French-trained baker Danielle Ellis, the voice behind the recipe blog Severn Bites, says the key to the best-ever scones is swapping regular milk for buttermilk. The simple ingredient change makes the scones incredibly fluffy and light, according to the baker.
Ellis stressed that “ingredients are important” when making scones, noting that the main one to seek out is buttermilk. She said: “Once I started making scones with buttermilk, they got better and better.”
Why use buttermilk in scones
Buttermilk traditionally is the byproduct of the butter-making process. When cream is whipped, the fat solids condense together to form butter and separate from the liquids, which become buttermilk.
However, most store-bought buttermilk is not traditional buttermilk at all, but low-fat milk with added bacteria and cultures that give it sourness and acidity. This acidity is important for the leavening process, which makes the scones fluffy and light.
If buttermilk is not available, a 50/50 mixture of low-fat natural yoghurt and regular milk can be used. It is also possible to sour milk by adding one tablespoon of lemon juice to each 250ml of whole milk, then letting the mixture stand for a couple of minutes.
How to make scones tastier
Ellis claimed this recipe is one she’s “tired and tested” that “always comes out well” and “makes the best scones you have ever made”.
The recipe makes six scones and requires 225g of plain flour, 8g of baking powder, 45g of butter, one large egg, 125ml of buttermilk, and a pinch of salt. For a sweet version, add 25g of caster sugar and 50g of raisins. For a savoury version, use 100g of mature cheese and an optional 5g of smoked paprika, plus one egg for egg wash.
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas Mark 6 and sprinkle flour over a baking tray. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to a bowl. Cut the butter into cubes, rub it into the flour until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs, then add the sugar for sweet scones or 75g of cheese and smoked paprika for savoury scones.
Add the egg and mix with a fork until it starts to stick together. Add buttermilk a little at a time to make a soft but not gloopy dough, using only as much as needed. Shape the dough into a rectangle about 2.5cm deep without pressing down, then cut with a smooth 60mm cutter without twisting.
Place the scones on the baking tray, brush the tops with beaten egg, and sprinkle remaining cheese on savoury scones. Bake for 12 minutes or until light golden brown, then serve warm. Scones can be kept in the fridge for a couple of days but should always be warmed before serving.
