Scone Tutorial 3 – Dori’s recipe

Dori’s Favorite Scone Recipe

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar, plus a little extra for sprinkling
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cubes very cold butter (3/8 pound or 12 tablespoons)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup half & half
1 teaspoon vanilla (or extract of your choosing)

Optional additions: 1/2 cup dried chopped fruit or berries, crystallized ginger, or nuts, or mini-chocolate chips, or combination of goodies.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut butter into small cubes and place in frig to stay cold until needed.

Whisk eggs and vanilla into cream until bubbly and place in frig until needed.

In bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment blend all dry ingredients together.  On lowest/slowest speed blend in butter until butter is in small bits and pea-sized chunks.  Pour in liquids (reserve about a tablespoon for brushing on scone tops) and stir until just blended and dough begins to clean the side of the bowl.  At this point you can add in any extra ingredients such as fruit or nuts.  Do just a fir stirs to mix in, they’ll be better incorporated as you form the scones.  (Remember the less you mix and handle scone doughs the better the results will be. )

Scrape dough out onto a well floured surface.  Pat, knead and fold very gently, just as needed to combine, and form a smooth dough ball.  (Refer to prior tutorial for more guidance and visuals.)  With sharp knife cut in half and then into quarters.  Form each quarter into a smaller ball.  Flatten into a circle, about 4″ in diameter, leaving center a little higher than the edges.  Should be about 3/4″ high in the middle.  With sharp knife, cut each circle into quarters.  Place on ungreased baking sheet about 1″ apart.  Brush with reserved egg mixture and sprinkle with sugar, if desired.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown and baked through. Removed to rack and cover with a cloth to hold in heat and moisture until ready to serve.

Not sure how to tell when done?

Set your timer for 12 minutes.  When it beeps, gently press on top of a scone.

If the dough smooshes and butter oozes out a bit, the scones need about two more minutes in the oven.  When done, the scones should be golden brown and firm to the touch.

See how the scones in the above photo seem to be popping open?  This is because of the gentle folding you did while working and forming the dough.  This is the perfect spot to split the scone for slipping in a little butter and jam.

Enjoy your scones simply with butter and jam, or with clotted cream and jam, or split them to use as shortcakes with whipped cream and fresh fruit.  For a pretty presentation, dust with powdered sugar.  Scones are always best gobbled up right out of the oven.  To reheat pop them back in a warm oven onto a warm cookie sheet for a few minutes.  I sometimes zap them in the microwave for 10 seconds, and then put them in the warm oven.  The microwave draws a little moisture back in, the oven crisps up the outsides.

Unbaked scones freeze wonderfully well.  Freeze on a cookie sheet then store in a freezer bag or container.  To bake, simple add a few minutes to the baking time.

Now, go make scones!  Enjoy!