One of the dearest compliments I’ve ever received on food that I’ve made, and keep in mind, I make pretty humble food, is about my scones. I baked them for my well-traveled relatives while they were visiting and they said that my scones were tastier than the scones at their bed-and-breakfast on their recent trip to Ireland.
I didn’t grow up with scones, had no clue what they even were other than similar to a Southern biscuit. I grew up in a poppin-fresh home where I begged mom to let me be the one to whack the can on the counter to release the biscuits and bake them in the oven. Now, I proudly bake from-scratch biscuits and from-scratch scones. You’ve seen my interpretation of Chef Scott Peacock’s Southern biscuits. Now, you get my recipe for buttermilk scones.
Scones are my go-to when I want to impress folks at a brunch or breakfast. Most people know dry, crumbly coffee shop scones. These tender, buttery scones are a revelation if that’s all you know.
The secrets to tender, buttery scones are to use whole milk buttermilk, if you can find it. I use Marburger Dairy buttermilk (I find it at Walmart and Publix). Just a thought if you’re feeling like experimenting — try using plain whole milk yogurt thinned with whole milk to reach buttermilk consistency.
Second secret: Use a soft Southern flour like White Lily. I use other flours, King Arthur is a favorite, Gold Medal, too, and they’ll work beautifully in this recipe. But you’ll get a more tender scone when you use soft Southern flour.
Third secret: Freeze the butter and grate it on a box grater to get the perfect size shreds for your dough.
Fourth secret: Use a light touch and don’t overwork the dough. This is hard for me! I like to beat up a dough 😂. But, again, for a tender product, handle with care. ❤️
By the way, this scone recipe is very adaptable. I’ve folded in rehydrated dried fruits like cranberries, frozen berries like blueberries and even chunks of crystallized ginger and dried pineapple.
Enjoy the scones and let me know what you think about the recipe.
Buttermilk Scones Recipe
Note: Store butter in your freezer. It stays fresher longer and you’ll always have frozen butter to make this recipe.
Ingredients
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup unsalted butter, frozen
1-1/4 cups buttermilk, plus extra
Half and half or milk or cream for glazing, optional
Demerara or sparkle sugar for glazing
Instructions
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a sheet pan with a parchment paper liner.
2. In a batter bowl, mix dry ingredients together. Using a box grater, shred the frozen butter and lightly mix the shavings into the dry ingredients. Using your hands and a gentle, quick touch, make sure the butter is evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture.
3. Pour in the buttermilk and stir gently with a wooden spoon or spatula. If mixture looks too dry, add additional buttermilk until a cohesive dough forms. The dough should be slightly wet and sticky, but not overly so, and there will be portions remaining in the bottom of the bowl.
4. On a floured countertop, gently press dough into a rough 12 X 6 inch rectangle. Fold letter style: one-third on left side folded over the middle, remaining third on the right side folded over the middle. Press into 12 X 6 rectangle again and fold letter-style again. Press again into a 12 X 6 rectangle and use a bench scrape to divide in half. Make a cross in each half. You will have 8 squares. With the bench scraper, divide each square into two triangles. You should have a total of 16 triangles. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Shortcut:
* If this is confusing (and I understand why it could be because I’ve lived with my brain a long time), skip the letter-folding and simply press the dough into a circle that’s about an inch thick. Use a knife or bench scrape to divide the dough into 12 to 16 scones and place them on a baking sheet.
5. Carefully brush each wedge with buttermilk or cream and sprinkle sugar over the top. Bake at 400 for at least 15 minutes. They may need a bit more time, depending on your oven, convection, etc. Scones are ready when they are golden brown on top and bounce back when touched lightly in the center.
6. Let the scones slightly, but they can be enjoyed right away. Serve with fresh butter and your favorite jam. And, of course, tea or (like me), coffee.
7. Store leftover scones in an airtight container. You can wrap them tightly and freeze them. Day-old and older scones are better when toasted. It perks up the flavor.
More Food from A Cook and Her Books
Hey, Let’s Talk!
Join the conversation about cooking and more on Instagram and Facebook. You can comment on this story, too. I’d love to hear from you!
