Forget every scone recipe you’ve ever read. This is the only one you’ll need! (Makes 12 – 15 scones) Recipe by Rozanne.
When these came out of the oven I left my office and drove over to try them. It was worth every second in the traffic. They truly are fantastic, this is one of those recipes your children will be asking you to leave them in your will!
What you need
4 x 250ml cake flour
Pinch of salt
30ml baking powder
120g butter, at room temperature
100ml sugar
250ml buttermilk
1 egg
125ml water
1 egg, lightly beaten to glaze
The process
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius and make sure the oven tray is in the middle of the oven. Prepare two baking trays by lining them with baking paper.
Sift the flour, salt and baking powder twice into a large bowl
Cut the butter into blocks and rub into the flour mixture with your finger tips. The mixture should look just like bread crumbs. Make sure there are no lumps of butter at all.
Add the sugar and mix around with your hands
In a small bowl, lightly combine the buttermilk and 1 egg. Add this to the flour mixture and mix together with a round bladed knife. Add just enough water to make a soft dough. (Make sure the dough is not sticky and do not over-mix)
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead very gently until a ball is formed.
Pat the dough out with your fingers until it is about 3 cm thick. Cut out the scones using a round, metal cutter and place onto the baking trays (leave 2 to 3 cm between each scone).
With the remaining egg, whisk it up lightly and brush a bit on top of each scone.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Always cut one open to check if they are completely cooked through, if not, immediately put them back in the oven for another 3 minutes.
Just a few hints
A lot of people tend to replace butter with margarine when baking because it’s a lot cheaper. NEVER do this when making scones. There is a huge difference between a delicious, light and fluffy butter scone and a horrible margarine scone.
Scones are not scones if they are not made with buttermilk. It is abominable to own such recipes. Tear them up. Now!!!!
Don’t ever forget to glaze your scones with egg before you bake them. The gloriously golden top is the best part.
Always serve your scones warm with butter, jam and a generous dollop of freshly whipped cream. Scrumptious!
When warming, NEVER put them in the microwave because they will go stodgy. Rather do it in the oven. It takes a bit longer, but definitely worth the wait!
Your scones are perfectly cooked when the sound hollow if you tap the bottom.
Tried these and they are already a favourite! So easy to make and great taste.Thanks!
Hi Muthani, thanks for letting us know, gotta love a great scone. Happy Days G
Hi Graham
Can I use brown flour instead of cake flour?
Hi Sonia, I can see no reason why not, nice brown buttermilk scones sound perfect 🙂 Cheers for now G
What can be used to substitute egg? Will the buttermilk suffice?
thanks
Hi Inba, I am not sure about that one but I imagine the buttermilk will do the trick on it’s own. The colour will be slightly different and the flavour not as rich. Eggs also help to combine ingredients so not sure. Give it a try, they should turn out just fine. Cheers for now G
Hi Graham
Very excited to discover your site. My husband’s busy with your Naan bread as I write this and I can’t wait to try your scones. Have never been able to bake a decent scone. Your recipes look fantastic.
You are going to love the scones, this is the greatest recipe. Be sure to let us know 🙂 Happy days
Hello. Is the recipe correct in that it says “4 x 250ml flour”? That is a kilogram of flour? Surely too much for the rest of the measurements listed? I am eafer to try this recipe, but that just seems wrong…? Thanks, Gail.
Hi Gail, flour measurements are 250ml or 1 cup = about 125grams
have a lekker day G
At last, the best scones, like at the Cellars Hotel in Constantia!
Fantastic Carol, I have tried out so many different ones and so happy I could share them. If you get a chance try the Hillcrest Berry Farms, they truely are outstanding. Cheers for now G
http://www.hillcrestberries.co.za/HILLCREST%20BERRY%20ORCHARDS.html
Graham, thank you so much for this recipe.
I was wondering, can I add glazed cherries to the mixture to make a cherry scone?
Hi Iaan, yes you can, I would chop them up a bit. Happy days G
Hi Graham, I made these yesterday and it came out excellent. However I would diminish the sugar by half, but it is a good scone recipe, one can’t argue with that.
Fantastic Zoe_Selah, thanks for letting us know. Cheers for now G
Good day Graham for some or other reason I cannot bake a scone I will give this recipe a shot and let you know.
I tried your fishcake recipe (something else that I could not make) and it turned out fantastic. thank you for a great website
Belinda
That is so great to hear Belinda, keep on cooking it gets more and more rewarding as you go… and the family love it! Happy days G
I have never tasted the perfect scones than that, good people this is worth your taste buds. Thank you very much
Thanks Mateke, gotta love a great scone straight from the oven 🙂 Happy days G
we made a batch of these scones today and oh my goodness they are DIVINE!!! This is now my new and only scone recipe. thank-you again for another delicious recipe 🙂
Agreed, this has got to be the best scone recipe ever. Thanks for letting us know. Have a lekker evening G