Easy Scones Recipe (Buttery & Flaky!)

5 from 1 vote

There’s nothing quite like freshly baked flaky scones. Crisp and golden on the outside, soft and fluffy inside, and delicious with butter, jam, or cream. Simple and always a treat!

Prep: 20

Cook: 15

Total: 35

Servings: scones

Author: Cakes by MK

IMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.

Ingredients

▢ 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
▢ 3½ tsps baking powder
▢ 1 tsp salt - omit if using salted butter
▢ 3 tbsps (38 g) white granulated sugar - sugar does not make the scones sweet, but can be omitted if making savory scones.
▢ ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter - cold and cubed into small ¼ inch cubes (see note 1).
▢ ¾ cup (180 g) whole milk - cold

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F) conventional (see note 2 if using a convection oven with a fan) and line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar until well combined.
Add in cold, cubed butter. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, work it into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with small pieces of butter throughout.
Pour in cold milk and gently mix with a fork (I like to fluff the mixture) until you have a shaggy dough. Be careful not to overmix.
Bring the dough together into a ball, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Be careful not to over-knead or over-mix. Gently press it into a rectangle about ¾-inch thick.
Dip a 2½-inch cookie cutter (or straight-edged glass) in flour, then cut out the scones by pressing straight down—don’t twist. Gather the scraps, reshape, and cut again until you have about 9 scones.
Place the scones onto the prepared tray, close together (about ½-inch apart). Brush the tops with milk for a golden finish.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. If the butter has softened before baking and the dough feels very soft, chill the scones in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking (see note 3).
Let the scones cool on the tray for 15 minutes before serving. For cream-filled scones, allow them to cool completely to room temperature so the cream doesn’t melt.

Video

Notes

Note 1. You want the butter to be cut as small as possible so that it's easier to work into the flour. You can also grate cold butter for those who have sore fingers and may find it a bit difficult to work larger chunks of butter into the flour.

Note 2. If using a convection oven with a fan, bake at 200°C (390°F) as the fan speeds up baking.

Note 3. Cold butter and milk are key for tall, flaky scones. If the butter softens too much, chill the scones in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking.

Note 4. Handle the dough as little as possible. Overmixing or overkneading can make the scones dense instead of light and fluffy.

Nutrition

Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.

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