Tessa's Recipe Rundown
Taste: These scones are ultra buttery with a hint of sweet tanginess. The customization and flavor options are endless!
Texture: Extremely tender, flaky, light, and golden brown on top. Every bite is heaven!
Ease: Super easy. Less than 40 minutes from start to finish, plus you can make them ahead of time.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: The perfect recipe to have in your back pocket for any special breakfast or brunch.
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I never used to understand the obsession and appeal of scones – that is, until I took a bite of a truly great scone!
Many are bland and dense – but once I perfected this scone recipe, I realized how delightful they can be. They’re sturdier and heartier than biscuits because they contain eggs and more sugar.
Reader Love
These came out incredible! Thank you for the careful and detailed instructions! I chose to add ham, cheddar, and chives to mine and so did not include the sugar on top. I will be making these many more times with many more mix-ins.
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What I love most about them (besides all. the. BUTTER.) is that they belong on any breakfast or brunch table. Totally customizable!
British publication The Mirror even noted how unforgettable this from-scratch recipe is in their recent article all about scones!
You can add nuts, citrus zest, chocolate chips, dried fruit like raisins or currants, or simply serve alongside flavored butter or your favorite jam and clotted cream (although this is more of an American scone recipe than British).
Ingredient Notes
All-Purpose Flour: I prefer to use Gold Medal AP flour, as I find it yields a more tender scone than flour made with a high protein wheat variety, like King Arthur Flour. If using a measuring cup instead of a scale, be sure to spoon and level.
White Sugar: This is where scones differ from biscuits! A relatively small amount of sugar adds a touch of sweetness and encourages lightly golden brown edges.
Baking Powder: A whole tablespoon is used to create tall and light scones.
Baking Soda: A small amount also helps leaven the scones and will help create that light golden crust.
Butter: It must be COLD and stay cold until the dough hits the oven, or you will not achieve flaky scones.
Buttermilk: This is absolutely my preferred liquid. Buttermilk will result in tender, taller scones because its acidity reacts with the baking soda and tenderizes the dough. It also adds a lovely tang to create more depth of flavor. I don’t recommend a DIY substitute. You can use keffir instead, or heavy cream, which will alter the taste and texture. Learn more about the science of buttermilk here.
Eggs: This is the other ingredient that distinguishes scones from biscuits. Eggs add richness, structure, and color.
Vanilla: Don’t skip, unless you’re making a savory variation.
Coarse Sugar: This is an optional topping ingredient, but I highly recommend it! You get pretty sparkly scones with a bit of a crunchy exterior. Yum.
Tessa’s Tips for Scone Dough
Don’t overmix! Whatever you do, do not overmix the flour mixture or dough or allow it to get too warm, to avoid flatter, tougher, and less flaky scones.
My favorite tool: this OXO bladed pastry blender makes quick and easy work of forming the dough by hand (so I don’t have to lug out my food processor).
Keep cold: Use a marble pastry board to help keep the dough cool. You can even place ice water in ziptop bags and ice down your counter if it’s a particularly hot day (just make sure it’s wiped dry before working the dough). If at any point you notice the butter become greasy and melty, pop the dough into the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes before proceeding.
Chill before baking: Once shaped, you can also place the baking sheet of unbaked scones in the fridge or freezer while the oven preheats, to ensure the butter remains nice and cold.
Sprinkle of Science
We’re stealing a trick from croissant baking that I also use in my Best Ever Pie Crust recipe! A little bit of “lamination” gets the scones to shoot up sky-high with tons of flaky layers. Don’t worry, it sounds more complicated than it actually is.
If this seems like too much work, just skip this step – they’ll still be delicious! Check out my How to Make Tall Scones & Biscuits article for more tips.
If adding any mix-ins, fold into the dough now. Turn the craggly mass of dough out onto your work surface. Shape it into a rectangle. Fold the rectangle horizontally in thirds, like you’re folding a piece of paper to go into an envelope. Flatten it out into a rectangle again.
Now fold it in thirds once more, but going the opposite direction. This will also help you to gently ‘knead’ the dough so it comes together into a more cohesive disk without overmixing it. Overmixing leads to rubbery and tough scones and biscuits.
Storage & Make ahead
Scones are best served within a few hours of baking. This is why I recommend making the dough in advance:
Refrigerate the Dough: The shaped unbaked scones can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight. Bake from the fridge as the recipe directs.
Freeze the Dough: Place shaped, unbaked scones inside an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month. No need to thaw, you can bake from frozen, adding about 2 minutes to the baking time.
Flavor Variations
Feel free to get creative with add-ins! You can fold in about 3/4 cup of dried fruit, chocolate chips, nuts, etc. Dried fruit or frozen berries, like raspberries, work better than fresh.
- Cranberry Orange Scones
- Pumpkin Scones
- Blueberry Scones
- Chocolate Chip Scones
- Lemon Poppy Seed: Add 3 tablespoons poppy seeds + 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest to the dough.
- Cinnamon Sugar: Mix 3 tablespoons granulated sugar with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and sprinkle on the after the egg wash.
How to Make A Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups (188 grams) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons water, milk, or citrus juice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, or other extract
- Citrus zest, to taste, if desired
Directions: Whisk all glaze ingredients together until thick but still pourable glaze forms. Spread or drizzle over cooled scones and let stand until glaze has set.
FAQs
I don’t recommend it, it’s worth the extra trip to the grocery store, promise. Did you know you can even freeze leftover buttermilk? Learn more about buttermilk here.
If you need to substitute, you can use Kefir. Or, for a different taste and texture altogether, use cream instead.
If you’re baking outside of the U.S., some kind readers have let me know how they find buttermilk or something similar in their home country:
France: Lait ribot or lait fermenté
Italian: latticello
UAE: Laban
India: Chaas leftover from paneer
Britain: Tesco and Asda sell buttermilk
Sweden: Filmjölk
Generally, American-style scones contain eggs and sugar, whereas biscuits do not. This makes for a sweeter and denser product.
Generally, American-style scones are richer, denser, and often loaded with different flavor additions. British-style scones are often lighter, drier, and more plain because they are meant to be served with clotted cream and jam. My recipe is American-style.
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Ingredients
- 3 cups (381 grams) all-purpose flour, measured correctly
- 1/3 cup (66 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 cup (237 grams) buttermilk
- 2 large eggs, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Coarse sugar, for topping
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat to 400°F. Line two baking pans with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
- Add the butter and cut with a pastry cutter or a fork until the butter is the size of large peas.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, 1 egg, and vanilla extract.
- Make a well in the middle and add the liquid mixture. Mix until just combined. Don't over mix. If adding in dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, or other flavorings, do so now.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface. *Optional Step: See Recipe Notes for lamination instructions.
- Divide into 2 equal parts. Lightly knead each into 3/4-inch thick, 6-inch diameter rounds. Cut each round into 8 wedges and place on your prepared baking pans. Space them out about 2 inches apart.
- Make Ahead: At this point, the unbaked scones can be covered and refrigerated overnight, or placed inside an airtight container and frozen for up to 1 month. If baking from frozen, add about 2 minutes to the baking time.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining egg with 1 teaspoon water. Brush over the scones. Sprinkle with the coarse sugar.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. The scones are best served warm, or within a few hours of baking.
Notes
- Turn the craggly mass of scone dough out onto your work surface.
- Shape it into a rectangle.
- Fold the rectangle horizontally in thirds, like you’re folding a piece of paper to go into an envelope.
- Flatten it out into a rectangle again.
- Fold it in thirds once more, but going in the opposite direction.
- This will also help you to gently ‘knead’ the dough so it comes together into a more cohesive disk without overmixing it. Continue with step 7 above.
More Brunch Recipes You’ll Love:
- Savory Scones (made with shallots, jalapenos, and cheese!)
- Ultimate Muffin Recipe (customizable!)
- Quiche Lorraine
- Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
This recipe was originally published in May 2017 and updated in 2023 with new photos and even more baking tips. Photos by Joanie Simon.
can i add cheese
We haven’t tried that! Let us know how it goes if you do 🙂
how much sugar do i add pls i dont see it in the instructions maybe my pc is glitching
Hi Sera! Granulated sugar is the second ingredient listed, you’ll use 1/3 cup (66 grams). Let us know what you think of this recipe if you give it a try!
I thought making scones with laminated dough was beyond me, but this was easy (though a little messy!) These are now the preferred scones in our house.
Happy to hear that!
I followed the recipe exactly, including laminating it, and the scones turned out flaky and tasty, but flat. They hardly rose at all. The hubs (who knows how to bake better than I do), suggested that I let the buttermilk mixture get too warm. I didn’t see anything about keeping the buttermilk cold, so it sat out for probably a half hour before I got it into the dry mix. Oh well, every scone recipe I try turns out flat. I will figure it out eventually.
Sorry you experienced issues with this recipe, Jennifer! When making scones, it is important to keep your ingredients cold, but especially your butter. Scones that turn out flat can be due to over mixing the dough or allowing it to get too warm. I hope you give this recipe another try, but be sure to keep your ingredients cold, and don’t over mix the dough. You can also pop the tray of shaped, unbaked scones in the fridge or freezer while the oven preheats to ensure that the butter remains nice and cold. Let me know how it goes if you try again!
Could you make the dough Friday evening and bake them Saturday afternoon?
Yup! We talk about how to do that in the recipe’s directions as well as the pink tip box above the recipe 🙂 Keeping them in the fridge for a bit longer than if you baked them in the morning is completely fine 🙂 Enjoy your scones!
Hello Tessa,
Thanks a lot for this recipe. Having read most of the delighted comments I am now really looking forward to having a go ☺️
however (and sorry in advance for the question ) could you please advise me about the quantity in grams or milliliters for the cup of buttermilk… I am French and live in England therefore I can’t measure in us cups … Thanks in advance
Hi Aura! While we’re huge advocates of using a digital scale when baking, we actually don’t normally weigh liquid ingredients (milk, water, or creams) because there’s no air inside those ingredients-we tend to use a liquid measuring cup instead; however, a quick search on Google brought up that 1 cup of buttermilk is about 242 grams. If you come across any other recipes that use volume measurements instead of weight, you might be interested in using our free Ingredient Measuring Guide. Just as a note, don’t use the measurement for regular milk from the guide for buttermilk as buttermilk is heavier than regular milk 🙂 Hope that helps!
These scones totally changed my mind about scones! They were absolutely delicious and Tessa’s tips – as always – make all the difference. Thank you for all the fantastic guidance, Tessa!
So happy you enjoyed your scones, Tricia!
Dear Tessa, thanks for the recipe. I made these and they turned out lovely. I used lavender and cardamom as the flavorings and served them with butter, cream, jam and a cup of tea. Delicious! Definitely one to keep in the pocket.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks again
Carol
Your flavor of scones sounds absolutely heavenly! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
I never comment, but these were fantastic. Easy to make and delicious. My husband who doesn’t even like scones loved these. Wonderful recipe thank you!
I’m so glad to hear that, Shannon!
I added in a half teaspoon of lemon myrtle and served with honey from Kytheria (thyme flower honey). Amazing
Sounds yummy!
These scones were lovely and flaky. I added dried cherries to mine and they were so good. I live in Canada and I believe the flour here is different than that available in The USA. The dough was slightly wet so I had to drop them on the baking sheet instead of lightly kneading them as per the instructions. Nevertheless, the results were just as good, so I’m giving it five stars.
N.B. 1.5 sticks of butter is equivalent to 3/4 cup of butter.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these scones!
This recipe is flawed. The ingredient amounts listed in cups vs weight aren’t the same… 3 cups of flour is 450g not 381g. 1/3c granulated sugar is 100g, not 60g. I’m not sure which measurement is the correct one, using weight did not seem to be correct. Anyways…I will be using another recipe next time