The Best Basic Scones Recipe For The Perfect Scone Everytime Recipe

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Classic plain scones are essential to a traditional afternoon tea. This scones recipe is a must-have treat that never fails to impress.

Using only self-raising flour, butter and milk, you can't go wrong with this traditional scone recipe.

What is the secret to making good scones?

Better Homes and Gardens food editor Sarah Murphy shares the secret to making good scones.

Firstly, she advises against twisting the cutter when cutting out the dough, emphasising the importance of pushing straight down instead.

Secondly, Sarah recommends using gentle and delicate hands when kneading the dough, unlike the force used for bread kneading.

Lastly, while ensuring the bench is well-floured, Sarah cautions against adding extra flour during shaping, as it can alter the final outcome of the scone. Read more tips for making perfect scones.

Why do you mix scones with a knife?

Mixing scones with a knife is a common technique used to ensure that the dough is properly combined without overworking it.

When making scones, it's important to be gentle with the dough so its light and fluffy. Using a knife helps to cut and fold the ingredients together without excessive mixing.

This method helps to avoid developing too much gluten, which can result in dense and tough scones.

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Ingredients

3 cups self-raising flour

100g unsalted butter, chopped

1 cup milk

Extra flour, for dusting

Jam and whipped cream, for serving

Method

Preheat oven to 220C. Dust an oven tray with extra flour. Sift flour into a large mixing bowl. Add butter. Use your finger tips to rub butter into flour until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Step 1
Make a well in the centre. Add milk and mix with a butter knife until mixture comes together to form a soft loose dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead briefly (about 30 seconds) until dough is smooth.

Step 2
Use the palm of your hand to press dough into a 2cm thick round. Use a 5cm cookie cutter to cut 12 rounds from dough. Place rounds onto prepared tray, about 2cm apart. Dust with a small amount of flour.

Step 3
Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature with jam and cream.

COOK'S TIPS

If you don’t have a cookie cutter on hand, just form the dough into a rectangular shape. Use a sharp knife to cut dough into 12 rectangles.
You can re-roll any scraps but try to limit the amount of times you re-roll to once, as the scones wont be as light and tender.
Wrapping warm cooked scones with a clean tea-towel will give them a soft crust.
If the weather is really cold, and your finding it hard to soften your butter at room temperature, chill your butter and grate it. This will make it easy to incorporate it into the flour.

Andre Martin

More scone recipes to make

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Andre Martin

Cheese and herb scones

Add ½ cup grated tasty cheese and 2 tablespoons each of finely chopped chives and parsley to butter and flour mixture, just before adding the milk.

Date scones

Soak 1/2 cup roughly chopped pitted dates in boiling water for 10 minutes to soften. Drain well. Add soaked dates to butter and flour mixture just before adding milk.

Sundried tomato and olive scones

Add 2 tablespoons each of finely chopped semi-dried tomatoes and basil leaves and kalamata olives to butter and flour mixture, just before adding the milk.

Want more secrets to the perfect scones? Here's how to get them right every time.

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