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    Home » Breakfast » Scone

    How to make English Scones

    Published: Jun 16, 2018 · by Elizabeth Waterson · This post may contain affiliate links, which may pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Confessions of a Baking Queen!

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    fresh scone with jam and mock clotted cream on a white plate

    Traditional English scones are easier to make than you think. This recipe needs six ingredients and 30 minutes to make gorgeous British scones. Add in chopped cherries, raisins or even chocolate chips!  Make sure to make some real clotted cream to go along with the scones! 

    scones on a light pink plate with tea and cream in the background

    I didn't realize growing up that my mom was as special as she is. Having an English accent my friends were always asking me to get my mom to say something. She always provided a homemade dinner for us, often shepherd's pie, twice baked potatoes, chili, spaghetti, even egg and chips if my dad was picking! And if we were really lucky a Yorkshire pudding or two!

    She was a fantastic baker and always baked for our teachers. Shortbread and Scones were her two number ones. She even won a baking competition with my godmother Maureen, another fantastic baker. The two of them make homemade pork pies every Christmas- hello amazing!!! This is her scone recipe that has been made time and time again, truly too many times to count.

    fresh scone with jam and mock clotted cream on a white plate

    Scones are easy to make, with only a handful-ish of ingredients you are set with light delicious scones. The key is to not add too much liquid and also do not overwork the dough, doing so will create a denser scone. We want light.

    Don't miss my orange cranberry scones or chocolate chip scones.

    Jump to:
    • How do you make English Scones?
    • Can you make scones ahead of time? 
    • Does the jam or clotted cream go first?
    • How do you make clotted cream for scones?
    • More afternoon tea recipes
    • Recipe Card
    • Recipe Ratings & Comments
    close up overhead shot of english scone with clotted cream and jam on a teal plate

    How do you make English Scones?

    Start by mixing together flour, baking powder and a bit of sugar. Then add your cold butter, mix until the butter has just combined, as in the mixture still looks pretty dry but there are not large chunks of butter.

    scones dry ingredients recipes in a silver bowl on a white background with a light blue and purple linen
    scones recipe ingredients being mixed together in a silver bowl on a white background with a light blue and purple linen

    Then in a bowl set on a scale add your egg and then add enough milk to make 10oz. You may not need all 10oz, or you may. Every batter seems to be different. You want your scone batter to be pretty dry so it holds its shape. Knead the dough a few times then roll out to 1 inch thickness. Then I like to use a 2.5-3 inch cutter to cut my scones.

    scones recipe on a silpat being shaped for cutting on a white surface
    scones cut out on a silpat lined baking sheet before baking on a white background with a light blue and purple linen

    Place 8 on a Silpat lined baking sheet then brush with an egg wash and sprinkle a little bit more sugar on top. Store in the fridge until the oven is heated. Bake for 8 minutes then rotate the pan and bake for another 5-8 minutes you want golden brown scones so keep an eye on the oven.

    Let them cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

    Can you make scones ahead of time? 

    Sure! We freeze them until we need them then let them come to room temp over a couple hours and even pop in the oven or microwave for a couple minutes to warm up.

    Does the jam or clotted cream go first?

    An age-old debacle. Depending on which part of the English country you are in depends on whether you should put the clotted cream or jam first. In Devon, the cream is served first, while in Cornwall the jam is first.

    I say spread whichever first, they are all going to the same place!

    scones with clotted cream and jam on a white plate on a blue napkin and a cup of tea in the background

    How do you make clotted cream for scones?

    I have a post dedicated to making traditional clotted cream. I would prepare your clotted cream 36 hours in advance so there is plenty of time for cooking and chilling. For example, start the cooking process on a Thursday night, take it out of the oven Friday morning and let it chill until Friday night or Saturday morning. And Saturday morning make your scones.

    glass jar of clotted cream on a marble surface

    You can also try my mock clotted cream recipe which does not require any cooking!

    More afternoon tea recipes

    For another delicious British dessert try my Bakewell Tart Recipe.

    You need sandwiches try my cucumber and cream cheese sandwich, smoked salmon sandwich, egg salad, or curried chicken salad sandwich!

    These individual mini fruit tarts are so cute and delicious!

    ★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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    plate of scones on top of a floral linen next to a cup of tea

    How to make English Scones

    ★★★★★

    5 from 2 reviews

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    Traditional English scones are easier to make than you think. This recipe needs six ingredients and 30 minutes to make gorgeous British scones. Add in chopped cherries, raisins or even chocolate chips!  Make sure to make some real clotted cream to go along with the scones! 

    • Total Time: 30 minutes
    • Yield: 12-16 Scones 1x

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 16oz (3 ¾ Cup) All Purpose Flour/ Plain Flour
    • 4oz (½ Cup) Butter, cold but not rock hard
    • 4oz (½ Cup/ 100 Grams) Granulated Sugar
    • 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
    • 2 Large Eggs
    • 8oz (1 Cup) Milk
    • Optional 4oz Chopped Fruit or Chocolate Chips

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 410F/210C. Start by mixing together flour, baking powder and the sugar in a large bowl. Use your clean adds to rub the cold butter, mix until the butter has just combined, as in the mixture still looks pretty dry but there are not large chunks of butter. We make them in a stand mixer and by hand, either work.
    2. Then in a bowl set on a scale add your eggs and then add enough milk to make 10oz. You may not need all 10oz of the liquid, or you may. Every batter seems to be different.
    3. Add half of the milk and egg mixture to the scone mixture  mix to combine and continue to add until you have a cohesive scone batter, you want your scone batter to be pretty dry so it holds its shape. Then on a large clean surface or large Silpat liner sprinkle some flour and add your scone batter, knead a few times then roll out to about 1 inch thick and using a 2.5-3 inch cutter make your individual scones.
    4. Place 8 on a Silpat lined half sheet baking sheet then brush with an egg wash ( I just use the leftover milk and egg mixture) and sprinkle a little bit more sugar on top. Store in the fridge until the oven is heated. Bake for 8 minutes then rotate the pan and bake for another 5-8 minutes you want golden brown scones so keep an eye on the oven.
    5. Let them cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Best served with real clotted cream and preserves

    Equipment

    half sheet pans

    Half Sheet Pan

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    oxo food scale

    OXO Kitchen Scale

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    silpat liner

    Silpat

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    Silpat Pastry Workstation

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    Notes

    Recipe Source: My moms

    • Author: Elizabeth Waterson I Confessions of a Baking Queen
    • Prep Time: 10
    • Cook Time: 20
    • Category: Breakfast
    • Method: Bake
    • Cuisine: British

    Keywords: plain scone recipe, British scone recipe

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    1. Cassie says

      June 21, 2018 at 8:38 am

      Worth the time. The best clotted cream I've ever had!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Elizabeth says

        June 21, 2018 at 8:43 am

        Thank you so much Cassie!!

        Reply
    2. Bárbara Castro says

      August 17, 2023 at 9:49 am

      Homy ingredients, easy recipe, well explained and royal english flavour!
      Greetings from Chile.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Waterson says

        August 21, 2023 at 7:30 am

        Hi Barbara, Thank you so much for this lovely review!! Happy Baking!! Take care. XX Liz

        Reply

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    Hiya! I am Elizabeth Waterson, welcome to my treat-filled site. After spending 15 years in the restaurant industry and growing up baking, I wanted to share my love of baking with you all. My step-by-step tutorials will help you learn how to bake at home. Confessions of a Baking Queen (CBQ) has been featured in CBS LA, HuffPost Taste, BuzzFeed, Taste of Home, and more! Here you will find loads of sweet recipes with a few savory ones for good measure. Feel free to message me with any questions! Happy Baking! 

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