British Scones Will Transport You To A London Tea Room

scones on parchment paper with bowls of jam and clotted cream
SconesPHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER

If you’ve never had a British scone, you’re missing out. Tall and fluffy, soft in the center and just slightly sweet, these staples of British tea time are more similar in texture to American-style biscuits than they are to an American scone.

Yields: 8-10 servings

Prep Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 55 mins

Ingredients

  • 4 c.

    (480 g.) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

  • 1/4 c.

    (50 g.) granulated sugar

  • 4 tsp.

    baking powder

  • 1 tsp.

    kosher salt

  • 1/2 c.

    (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cubed

  • 2

    large eggs, divided

  • 1 c.

    plus 2 Tbsp. (270 g.) whole milk

Directions

  1. Place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter, rubbing in with your fingers until fine crumbs form.

  2. In a small bowl, whisk 1 egg until blended. Add milk and whisk until combined. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients and pour in egg mixture. Using a fork, toss until a shaggy dough forms. Using clean hands, bring dough together to a ball.

  3. On a lightly floured surface, dough to a rough rectangle about 1" high. Fold rectangle in half crosswise, then turn 90°and pat out again. Repeat until dough is mostly smooth (a few visible lumps of butter are fine), 2 to 3 more times. After final fold, pat dough to 1" thick.

  4. Dip a 2 1/2" round biscuit cutter into flour. Cut out rounds, pressing straight down with the cutter without twisting. Dip cutter into flour between each cut to avoid sticking. Cut as close together as possible without the cuts overlapping or touching. Get as many as you can out of this first roll-out; the second will not be pretty. Arrange rounds on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2" apart.

  5. Without lifting from work surface, slide scraps together and press cut edges together to create a new mass of dough. Pinch seams to seal as best as possible. Cut as many rounds as possible out of this layer; transfer to baking sheets. (Discard leftover scraps or place in corners of baking sheets to cook with scones.)

  6. In a small bowl, whisk 1 egg with a pinch of salt until blended. Brush on top of rounds, taking care not to let egg drip down the sides.

  7. Bake scones, one tray at a time, until golden brown on top, about 15 minutes.

You Might Also Like