Plain Scones
Crispy on the outside, moist on the inside: A perfect Plain Scone recipe!
Learn how to make incredibly delicious plain scones at home, easily, without a food processor! This recipe emphasizes using cold butter and minimal handling to achieve that delightful contrast of a crispy exterior and a tender, moist interior. Perfect for beginners and seasoned bakers alike, these scones are sure to become a cafe-style treat you can enjoy anytime. Taste guaranteed!
Scone Dough Ingredients- 270g All-purpose flour
- 8g Baking powder
- 110g Unsalted butter, cold
- 70g Powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 75g Milk, cold
- 85g Plain yogurt, cold
- 5g Vanilla extract
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Prepare the wet ingredients that will add moisture to your scones. In a bowl, combine 85g of cold plain yogurt, 75g of cold milk, and 5g of vanilla extract for added flavor. Whisk them together until well combined. Keep this mixture chilled in the refrigerator until you’re ready to add it to the dough.
Step 2
It’s time to prepare the cold butter, a crucial element for achieving that perfect scone texture. Cut 110g of cold unsalted butter into small cubes, about 1cm in size. It’s essential to keep the butter as cold as possible throughout this process to prevent it from melting.
Step 3
Now, let’s mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, sift together 270g of all-purpose flour and 8g of baking powder. Also sift in 70g of powdered sugar for a smooth consistency. Add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness and enhance the flavors. Stir everything together with a whisk or spatula until well combined.
Step 4
Add the cubed cold butter to the bowl with the sifted dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender, a fork, or a bench scraper, cut the butter into the flour mixture. Work the butter into the flour by pressing and cutting, aiming for a texture resembling coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. Avoid overmixing at this stage; the goal is to coat the flour particles with butter, not to cream them.
Step 5
With the butter partially incorporated, you can now use your fingertips to continue cutting it into the flour mixture. Gently rub the mixture between your palms, breaking down any larger butter pieces and ensuring everything is coated. Continue until the mixture is crumbly and resembles coarse meal with some larger butter chunks still visible. Be careful not to overwork the dough; excessive kneading will melt the butter and result in tough, dense scones instead of light and crispy ones.
Step 6
Pour the chilled yogurt and milk mixture into the bowl with the flour and butter. Using a spatula or bench scraper, gently mix the ingredients together using a cutting motion. Fold the dough just until it starts to come together and no dry flour remains. Avoid overmixing; overdeveloping the gluten will make your scones tough.
Step 7
Lightly bring the dough together into a cohesive mass in the bowl or on a lightly floured surface. Gently shape it into a rough round. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions, weighing each around 90g. Gently shape each portion into a disc or a more defined scone shape. This should yield approximately 6 scones.
Step 8
Arrange the shaped scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving some space between them. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 25 minutes, or until the scones are golden brown and have risen well. Ovens can vary, so keep an eye on them and adjust the baking time and temperature as needed for your specific oven.
Step 9
Once baked, remove the scones from the oven and transfer them immediately to a wire rack to cool completely. While they are delicious warm, allowing them to cool will enhance their crispiness. Enjoy your homemade cafe-style plain scones with a cup of tea or coffee!
