Easy Basic Buttermilk Scones

If you're a scone lover like I am (big fan!) you'll love this easy recipe for buttermilk scones. They are soft, fluffy and ready in less than an hour! Check out my top tips for making the best ones. Did you know you can freeze them too? That way you can have freshly baked scones to order!

They are light and dense at the same time, with the perfect butter flavor that is definitely there but doesn't taste heavy. As all scones should.

Scone making runs in my family and it's a big deal.

My Irish great-grandmother passed down 'the' recipe. It was made by many but, of course, nobody could ever replicate it exactly like her and get the same results. They were always almost as good.

Or so they say. I never met her. And definitely never ate her scones.

But I had an aunt who made them and trust me when I say that these buttermilk scones are better. The horror, I know, if the family hears me. But it's true, so I rest my case.

Mixing

The mixing of dry ingredients with butter can be made in 2 ways:

By hand - a bowl where you integrate the cold butter with your hands. This can take a few minutes as the butter needs to end up being the size of peas and beans because it will be irregular. 

Food processor - the butter and dry ingredients are integrated by pulsing a few times. This is way faster and less messy (no hands involved) and the only thing to watch out for is not getting carried aways and processing the butter too much. 

Then comes the adding of wet ingredients, and that needs to be made by hand because it is a light mixing, barely forming a shaggy dough. In the second case, you have to transfer the mixture from the food processor to another bowl. So you end up washing 2 bowls. 

I also find making them by hand very therapeutic. But either way works fine. 

This recipe here is a very classic one, neither sweet nor salty. A neutral, very balanced buttermilk scone recipe.

Add-ins 

The possibilities are many.

• You can add citrus zest, seeds (lemon and poppy seed always work), ground spices such as cardamom or cinnamon some mini chocolate chips or even minced herbs. Don't go crazy, just a 1/4 cup or so, this is not a large recipe.

So let your imagination flow, or eat them plain and warm with butter and jam (my favorite way).

Whatever flavor, be sure to follow the 3 tips above and you'll get raves and become the official scone maker in your family or circle of friends.

Once you start making them it's hard to stop, so here are a few scones recipe ideas to distract you for a while.

Buttermilk 

Buttermilk has some acidity and that makes doughs more tender. They have a better crumb and acid to balance the amount of butter and add some tanginess.

Homemade buttermilk: for every 1 cup of milk add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. I always use juice as I think it goes better with baked things.

Freezing

Scones freeze like a dream. You can keep a batch in the freezer and bake to order!

Freeze the already cut scones until they are rock solid and then transfer them to a bag. That way they will be covered and will occupy much less space in your freezer. 

When you crave warm, fluffy scones, bake them directly from the freezer at a 375°F/190°C oven. 

Coatings/glazes 

I like them plain; they turn out with a matte floury finish that I love. But I think most people prefer a shiny coating before going into the oven and/or a glaze after they come out. So here are some ideas:

• Brush them with milk/egg and sprinkle them with sugar for a sweeter and crunchier version
• Brush them with water and sprinkle with grated parmesan or sesame seeds and make them savory. Eat the latter with ham and cheese, sort of a mini savory version of shortcake.
• Brush them with egg wash (an egg, lightly beaten with a tablespoon of water) for a more golden finish.
• Powdered sugar glaze is my favorite. It consists of powdered sugar and your liquid of choice which can be citrus juice, milk, water, liquor, fresh fruit juice such as raspberry, honey, syrups or even olive oil.

I used the lemon juice version because it's by far my favorite; a little zing on a perfectly plain scone.

Top tips

• Very cold ingredients. I’m not kidding when I say frozen butter, at least very cold. And don’t take the cream half an hour before you start mixing the scones. Butter, cream, milk, they belong in the fridge until you need to scatter and pour them.
• Don't work the dough much. It should come together but still have floury patches. You don’t need to work it until it’s smooth, like a pie dough for instance. It is an uneven dough, with dry spots, and that’s good for flakiness later.
• A rather high oven. They need that extra heat (and baking powder) to rise however they can in spite of all that butter and cream. And if by any chance you forgot to turn the oven on before you start with the mixing, please don’t leave the baking sheet with the cut scones waiting on the counter. Put them in the fridge or freezer the ten or fifteen minutes it takes for the oven to reach its temperature.

Other recipes you might like:
Fresh Strawberry Scones
Parmesan Chive Scones
Orange Cream Mini Scones
Double Cheese Scones
Cranberry Orange Scones
Pear Cobbler

Let me know if you make this recipe! I'd love to hear what you think about it.
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