Leavening For Scones | Ask Nigella.com (2024)

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Leavening For Scones | Ask Nigella.com? ›

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Baking powder is the preferred leavening agent, and they are usually enriched with eggs, milk, dairy fat and sugar. Inclusions such as fruit, nuts or chocolate are often included. Critical aspects in the production of scones include: Proper baking powder formulation.

For example, if the recipe calls for a teaspoon of baking powder, substitute it with ½ a teaspoon of bicarb soda and then include an additional teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to offset the acidic components.

As well as the raising agent in the flour, baking powder adds a bit of lift to scones. Baking powder is a convenient choice as it is a ready-mixed leavening agent, generally made of bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar (usually some cornflour too).

Active Dry Yeast: this dry, granular yeast is the most commonly used. It must be activated or proofed by dissolving it in warm water, ideally heated to 105ºF. Instant Dry Yeast: a dry, granular yeast that can be mixed directly in with your flour and does not require proofing. Use ⅓ to ½ less than active dry yeast.

Baking soda, also called sodium bicarbonate, is a chemical compound that is best used for a quick-rise in pancakes, waffles, and cookies. Baking soda is a base, so when an acid ingredient is added to the mixture, it causes a fast reaction. Think elementary school volcano experiments!

Much like cinnamon rolls, arranging your scones side by side, just touching one another, helps in making the scones rise evenly, and higher.

Overworking the dough: when you overwork your dough, your scones can come out tough and chewy, rather than that desired light, crumbly texture. The trick is to use light pressure and only the work the dough until it just comes together.

How long should you rest scones before baking? ›

Recipes for scones sometimes provide a make-ahead option that involves refrigerating the dough overnight so it can simply be shaped and then popped into the oven the next day. But now we've found that resting the dough overnight has another benefit: It makes for more symmetrical and attractive pastries.

Use all-purpose flour for a higher rising scone that holds its shape nicely, both in and out of the oven. To make more delicate, lower-rising, cake-like scones, substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour.

Leavening: The leavening in scones is typically double acting baking powder and steam, but scones may also use some baking soda to offset acidic ingredients, such as buttermilk, lemon, yogurt, and sour cream. Sometimes cream of tartar and baking soda will be used.

Baking powder

You can use 1.5 teaspoons (6 grams) of baking powder to replace 1 teaspoon (3.5 grams) of cream of tartar. This substitution is ideal because it can be used in any recipe without modifying the taste or texture of the final product.

The baking powder/baking soda-acid combines with the liquid in the dough or batter to release carbon dioxide bubbles which are trapped in the starch and protein gel created by the combination of flour with the liquid used to make the scones; usually milk, cream or buttermilk.

The earliest scones were unleavened and typically made with oats and milk. They were often cooked on a griddle and served with butter, jam, honey, or clotted cream. Today, scones are made with all sorts of ingredients like flour, sugar, butter, eggs, baking powder etc.