English Scones Recipe

Print Recipe

4.51 from 118 reviews

Eileen Gray

This classic buttermilk scone is British mom approved!

Prep Time30

Bake Time15

Total Time45

Servings:18 scones

Ingredients

25 oz unbleached all purpose flour (5 cups, see note)
2 tablespoons baking powder
4 oz granulated sugar (½ cup)
½ teaspoon table salt
6 oz unsalted butter (cold, cut into 1" chunks)
2 large eggs
14 oz buttermilk (1 ¾ cups)
4 oz raisins (¾ cup, optional)
Demerara Sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Line two ½ sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together25 oz unbleached all purpose flour, 2 tablespoons baking powder, 4 oz granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon table salt. Toss in 6 oz unsalted butter chunks. Mix in the butter until the bits are the size of a pea.
Whisk together 14 oz buttermilk and 2 large eggs. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients all at once and mix until just barely combined. Some loose flour may remain at the bottom of the bowl. DON'T OVER MIX.
Dump the dough onto a floured surface, sprinkle 4 oz raisins over the dough and finish kneading by hand just until all the loose flour is absorbed. Use your hands to pat the dough until it is ¾"-1" thick. Use a 2½-3" biscuit cutter to cut scones. Re-roll the scraps and continue cutting until all the dough is used.
Line the scones onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1" space between. Brush the tops of the scones with buttermilk and sprinkle with Demerarra or granulated sugar.
Bake on the middle racks of the oven, flipping the trays after 10 minutes (see note).
The scones are ready when they are golden brown and sound hollow when the bottom is tapped. Total baking time 15-20 minutes.

Notes

If measuring the flour by volume use the “dip & sweep” method. That is, dip the measuring cup into the flour bin, overfill it, then sweep away the excess.

If the bottoms of the scones are browning very fast you can slide another sheet pan under the pan half way through baking.

To make ahead you can bake and freeze the scones. Defrost and warm in the oven to serve.

Nutrition