This is what makes the dough flaky.” Although Chang cuts cubed butter into the dry mix with a stand mixer at Flour, she says that, with the grating method, “you ensure that some butter stays in small pieces, for the steam and puff; and some butter starts to soften and mix into the dough, for tenderness.” For the best ...
Grating butter does wonders in the kitchen when baking cakes and making cake icing. The smooth texture of the grated butter ensures that the butter is quickly and easily mixed into the mixture. Because the butter is broken into really tiny flakes, it ensures there are no lumps and bumps.
The less you knead the mix, the less the gluten will tighten up – which means your scones will stay loose and crumbly, rather than tight and springy. Make sure you sieve the flour and baking powder into your bowl. This means that the two will be well mixed together, which gives you a better chance of an even rise.
By rubbing the flour and the butter together, you aren't over working the dough so the lumps of butter can melt and create steam that help your scones to rise.
The secret to the flakiest scones is to start with cold ingredients — cold butter, cold eggs, and cold cream. Similar to making pie crust, using cold ingredients prevents the butter from melting before the scones are baked, leaving it instead to melt in the oven and create a super-flaky end result.
In an interview earlier this year, Darren McGrady, a former royal chef, said that the queen spread a layer of jam on her scone, then added cream. That jam-first method in known as the Cornish style — versus the Devonshire style, which layers cream first.
“Make sure your butter or fat is as cold as possible when you add it into the flour. Cool temperatures help to slow down the gluten's development, helping you achieve a delicious flaky texture," advises Vanessa. "Cut the cold fat into cubes and work it into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture turns sandy.
Traditionally scones with added fruit are served with butter only; plain scones with butter and jam or cream and jam. Clotted cream and lemon curd are never served together.
Egg: Adds flavor, lift, and structure. Optional: Vanilla extract adds necessary flavor to sweet scones, but skip it if you're making savory scones.
Not using enough leavening agent. Placing scones far away from each other on the baking tray. Not preheating the oven before putting in the scones. Low-quality ingredients.
The explanation is simple: As with other doughs, including pizza dough, resting lets scone dough's gluten relax completely, so that it doesn't snap back during shaping or baking.
Don't forget to sift!
Be sure to double or even triple sift your flour, as it takes away the clumps in the flour allowing for more air pockets in the scone dough - the result being a fluffier and more crumbly scone.
Bicarbonate of Soda: Used in place of baking powder it works with the acidity of the buttermilk to give the scones a unique crisp flavour.
Softening butter under a hot glass will have that stick of butter soft and ready to cream with sugar in 10 minutes.
Instead of the comparatively hard work of cutting in butter with a knife of pastry blender, when making scones or biscuits, grate the butter on the large-hole side of a cheese grater instead. This makes the whole process easier and less messy.
Grate the Butter
In my experience, the quickest, easiest way to soften butter to use in a recipe is to grate the entire stick on the large holes side of a box grater.
Make scones the day you need them and wrap them in a clean tea towel straight from the oven, wrapping in a cloth helps to trap steam and keeps the scones lovely and soft.
Brushing scones with milk or cream before baking yields a golden crust. For deeper color and added shine, brush with egg wash: 1 whole egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water and a pinch of salt.
Flat scones that spread when baked are usually caused by the dough being too soft or an oven that's too hot. A dark color can be caused by too much sugar or an oven that runs hot. Heavy, dense scones can be caused by weak flour, overworked dough, or expired leveling agents.
For fluffy scones, ensure that your baking powder is fresh and effective. Your scones won't have that airy texture if your baking powder is stale, usually after six months of opening. Check that your baking powder is still active by putting about ½ teaspoon in a cup and adding ¼ cup of boiling water.
My scones have turned out more like a cookie than a scone!
This can happen if you add too much butter. If you double the amount of butter in our recipe, they'll turn out more like cookies (we tested it for you). So, try to reduce the amount of butter.
Most recipes call for unsalted butter, but for my scones I used normal salted butter and they were just perfect. Perhaps it's best to give both a try and see which one you like to use best with this recipe. Do not overmix though, we need the scones to be light and fluffy rather than dense.
Bake in 400 degree F (240 degree C) oven for 10 - 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Check for proper golden brown color on the bottom of a center scone on the baking sheet.
“The only way to serve a scone is by putting on the jam first. It's easily spreadable, and visually, it looks much better with the jam on the bottom and a good spoon of Cornish clotted cream on top.