Homemade scones cook perfectly in just 15 minutes with only three ingredients needed. Baking scones is oh so simple and requires just three basic items.
Simple Scone Recipe
Scones are a British classic that, when topped with copious amounts of jam and cream, are the ultimate indulgence. They're often reserved for enjoying as part of a fancy afternoon tea, but you don't have to go to an expensive cafe or restaurant to enjoy one. Scones are actually very easy to make at home, allowing you to enjoy the treat whenever you want. While home baking can be a little daunting, especially if you've never made scones before, it doesn't have to be complicated.
In fact, it's possible to make deliciously light and fluffy scones using just three ingredients, and they'll be perfectly cooked and ready to eat in a mere 15 minutes.
Ingredients and Method
According to baking experts at Taste.com.au, all you need to make scones is self-raising flour, thickened cream, and some chilled lemonade. Lemonade might seem like an odd addition to a scone recipe, but it's actually the secret to creating that wonderfully light texture. Lemonade and cream are used instead of butter and milk, which feature in most traditional recipes.
The cream is much easier to combine with the flour than cold butter, saving your arm muscles, and it contributes a lovely richness to the overall flavor. Cream also helps to give the scones a softer and more moist texture, and creates a beautiful brown crust when baked. As for the lemonade, it gives scones their lightness because the carbon dioxide in the drink acts as a leavening agent, similar to baking powder or yeast. The carbonation forms bubbles that get trapped in the dough as it's mixed, creating tiny air pockets that expand as the scones bake, aerating the dough and making it rise, resulting in a light and fluffy texture.
Georgia Mahood, food expert at Taste.com.au, explained: "The carbonation in lemonade helps to aerate the dough to create light and fluffy scones that rise evenly. In a traditional scone, butter provides fat, which blocks gluten development and results in tender and flaky scones. But because butter is too much faff, we've swapped it to cream, which does essentially the same thing as butter, but there's no need to get your hands dirty – just stir the cream into the flour!"
Step-by-Step Instructions
The experts recommend using 500g of self-raising flour, 250ml of chilled lemonade, and 300ml of thick cream to make the scones. Simply place the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center using your fingers. Pour the lemonade and the cream into the well and stir the mixture until you have a soft, sticky dough. Once your dough is made, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until it's smooth, before cutting out your scones. Place your cut-out scones onto a greased baking tray and lightly brush the tops with some cream, then bake in the oven at 200°C for around 15 minutes, until the scones have risen and turned golden brown.
