Light & Fluffy Scones - Julia's Cuisine (2024)

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Make these English style Light & Fluffy Scones for your next afternoon treat. Using minimal ingredients with easy prep and baking time! Great served with butter and jam or Homemade Lemon Curd.

Light & Fluffy Scones - Julia's Cuisine (1)

Scones are probably one of my favourite go to easy treats to make. And these are super easy to make and they don’t use a whole lot of ingredients. It will be stuff you already have on hand in your pantry. If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you probably would have seen my Lemon Curd Filled Scones or my delicious Cranberry Scones. And if you look around, you’ll find even more!

With that being said, let’s dive into this recipe for big fluffy scones.

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What are Traditional English Scones

They are the basic component of the British Afternoon Tea! Although, I’ve never attended a posh Afternoon Tea, I’ve had scones in the afternoon at my mother-in-laws house. And that’s posh enough.

Scones are an easy to put together baked treat. Made from just a few simple and basic baking ingredients. Traditionally they are served with clotted cream.

You can serve them with whipping cream, fruit, berries or butter and jam like shown here.

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What We Need to Make this Recipe for Big Fluffy Scones

Just a few basic and simple ingredients, that’s all we need. We’re using plain flour, butter, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk and a egg to glaze. That’s it friends. Easy!

  • 2 cup plain flour
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp butter cold
  • ⅔ cup milk
  • 1 egg yolk plus 1 tbsp milk to glaze

BAKING TIP Get all your ingredients, baking equipment, spoons and whatever else necessary for the recipe before starting. This will always make the baking experience better!

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How To Make The Lightest Fluffiest Scones

  • Preheat the oven – 425 degrees F and have a large baking tray ready. Remember, be organized!
  • Combine dry ingredients – to a large mixing bowl and use a wire whisk to combine them well.

ALWAYS READ THE FULL RECIPE TO THE END BEFORE STARTING. THE FULL RECIPE WITH THE INGREDIENT LIST AND INSTRUCTIONS CAN BE FOUND AT THE END OF THE POST IN THE RECIPE CARD.

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Light & Fluffy Scones - Julia's Cuisine (6)
  • Cut in the cold butter – use your fingertips to incorporate it into the dry ingredients. It will have a coarse bread crumb like texture.

USE COLD BUTTER. Always use cold butter in scones. This help create air pockets as the butter melts as the scones bake. This helps create a lighter texture associated with scones.

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Light & Fluffy Scones - Julia's Cuisine (8)
  • Pour in milk – do this slow, stirring as you pour. You are looking for a sticky dough texture.
  • Place scone dough on a floured surface – add a little bit of flour to the top of the dough.

REMEMBER, This is a sticky dough. You want it to be sticky to ensure a scone that’s not dry.

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Light & Fluffy Scones - Julia's Cuisine (10)

Press or Roll The Dough

  • Press or roll the dough – into one inch thickness. Yes, you can do this with your hands OR you can use a rolling pin. Whatever works for you.
  • Cut into circles – Use a 2 inch circle cutter to cut out your scones. Make sure you lightly flour the cutter before cutting into the dough. If not, the cutter will stick to the dough.

TIP FOR FLOURING THE COOKIE CUTTER. Place a small amount of flour on a clean surface and dip the cookie cutter in the flour to coat. Repeat steps each time you cut a new scone.

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Light & Fluffy Scones - Julia's Cuisine (12)
  • Place unbaked scones on a baking tray – Place the scones on the baking tray evenly spaced apart.
  • Make the egg wash – Whisk together the egg yolk with 1 tbsp of milk and lightly brush the tops of the scones.
  • Bake for 12 – 15 minutes – The scones will be risen and golden when done. Remove from oven and leave on the tray to cool.

REMEMBER, All ovens are created differently. Get to know your oven when making new recipes. Adjust baking times according to your oven and keep notes for the future.

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Light & Fluffy Scones - Julia's Cuisine (14)

Big Fluffy Scones Fresh From the Oven

I gotta say, there isn’t anything much better than a fresh baked scone. I can easily eat more than one. They are small remember…ha!

Admittedly, these are best the day they are baked. You just can’t beat a fresh scone. I personally like them warm from the oven with butter and jam.

That being said, they will keep for a few days in an airtight container.

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How To serve These Big Fluffy Scones

If you’re planning to serve yours with jam, I highly recommend the Partridgeberry Jam from Ikea! If you happen to be near an Ikea that is. It’s called Lingonberry Jam at Ikea though.

It’s honestly the best jam. You can read all about that jam in my post for Partridgeberry Crumble Squares. Which, by the way, are a must bake treat as well.

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Can these Traditional Scones be Prepared in Advance to Bake Later

Simple answer, NO. I’ll explain below why.

Okay, so you can combine all the dry ingredients but not the wet ingredients.

This recipe uses baking powder which activates as soon as it touches liquid. So, as soon as you put the dough together, you have to bake them.

HOWEVER, you can bake in advance and reheat before serving if you like them to be warm.

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Here’s a Few More Scone Recipes You’ll Love

  • Lemon Curd Filled Scones
  • Lemon Scones
  • Strawberry Cream Scones
  • Cranberry Scones
  • Pumpkin Scones
  • Fresh Apricot Scones
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Can I add Any Other Flavours To The Scones

  • Dates or raisins
  • Berries like blueberries, raspberries or strawberries
  • Lemon zest to make Lemon Scones
  • Make them savoury by adding grated cheese.

Like what you see today? Don’t forget you can follow on Facebook for daily inspiration or over on Instagram where I sometimes do daily cooking videos for fun! I’m also on Pinterest which is a great place that you can save and share your favourite recipes. As well, if you haven’t yet, Subscribe to the newsletter. You’ll be notified whenever there’s a new recipe! You can do that at the top of the page.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get my scones to rise light and fluffy?

Make sure the oven it at the correct temperature, don’t overwork the dough and use the correct amount of baking powder

Why are my scones dense?

Some common reasons for dense scones are not using enough baking powder, overworking the dough and not baking with the oven at the correct temperature.

Why are my scones hard on the outside?

Again, this is generally because you overworked the dough. Take care in working with scone dough so you don’t end up with tough scones.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Make these Light & Fluffy Scones for your next afternoon treat. Using minimal ingredients with easy prep and baking time! Great served with butter and jam.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Snack

Cuisine: British

Keyword: jam, scones

Servings: 10 scones

Calories: 147kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

  • 2 cup plain flour
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp butter cold
  • cup milk
  • 1 egg yolk plus 1 tbsp milk to glaze

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 425F. Grease a large baking tray and set aside.

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk together.

  • Cut in the butter in cubes. Using your fingers, combine it into the flour mixture. It will be crumbly.

  • Slowly start pouring in the milk, mixing as you add it in. You just need the dough to come together and it will be quite sticky.

  • Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and lightly dust the top of the dough with flour.

  • Lightly knead the dough about 2 to 3 times. Gently press or roll the dough out to 1inch thick.

  • Using a floured 2 inch cookie cutter, cut the dough into 10 circles.

  • Place the dough circles on your baking tray.

  • Whisk together the egg with milk and brush the tops of the scones.

  • Bake between 12 – 15 minutes or until puffed up and golden.

  • Remove from oven and allow to cool. Can be served straight away and will keep up to two days in an airtight container.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Nutrition Facts

Light & Fluffy Scones

Amount Per Serving (1 scone)

Calories 147Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Fat 5g8%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Cholesterol 30mg10%

Sodium 324mg14%

Potassium 48mg1%

Carbohydrates 23g8%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 157IU3%

Calcium 119mg12%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping by & Hope To See You Soon!

Light & Fluffy Scones - Julia's Cuisine (21)

Related

Light & Fluffy Scones - Julia's Cuisine (2024)

FAQs

Why aren't my scones light and fluffy? ›

Avoid using a food processor to mix scones: A food processor will work, but it often overworks the scone dough. We recommend using your hands until the mixture comes together. Overworking the dough will lead to scones that are tough and chewy, rather than light and flaky.

What is the best flour for scones? ›

We recommend using all-purpose flour. There is some debate as to what flour one should use to go around achieving the perfect scone. This is because within different flours comes different levels of protein.

What is the secret to making scones rise? ›

To ensure taller scones, start with a thicker dough disc and place the scones on a tray with sides, allowing them to slightly touch one another. This arrangement encourages the scones to push against the pan and each other, promoting height.

Why do my scones go flat and not rise? ›

Why Are My Scones Flat? Expired leavening agents. Your baking powder and/or baking soda could be expired. Most scone and biscuit recipes call for quite a large amount of leavening, and if either are expired, your scones simply won't rise to beautiful heights.

Why are my scones heavy and dense? ›

My scones have a dense, heavy texture and poor volume

You may have used too little raising agent or over handled the dough before it was baked. The oven may have been too cool.

What not to do when making scones? ›

Just a reminder: Don't overwork the dough or the scones will turn out rubbery – or worse, bullety and hard. Cut out your scones cleanly. Twisting the cutter can impair the rise. If you use a fluted cutter, you can't twist it.

Should you chill scone dough before baking? ›

Keep scone dough as cold as possible. To avoid over-spreading, I recommend chilling the shaped scones for at least 15 minutes in the refrigerator before baking. In fact, you can even refrigerate overnight for a quick breakfast in the morning! Bake until golden brown.

Why do you put eggs in scones? ›

You might need a teaspoon or two more cream as its consistency is thicker than milk. Large Egg - The egg helps bind the ingredients together and increases the richness and flavour. Unsalted butter - Has to be cold to create flaky layers within the scone.

Why do you grate butter for scones? ›

Although Chang cuts cubed butter into the dry mix with a stand mixer at Flour, she says that, with the grating method, “you ensure that some butter stays in small pieces, for the steam and puff; and some butter starts to soften and mix into the dough, for tenderness.”

Is baking soda or baking powder better for scones? ›

You can use baking soda if you've added an acidic ingredient to the dough (e.g. buttermilk, vinegar, lemon juice). Use baking powder if you have not added anything acidic.

What is the best raising agent for scones and why? ›

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).

What is the secret of scones? ›

7 Baking Tips for Making Better Scones
  1. For a better rise, use cold butter — or even frozen butter. ...
  2. When it comes to mixing, don't overdo it; mix until the dough just comes together. ...
  3. Use pastry flour for the lightest scones. ...
  4. "Once you've shaped your scones, chill them before baking," Youngman says.
Jun 28, 2023

Should you sift flour for scones? ›

First and foremost, brilliant scones are about having the confidence to do as little as possible. The less you knead the mix, the less the gluten will tighten up – which means your scones will stay loose and crumbly, rather than tight and springy. Make sure you sieve the flour and baking powder into your bowl.

How do you keep scones from getting hard? ›

Avoid overworking your scone dough when shaping. Don't overbake! If you bake scones too long, they'll dry out, so keep an eye on them through the oven window. (Don't open the oven to look — it'll let out the heat.)

What to avoid when making scones? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Baking Scones
  1. Using anything but cold ingredients. The secret to the flakiest scones is to start with cold ingredients — cold butter, cold eggs, and cold cream. ...
  2. Only using all-purpose flour. ...
  3. Overmixing the dough. ...
  4. Not chilling the dough before baking. ...
  5. Baking them ahead of time.
May 1, 2019

How long should you rest scones before baking? ›

Leave your scones to rest on the tray for about 10 minutes before brushing the tops with some extra milk. Bake in your pre-heated oven for 10 minutes.

Does baking soda make scones rise? ›

Always use well-chilled butter! Also, make sure you use the correct amount of baking powder or bicarbonate of soda in the recipe. These leavening agents release carbon dioxide which escapes in the form of bubbles when heat is added – these help the scones rise properly and give them a light and fluffy texture.

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