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British

Scones

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

Light, tender British scones with a soft crumb, split and served warm with jam and clotted cream for an afternoon cream tea.

Scones is a British pastry from United Kingdom, ready in about 27 minutes and made with all-purpose flour and butter. It serves 8 and is rated easy to cook.

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Warm and inviting close-up of freshly baked scones with dried fruit, perfect for a cozy setting.
Photo: James Collington / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
15 min
Cook
12 min
Total
27 min
Serves
8
Level
Easy
Calories
270

Ingredients

8 scones

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) and line a baking tray. Warm the milk (opens in a new tab) slightly and stir in the lemon juice (opens in a new tab) and vanilla (opens in a new tab); set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Mix the flour, baking powder (opens in a new tab) and salt, then rub in the cold butter (opens in a new tab) with your fingertips until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar (opens in a new tab).

    • 5 min

  3. Step 3

    Make a well, pour in the milk (opens in a new tab) and mix quickly with a knife into a soft, slightly sticky dough. Tip out and pat gently to 3–4 cm thick — do not knead.

    • 3 min
    Hands kneading dough on a floured surface
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Stamp out rounds with a floured cutter, pushing straight down without twisting. Place on the tray and brush the tops with beaten egg (opens in a new tab).

    • 3 min

    Food safety: Do not taste the raw egg glaze or dough.

  5. Step 5

    Bake until well risen and golden. Cool slightly on a rack and serve warm, split, with jam (opens in a new tab) and cream.

    • 12 min
    • 220°C
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Scotland, United Kingdom · Commonly attributedUsually traced to Scotland; now eaten throughout the UK and Ireland.Also popular in Ireland, Australia, New ZealandMore food from United Kingdom
Dish
Snack · Breakfast · Pastries · Breads & flatbreads
Cooking method
Oven-baked
Taste
buttery, sweet, mild
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · Pork-free · Beef-free
Without the optional extras: Lacto-vegetarian, Egg-freeWith the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Child-friendly · Freezer-friendly
Cook more with
All-purpose flour · Butter · Baking powder · Sugar · Milk · Lemon juice
Techniques
Baking · Kneading

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom butter, milk, heavy cream
  • Contains, can be adapted: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

270 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 85 g · recipe makes 8

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 8%
  • Carbohydrate 59%
  • Fat 33%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy270 kcal317 kcal
Protein5.3 g6.2 g
Carbohydrate39.9 g46.8 g
Net carbohydrate38.7 g45.5 g
Sugars6.1 g7.1 g
Added sugars4.7 g5.5 g
Fibre1.2 g1.4 g
Fat9.8 g11.5 g
Saturated fat5.9 g7 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol25 mg29 mg
Sodium387 mg454 mg
Salt equivalent1 g1.1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
81 mg
Calcium
165 mg
Iron
2.3 mg
Magnesium
13 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
83 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
0.3 µg
Vitamin B12
0.1 µg
Folate (DFE)
129 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: egg, jam, heavy cream.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Handle the dough as little as possible — overworking makes scones tough and flat.

Common mistakes

  • Twisting the cutter seals the edges and stops the scones rising evenly.

Serve with

  • Serve with jam, clotted cream and a pot of tea.

Storage

  • Best on the day; freeze for up to 1 month.

Reheating

  • Warm in a low oven for 5 minutes.

Variations

  • Fruit scones: Add 75 g sultanas or raisins with the sugar.
  • Cheese scones: Leave out the sugar and vanilla and add 100 g grated cheddar and a pinch of mustard powder.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 4

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 15 min

    Mix only until no dry flour remains — overmixing makes it tough and tunnelled.

  2. Bake · about 12 min at 220 °C

    Risen and golden; a skewer in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs; the top springs back.

  3. Start to finish: about 27 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

If something goes wrong

  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Crust too hard or thick

    Likely causes

    • Baked too long at too low a temperature
    • No steam at the start

    What to do

    • Bake hotter for a shorter time
    • Add steam for the first 15 minutes (tray of boiling water, or a covered Dutch oven)
    • Cool under a tea towel for a softer crust

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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