FAQs
How to make scones rise high? Once you've cut out your scone shapes, flip them over and place upside down on the baking tray. This will help them rise evenly and counteract any 'squashing' that happened when you cut out the dough. Perfect scones should rise to about 2 inches high.
What is the secret to making good scones? ›
Top tricks I learnt from the experts for baking perfect scones:
- Resist the twist.
- Use frozen butter.
- Don't overwork the dough.
- Freeze the dough. ...
- Create rise and shine.
- Follow this recipe.
- Reduce the juice.
- Fresh is best.
How to make scones rise better? ›
How to make scones rise high? Once you've cut out your scone shapes, flip them over and place upside down on the baking tray. This will help them rise evenly and counteract any 'squashing' that happened when you cut out the dough. Perfect scones should rise to about 2 inches high.
What to avoid when making scones? ›
5 Mistakes to Avoid When Baking Scones
- Using anything but cold ingredients. The secret to the flakiest scones is to start with cold ingredients — cold butter, cold eggs, and cold cream. ...
- Only using all-purpose flour. ...
- Overmixing the dough. ...
- Not chilling the dough before baking. ...
- Baking them ahead of time.
What kind of flour is best for scones? ›
We recommend using all-purpose flour.
Why are my scones heavy and dense? ›
My scones have a dense, heavy texture and poor volume
You may have used too little raising agent or over handled the dough before it was baked. The oven may have been too cool.
What is the best temperature for baking scones? ›
Method. Pre-heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Stir in the sugar, add the butter and rub quickly into the flour, creating a fine breadcrumb consistency.
Why are my scones not light and fluffy? ›
Overworking the dough: when you overwork your dough, your scones can come out tough and chewy, rather than that desired light, crumbly texture. The trick is to use light pressure and only the work the dough until it just comes together.
How long should you rest scones before baking? ›
Place pan of shaped scones into the freezer for up to 30 minutes before baking. This short rest relaxes the gluten, making scones more tender; and cold chills the fat, increasing flakiness. Make scone dough up to three days ahead.
What happens if you put too much baking soda in scones? ›
Too much baking soda will result in a soapy taste with a coarse, open crumb.
The mix should be moist, and while it should come out of the mixing bowl clean, expect it to leave your fingers a little sticky. Scone mix is far wetter than a dough – it's somewhere between a batter and a dough. Only lightly flour your work surface to avoid incorporating extra flour into the dough.
Should a scone be dry or moist? ›
It can have layers of course, but they should err on the side of crumbly. A scone is slightly dryer than a biscuit and yet, when done well, not dry at all. Scones are intended to be consumed with a hot beverage of your choice after all. And clotted cream, or butter, or jam.
Why do my scones spread out and not rise? ›
The most likely reason I can think of is that you omitted the leavening, or what you used was flat. Another reason might be that your dough was too warm when you baked it, so it spread more while baking. Of course, scones are not yeast products, so they shouldn't rise as much as bread would.
How to tell when scones are done? ›
Instructions on baking MY FROZEN SCONE DOUGH
- Scones with fruit and wheat-free scones may take longer than others Increase baking times in 3 minute increments to test.
- Higher elevation will need less cooking time.
- To check if they are ready, press down on the top to check if firm to touch, they are READY.
How do you get a good rise on scones? ›
To ensure taller scones, start with a thicker dough disc and place the scones on a tray with sides, allowing them to slightly touch one another. This arrangement encourages the scones to push against the pan and each other, promoting height.
Is heavy cream or buttermilk better for scones? ›
Heavy Cream or Buttermilk: For the best tasting pastries, stick with a thick liquid such as heavy cream or buttermilk. I usually use heavy cream, but if you want a slightly tangy flavor, use buttermilk.
How do you know when scone dough has been kneaded enough? ›
Holds Its Shape – Lift the ball of dough in your hand and hold it in the air for a second. If it holds its ball shape, that means the gluten is tight and strong. If it sags down between your fingers, the gluten is still loosey-goosey and needs some more kneading.
Should scones be baked at a high temperature? ›
Scones and biscuits both need a hot, quick bake. The high, quick heat is needed to turn that butter into nice steamy air pockets without leaving pools of butter on the cookie sheet.
What happens when you over mix scones? ›
Overmixing is exactly what it sounds like: the process by which a dough or batter gets mixed too much, typically yielding dense, tough, or deflated baked goods. Overmixed doughs and batters may have an unappealing look or feel, which remain just as unappealing when they're baked.
Should scones be baked touching? ›
Scones like to cosy up to one another in the baking tray. This helps them to rise evenly in the cooking process. When placing the scones in the baking tray they need to be touching.
Scones are considered ”quick” breads since they are leavened with baking powder or baking soda and cream of tartar. They may be plain, but often have a wide variety of sweet or savory ingredients. Scones should be golden on the outside and tender and flaky inside, like a slightly sweetened biscuit.
Is it better to make scones with butter or oil? ›
For example, if you substitute oil for butter or margarine, you can significantly reduce the amount of saturated fat in your baked goods. This streamlined recipe for Light Scones uses just 3 tablespoons of canola oil, which contains a fraction of the saturated fat found in butter or margarine.
What is the best raising agent for scones and why? ›
As well as the raising agent in the flour, baking powder adds a bit of lift to scones. Baking powder is a convenient choice as it is a ready-mixed leavening agent, generally made of bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar (usually some cornflour too).