Buckingham, development chef at Stokes Sauces, suggested swapping traditional dairy for mayonnaise to achieve a lighter, well-risen scone. He said mayonnaise contains egg and fat, which support a tender texture and structure, while its acidity can work with bicarbonate of soda to help produce lift. However, he cautioned that mayonnaise is not a raising agent on its own and should not be added without consideration.
Flour and butter essentials
Sophie Carey, bakery development manager at Matthews Cotswold Flour, emphasised using a fine flour with the right amount of raising agent. Too much raising agent causes scones to rise too fast and topple over; too little makes them dense. She also advised rubbing fat into flour until it looks like fine breadcrumbs, and brushing egg wash with a finger to avoid drips that can inhibit rise.
Olga Stieghorst, head of bakery production at Company Bakery in Musselburgh, Scotland, stressed that butter must be kept cold. Cold butter stays in small pieces, and when it melts during baking, the water turns to steam, lifting the dough. She also warned against overworking the dough and suggested freezing butter for 10 to 15 minutes in warm conditions.
