Everybody needs a great, classic scone recipe!!! These are really quick plain scones you’ll make again and again. Soft and fluffy insides, golden tops, serve them with copious amounts of jam and cream for the ultimate classic afternoon experience.
A CLASSIC SCONE RECIPE YOU’LL MAKE AGAIN AND AGAIN….
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. 🙂
Using a food processor, all you have to know is to take your finger off the BLITZ button the second you see a ball being blasted around in your food processor (watch the video, it’s helpful!) and your scones will always come out like THIS (minus the small chubby fingers of course):
ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR MAKING 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. No egg – Tried it with and without (side by side batch), a recipe from a very well known British Chef (whom I love dearly so will remain unnamed). No egg is considerably softer and fluffier inside. Which is to be expected – because egg binds but removes moisture from baked goods.
5. How do you serve scones? With copious amounts of of jam and cream, with coffee and tea. I know not of any other way. 🤷🏻♀️
DIFFERENT SCONES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
“OUR scones don’t look like this!”
Errr…. guessing you’re from America or Canada. 🙂 What you know as scones are cut like pizza wedges from a round disc and are usually flavoured and often glazed. So no, your scones don’t look like ours. BOTH are delish!
“Hang on…..but are these BISCUITS???”
That’s biscuits, as they’re known in America. A southern classic, fabulous with grits, sausage gravy and eggs. And a comparison of this humble Aussie scone recipe with this New York Times biscuits recipe, it would seem they are indeed the same thing – just used for different purposes. 🙂
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
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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.
ANN says
Hi Nagi, do you mean to roll the dough to 2cm or is it 4 or 5 cm? Thanks!
Nagi says
2 cm thick, 5 cm wide round circles 🙂 Hope that helps! N x
Margaret Ridland says
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.
Nagi says
Oh Margaret! That story just melts my heart in so many ways. I absolutely love it! N xx
Gloria says
Thank you a very clear simple way to make perfect scones
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Gloria! N x
Vera G says
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!
Nagi says
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
Kayla says
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?
Nagi says
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
Ebony says
Hi Nagi,
Will my scones be ok/still soft if i make them the night before serving at a morning tea?
Thank you.