Adding cold butter to your scone mixing bowl is the key to achieving tall, fluffy, and tender scones, according to baking expert Jane Dunn. Many home bakers unknowingly use soft or melted butter, which leads to dry, dense results.
Why Cold Butter Matters
Jane Dunn, the baking expert behind Jane's Patisserie, explained that using cold butter is the most important step to ensure scones rise properly. She said: "You must use a firm, cold block butter… never a soft tub baking spread. As the cold pockets of butter melt during baking, the water trapped inside evaporates instantly. This creates pockets of steam, which are responsible for creating those signature flaky, tender layers inside the scone."
It is common to leave butter out to soften in summer so it is easier to spread on toast or sandwiches, but many people do not realise that doing so can make a big difference when baking. Butter needs to be cold when used to make scones, as it releases water when it melts in the oven, which moistens the dough so it comes out flaky and fluffy. Any leftover water will then turn into steam in the hot oven, creating bubbles in the dough so the scones rise higher.
However, if you just use melted or soft butter, there will be no extra moisture, which means the dough will dry out while baking, so it ends up dense, tough, and likely to crumble everywhere. Keeping the butter in the fridge and only taking it out right before baking will help the scones rise as tall and light as possible, so they will always turn out perfectly, even if you have never baked them before.
How to Make Better Scones
You will need:
- 100g of unsalted butter (cold and cubed)
- 350g of self-raising flour
- 50g of caster sugar
- One teaspoon of lemon juice
- One teaspoon of baking powder
- 100ml of whole milk (warm)
- A quarter teaspoon of salt
- One egg
Method: To begin, preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan) and line a tray with baking paper. Take your cold butter out of the fridge as soon as you are ready to bake. Next, place the butter into a large mixing bowl, and then add the flour, baking powder and sugar. Mix the dry ingredients into the butter with your fingertips until you get a breadcrumb-like texture. Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl. Then heat the milk in a pan or in the microwave, and slowly add it to the bowl as well. Make sure to mix everything together as you add the milk until you have a soft dough.
Dust some flour onto a kitchen worktop and place the dough onto it. Fold the dough a few times until smooth, but be careful not to overwork it. Roll the dough until it is roughly two to three centimetres thick, then use a five-centimetre round biscuit cutter to cut out circles for the scones. Keep cutting scones from the dough until you use it all up, then put them on your prepared tray. Crack the egg into a small bowl, stir until you have an egg wash, and brush the tops of the scones with the glaze. Place the tray in the oven for 10 minutes, and once the time is up, your scones should be tall, tender and have the perfect fluffy texture.
