Craving something delicious for tea time? These traditional buttermilk scones are quick to bake & simply delicious!
Craving crumbly scones for tea time or breakfast? These buttermilk scones are only slightly sweet, making them an excellent foundation for your choice of toppings: sweet or savory, light or luscious. They do not take much time to prepare. You will, however, "have" to forget for a brief moment everything you usually know about doughs 😉 .
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Taste and Occasion
What are scones anyway? I would describe them as a soft yet crumbly pastry that resembles buns but tastes much more delicate. Consistency and appearance are "irregular" - which is also due to the special ingredients and production. The classic British or Irish scones, as I like them best, taste rather neutral. There are also fruity and savory ones, some with dried fruit or chocolate and the ones with cheese and herbs. My buttermilk scones recipe results in an only slightly sweet, comparatively low-fat scone. Traditionally, you eat such scones with clotted cream and jam at tea time. But since I don't like clotted cream doesn't because it only tastes like fat to me, I prefer to use curd or cream cheese. Absolutely delicious combo!
Ingredients
If you want to bake scones, you'll have to make a bit of an adjustment, as I mentioned earlier. This is because the dough is quite crumbly and irregular, so you might almost think you've done something wrong. But you haven't!
Rub the cold butter into the flour in very fine flakes with your fingers. Once the buttermilk is added to the dough, the ingredients should really just be mixed in with a spoon. Do not knead anymore! Purely visually, such easy scones also look a bit like a baking accident 😉 . Among their most important features are 1. baking powder and 2. their imperfection. Sounds much better right away, doesn't it?
How to make the Buttermilk Scones
Let's start. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C and cover a baking sheet with baking paper. Put the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Add the cold butter in fine flakes and rub with your fingers the dry ingredients – similar to crumbles. Note: be careful because the mixture is very dry.
Gradually add the buttermilk and mix all the ingredients with a spoon. If necessary, work or knead briefly with your hands at the end. Then, add 1-2 tablespoons of buttermilk if the dough is extremely dry. However, it is normal that the dough is comparatively crumbly and "uneven". Then, roll out the dough on a baking mat until very thick (about 3-4 inches). Cut out about ten circles with a large floured cookie cutter or glass. After that, only press the cookie cutter; do not twist. Space scones apart on the baking sheet. Brush with a bit of milk and bake for 10-13 minutes, depending on size, until golden brown. Enjoy your buttermilk scones.
Top Tip
You can also slightly modify the buttermilk scones using more liquid whole milk yogurt.
Recipe Card
Buttermilk Scones
Ingredients
- 250 gram (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- ½ small bag baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (⅓ teaspoon) salt
- 40 grams (3 ⅓ tablespoons) sugar, more or less according to taste
- 50 grams (3 ⅔ tablespoons) butter, cold and in flakes
- 150 milliliters (10 tablespoons) buttermilk
- milk, for spreading
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Cover a baking sheet with baking paper. Put the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Add the cold butter in fine flakes and rub with your fingers the dry ingredients (similar to crumbles; be careful: the mixture is very dry).
- Gradually add the buttermilk and mix all the ingredients with a spoon. If necessary, work or knead briefly with your hands at the end. If necessary, add 1-2 tablespoons of buttermilk if the dough is extremely dry. However, it is normal that the dough is comparatively crumbly and "uneven".
- Roll out the dough on a baking mat until very thick (about 3-4 inches). Cut out about 10 circles with a large floured cookie cutter or glass. Only press the cookie cutter when doing this, do not twist. Space scones apart on the baking sheet. Brush with a bit of milk. Bake for 10-13 minutes, depending on size, until golden brown.
Ingredient substitutions
Variations
Some buttermilk scones recipes contain three times as much butter or fat as mine. For me, however, this goes more in the direction of cookies. For allergy sufferers not unimportant: I have made the scones without egg, both the dough and the "glaze". If you don't have to watch out for that, you can brush them with beaten egg yolk instead of milk before baking.
Nutrition
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About Kathrin & Jan
It's like a little miracle to me every time. Seemingly simple ingredients are made into something that can brighten up your life. Butter, sugar, eggs, and flour melt into an airy biscuit, a fine tart, a juicy cake, or a crispy biscuit. Baking simply makes you happy. Welcome and enjoy our blog!
Kathrin & Jan
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