Everybody needs a great, classic scone recipe!!! These are really quick plain scones you’ll make again and again.
These scones are made with a food processor which is not only faster, it eliminates the risk of common pitfalls. Soft and fluffy insides, golden tops, serve them with copious amounts of jam and cream for the ultimate classic afternoon experience.
Classic plain scone recipe
Perhaps the simplest of all baked goods in this entire world, the humble scone surely conjures up fond memories for every Aussie. Gatherings with family and friends, school bake sales, fundraising morning teas at work, a quaint little cafe in the Southern Highlands, or your grandmother’s kitchen.
(Your grandmother, not mine. Mine lived in Tokyo and hated cooking. I would have died of shock if she ever baked anything. Or refused to eat it out of suspicion 😂).
Plain scones – made easy!
This is how I make plain scones. They are soft and fluffy on the inside, with the signature “flaky folds” when you break it open, and a golden rustic-but-not-too-rustic top:
Food processor. Self raising flour and cold butter – blitz 8 seconds. Add milk – blitz 8 seconds until ball forms.
Turn dough out, knead lightly 10 times (no more), lightly roll across the top to smooth surface. Cut scones out, bake 12 minutes.
No egg. No lard. No cream. No sugar. Why complicate something that’s already perfect?
Food processor, all the way
“Food processor?”, I hear traditionalists gasp in shock.
Yes. (She says firmly). Food processor. Not only is it faster with literally zero effort, it eliminates a lot of “risk factors” when it comes to making scones (eg overworking dough, melting butter with hot hands) and the dough comes together better. Softer and smoother, which means your scones will have a smoother top compared to handmade ones.
Here’s a comparison of the finger-rubbing method vs food processor. They are virtually identical in terms of rise and fluffy-factor, but the surface of the food processor scone is noticeably smoother.
Not that there’s anything wrong with a rustic top on scones. Scones are, after all, humble and rustic food, not intended to look like something from a Michelin star patisserie. 🙂
Essential Tips for making the BEST Scones!
It alarms me that I feel like I could write an entire essay on scones, so I’m restraining myself and summarising final tips for your new scone making life.
1. Resist the urge to twist – I feel like my hand always wants to twist when pressing the cutter into the dough. Resist the urge. Push straight down and pull straight back up. This will ensure your scones rise and they rise straight, not wonky.
2. Don’t smooth the sides once cut – For the same reason as above. So when handling the cut scones, minimise touching the cut sides.
3. Knead 10 times, no more – Kneading the dough makes the surface of scones smoother with a more even rise. However, many recipes will tell you never to knead the dough because it would make the scones tough.
After decades of scone making, I can definitively tell you – scones can take kneading. I have found that 10 light kneads does not affect the fluffiness, rise or softness of scones at all, but it does make the scones smoother on the surface.
So 10 kneads. That’s my rule!
4. How do you serve scones? With copious amounts of of jam and cream, with coffee and tea. I know not of any other way. 🤷🏻♀️
Scones Q&A
- What’s the difference between a biscuit and a scone? That’s biscuits as they’re known in America that look like scones! A southern classic served savoury, fabulous with grits, sausage gravy and eggs. And a comparison of this humble Aussie scone recipe with this New York Times Biscuits recipe verifies that they are indeed made the same way – just used for different purposes. 🙂
- Should scones have egg? Some recipes do, but it’s much softer and fluffier without egg (because egg binds better but removes moisture from baked goods). I tried with and without side by side just to be 100% sure.
- Are scones British? Yes, we Aussies have the Brits to thank for brining scones to our shores. 🙂
- Why are my scones lopsided? To avoid wonky scones, see Tip #1 above: press the cutter straight up and down, do not twist. And avoid touching the sides when transferring to the baking tray.
- How long to scones keep? Scones are best served on the day they are made but will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Just warm them before serving to make them soft and fluffy.
The great Aussie scone. Old fashioned comfort food that will never go out of fashion.
Interestingly, someone told me the other day that apparently there’s a Great Debate in the UK about whether jam or cream should be dolloped on first. The thought of cream first then dolloping jam on the cream never even crossed my mind!
Someone, please explain!! 😂 – Nagi x
More Aussie favourites
- Lemonade Scones 3 ingredient shortcut scones!
- Pikelets
- Lamingtons
- Pavlova
- Sausage Rolls
- Party Pies
And more afternoon tea favourites
- Cinnamon Swirl Bread – easy, no yeast!
- Cheese, Herb and Garlic Loaf or Zucchini Cheese Loaf– quick bread, no yeast
- Apple Muffins or Apple Cake
- Raspberry Bars or Strawberry Bars
- Blueberry Lemon Loaf with Lemon Glaze or Blueberry Lemon Yoghurt Cake
- Savoury Cheese Muffins or Cornbread Muffins (personal fave😇)
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Scones
Ingredients
- 3 cups / 450g self raising flour (Note 1)
- 80 g / 3 oz cold salted butter , cut into 1 cm / 2/5" cubes (Note 2)
- 1 cup / 250 ml milk, fridge cold (Note 2)
- Extra flour , for dusting
- Extra milk , for brushing
Serving:
- Strawberry jam (or other of choice)
- 250 ml / 1 cup whipping cream
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C/390F (standard) or 180C/350F (fan / convection).
- Place flour in food processor, then butter. Blitz on high for 8 seconds until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Pour milk all over the flour (don't pour in one place). Blitz for 6 to 8 seconds on high until the crumbs turn into ball(s).
- Transfer dough onto work surface, scrape out residual bits in the food processor.
- Knead lightly no more than 10 times just to bring the dough together into one smooth ball, then pat down into a 2 cm / 4/5" thick disc. Dust with extra flour if necessary (I don't need it).
- Optional: Lightly roll across the top with a rolling pin to smooth the top.
- Dip a 5 cm / 2" round cutter into Extra Flour.
- Plunge cutter straight down and back out into dough - do not twist. Repeat all over disc.
- Remove excess dough from around scones, then carefully transfer scones onto baking tray, taking care not to smear / press the cut sides. (Note 4)
- Gather together dough scraps and repeat. I get 10 scones in total.
- Brush tops lightly with milk. (Optional)
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the top is golden and it sounds hollow when tapped.
- Remove from oven, then transfer onto dish towel and wrap loosely (makes top soft).
- Once cooled to warm (10 - 15 minutes), serve warm.
- Tradition is to split the scone with hands (no knife!), slather with jam and dollop on cream.
Cream:
- Whip cream, sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Makes 2 cups of whipped cream.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
Of course I didn’t give him an entire scone piled high with jam and cream…… I mean, that face? I can totally resist.
I have always wanted to make scones but I love in the tropics and so pastry or anything with cold butter, has always scared me. But this recipe finally gave me the ‘courage’😃 I loved the ‘normal’ batch so much that I immediately made another one but added a little sugar, lemon zest and juice, and some white chocolate, and they were FANTASTIC! I just kept making them a little too thin, but I will definitely keep practicing😃 yum!
Yesssss! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
I’ve had hit-and-miss luck with scones for years. This recipe seems to be the one I’m sticking with – so easy, and it gave great results first time.
My preference is clotted (not whipped) cream down first, then the jam. To me, the cream is a stand-in for butter, and I’d never put butter over jam on my toast, so why not do that on my scone?
If I *were* using whipped cream, though, then it’d be jam first, since whipped cream is more of a dessert topping.
Oh, Life…why so many rules? 😎
Thanks for another fantastic recipe.
Totally with you there Ryan! Clotted cream isn’t easily available here so I always stick to whipped cream. I’m so glad you love this recipe ❤️
Hi – clotted cream is easy enough to make, but it requires planning a day or so ahead, which eliminates it for me. 😎
I make a mock clotted cream by whisking a cup of heavy (double) cream, 1/2 cup of mascarpone, and a TB of sugar together, then chilling it.
It’s not clotted cream, but it’s the right consistency and it’s good.
Hi Nagi, I love this scone recipe, will be using it forever! Thank you 🙂
That’s great to hear!! ❤️
Hi Nagi,
I’m a big fan, tried this recipe this afternoon and it’s just the best. So easy, not as messy, very quick and absolute NO FAIL recipe. My husband thought they were the best he’d ever had. Served with the traditional Strawberry Jam & Clotted cream…yuummm!!
Yesssss, I love hearing this! – N x
This is the best and most simple NO FAIL scone recipe ever!
Yessss! So glad you love it!
Nagi, you’ve absolutely done it again – made me look amazing in the kitchen, that is! I’m not much of a baker so I don’t own a cookie cutter. I ended up using an empty Pringles container to make my non-cookie-cutter scones. They tasted amazing! Thank you for sharing! X
Clotted cream vs. jam on top is a Cornwall and Devon debate. In Cornwall the clotted cream in always on top of the jam and in Devon the jam is on top of the clotted cream.
Ah I see!
For the longest time scones and macarons were my baking foes… I don’t have a food processor at home, but I made these nevertheless and they were beautiful. Thank you for crossing it off for me!
Hi Nagi,
I was wondering how you can use buttermilk to make your scones.
Love your recipes 🙂
Oh I haven’t tried these with buttermilk, I’m sure they’d be amazing, I’ll have to give it a go and get back to you!
I look forward to hearing from you 🥰🥰
Hi Nagi
So apparently the reason the cream goes on the scone first is because it replaces the butter (didn’t know this until I watched an English program) Lol. Hope this helps:)
Interesting!!
Hi Nagi, do you mean to roll the dough to 2cm or is it 4 or 5 cm? Thanks!
2 cm thick, 5 cm wide round circles 🙂 Hope that helps! N x
A friend of mine made these every 3rd day or so. She lived in central Queensland on a lonely, dry, non-forested property. They could always see (by the dust cloud) when a vehicle turned into into their driveway. It took about 15 minutes from the road to their home, and in that time she would have mixed the scone dough, whisked the scones into the oven and have them out and steaming just as the vehicle drew up. Plus a proper pot of tea. She said the process was so easy and automatic that she never thought about it. (I was just aghast at the thought and the expertise). But it does encapsulate the traditional Aussie welcome.
Oh Margaret! That story just melts my heart in so many ways. I absolutely love it! N xx
Thank you a very clear simple way to make perfect scones
You’re so welcome Gloria! N x
Love, love good scone. Haven’t made it in long, long time. Years ago use to work with kids and scones were every week. Also long time ago one day had visitors after visitors and that day MADED three times and none left by the time last person arrived. They were all unexpected visits. Yours is interesting no eggs. Love doing rubbing butter. Thank you. Hugs for Doser!
Hi Vera! I 100% promise you, scones without eggs is more moist and tender 🙂 I tried it with and without side by side! N x
Hi Nagi! Excited to try these! Is there a way to mix dried fruit or raisins into this? Do I just add them in or do any adjustments need to be made?
Hi Kayla! I blitz until the dough starts to come together, then I add the fruit then blitz until a ball forms. If you do it too early, then the food processor can chop the fruit and that affects the dough. I find it much easier to use the food processor than doing by hand when adding fruit! N x
Hi Nagi,
Will my scones be ok/still soft if i make them the night before serving at a morning tea?
Thank you.