Scones

Scones

Buttery, tender, and perfectly crumbly — these classic scones come together quickly with pantry staples and bake up golden in under 20 minutes. A light brush of cream and a sprinkle of sugar give them a bakery-worthy finish. Enjoy them plain, with clotted cream and jam, or studded with your favorite mix-ins.

8 servings · Prep 15 min · Cook 18 min · Total 33 min

British · Bread · Baking

  • 2 cup all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 0.5 tsp fine sea salt
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter very cold, cut into small cubes
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream cold, plus more for brushing
  • 1 large egg cold
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp turbinado sugar for sprinkling
  • 0.75 cup mix-ins of choice dried fruit, chocolate chips, or fresh berries
  • dried fruit
  • chocolate chips
  • fresh berries

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Baking Sheet
  • Parchment Paper
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Skillet
  • Fork
  • Toothpick
  • Pastry Cutter
  • Bench Scraper
  • Measuring Cups
  • Pastry Brush
  • Whisk
  • Knife
  • Pan
  • Jelly Roll (10x15)
  • Cutting Board
  • Mixing Bowl (4 Quarts)
  • Dipping Fork

Instructions

  1. Preheat your #[Oven] to ![400°F] and line a #[Baking Sheet] with #[Parchment Paper]. In a large #[Mixing Bowl], whisk together the @[All-Purpose Flour], @[Baking Powder], @[Granulated Sugar], and @[Fine Sea Salt] until evenly combined.
  2. Add the cold cubed @[Unsalted Butter] to the @[All-Purpose Flour] mixture. Using a pastry cutter (or your fingertips), work the @[Butter] into the @[Flour] until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining. Speed and cold @[Butter] are key — don't overwork it.
  3. In a small #[Mixing Bowl] or #[Measuring Cups], whisk together the cold @[Heavy Cream], @[Large Egg], and @[Vanilla Extract]. Pour the wet ingredients over the @[All-Purpose Flour]-@[Butter] mixture and stir gently with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms. If using mix-ins, fold them in now. Do not overmix.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat it into a circle about 1 inch thick. Using a #[Bench Scraper] or #[Knife], cut into 8 wedges (like a pizza). Transfer the wedges to the prepared #[Baking Sheet], spacing them about 1 inch apart.
  5. Brush the tops of the scones lightly with @[Heavy Cream] and sprinkle with @[Turbinado Sugar] if using. Bake for ~[16–18 minutes], until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on the pan for ~[5 minutes] before serving.