Chef Gemma Stafford says the secret to bigger, lighter homemade scones is one simple ingredient straight from the freezer: frozen butter. Grating it into the flour encourages the scones to rise beautifully and develop distinct layers, she explains on her blog Gemma's Bigger Bolder Baking.
Why frozen butter works
When the butter melts in the oven, it produces steam, which creates a light and flaky consistency. "In one bowl, I grate frozen butter into the flour. This is the trick to making these the biggest and boldest scones," the chef writes. "Grating the butter makes a huge difference in the texture of the scones. It creates pockets of butter throughout and adds loads of air and texture to the finished scones."
One home baker on the site, known as Khburke, praised the method: "These are the very best [scones] I have ever made! The lovely golden crispness on the outside with the flaky inside is unbeatable. I definitely believe the frozen grated butter is the brilliant key here."
How to make the best-ever scones
The recipe makes between nine and 12 scones. You will need 680g of self-raising flour, 170g of frozen butter, 115g of granulated sugar, three level teaspoons of baking powder, 142g of raisins (optional), two large eggs (beaten) and 300ml of whole milk.
Place the flour in a large mixing bowl and grate the frozen butter using a cheese grater. Alternatively, use a pastry cutter to work the butter into the flour until it looks like rough breadcrumbs. Mix in the sugar, baking powder and raisins. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and milk together, then add to the flour mixture and mix until you have a soft dough, adding a little extra liquid if it seems too dry.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and flatten it to about one inch thick. Use a round three-inch cutter to stamp out the scones, then bring the leftover dough together, flatten and cut again. Arrange the scones on a parchment-lined baking tray, glaze with egg wash, and bake at 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7 for approximately 22 to 26 minutes.
Allow the scones to cool on a wire rack for a short while before serving with butter, jam or fresh cream. Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days and warmed through in the oven to revive them.
