Every day is perfect for scones, and this tutorial will walk you through exactly how to make soft scones. These scones come out crisp on the outside and super soft and light in the middle. They are incredible!
The best scones can be made at home
I've made a lot of scones over the years. Enough to say I've mastered the recipe for big fluffy scones. They are one of my favorite baked goods.
Once you have a plain scone recipe, you can create many variations with that one recipe.
I've used this base for vanilla cardamom scones, chai pear scones, blueberry buttermilk scones, lemon cream cheese scones with strawberries, and so much more. It's fantastic with dried cranberries.
So I thought why not give you this soft scone recipe along with my best tips and tricks for incredible scones. Use it to create your own fun flavors!
Why this recipe works
- Using buttermilk helps keep the scones ultra-tender.
- Freezing the scones before baking will ensure the butter is cold which is what creates the airy pockets within the scones.
- Adding an egg will keep them make rich and soft.
- You don't need to use the full amount of liquid. Only add as much as needed for the dough to stick together.
How to make scones
These American Scones take only about 20 minutes to bake and you can pretty much eat them straight from the oven.
You'll notice that this recipe calls for one egg. Sometimes I'll use an egg and sometimes I won't. I think the egg adds a little extra richness that is needed for a simple scone without much flavoring.
If you want more of a traditional English scone, you can try my homemade biscuit recipe instead.
Make the dough - Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl then use a pastry blender to cut the cold butter into the dough. Combine buttermilk with egg and vanilla and mix a little at a time into the flour.
You won't need all the liquid. Just add as much as you need to get the dough to stick together without being wet.
Once you've combined the wet and dry ingredients, stir gently until the dry ingredients have become moistened. Don't stir anymore beyond this point. Instead, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it gently four or five times until it comes together.
Shape the dough - Pat the dough into a 7-inch round circle. Cut the circle into 8 triangles. It's easiest to do this by cutting the circle in half, then cut each half. Continue this until you have 8 sections.
Freeze the dough - For super a soft texture, it's important to keep the dough cold. Use cold ingredients and handle the dough as little as possible with your hands. After shaping the scones, place them on a baking sheet and pop them into the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes.
The steam from the melting butter creates air pockets which will make the inside tender and light. So so good!
Bake - Brush the tops with heavy cream or milk and sprinkle coarse sugar over them. Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown. Let them cool then serve them with butter, jam, or clotted cream.
Recipe variations
- Mix in ¾ to 1 cup of your favorite add-in. (fresh or frozen fruit, dried fruit, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, etc.)
- Add 1 tablespoon of lemon or orange zest.
- Use ½ cup orange juice and ½ milk in place of buttermilk.
- Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of your favorite extract in addition to the vanilla.
Common questions about soft scones
What's the rule of thumb with adding fruit to the batter?
I generally stick to adding 1 cup of any mix-in. You can add a single ingredient or a combination of fresh fruit, dry fruit, nuts, etc.
Toss them in before you add the wet ingredients and then mix everything together. There's no need to adjust any of the ingredient amounts.
Can the scones be made without sugar?
Yes, they certainly can. My recipe calls for sugar because I live in the US and this is how we make them. But other places like the UK don't add sugar to their scones. So, it just depends on what you prefer.
Can I make the dough and freeze it for later use?
Scone dough will freeze well! Make and shape the dough. Place them on a baking sheet and freeze them for an hour. You can then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or ziptop freezer bag.
They’ll keep for up to 3 months. Bake them straight from the freezer but add a couple of minutes to the bake time.
Can you use half & half in place of milk?
You can use half and half or any milk substitute in place of milk.
Tips for perfect soft scones:
- When kneading the dough, work quickly so the butter doesn't melt from the warmth of your hands. It's crucial that all the tiny bits of butter stay intact.
- Add only as much liquid as it takes for the dough to come together. The dough shouldn't be wet, but it should stick together when you squeeze it.
- They are best enjoyed the day they are made. Place the leftovers in an airtight container and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- You can freeze them for up to 3 months.
If you like this English Muffin recipe, try these other breakfast recipes:
- Peach Scones with Almond Glaze
- Carrot Cake Scones
- Sweet Potato Scones with Brown Sugar Glaze
- Pumpkin Scones
- Honey Citrus Sweet Potato Scones
Soft Scones Recipe
Every day is perfect for scones, and this tutorial will walk you through exactly how to make soft scones. These scones come out crisp on the outside and super soft and light in the middle. They are the perfect base for all sorts of add-ins!
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups (358 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 cup (240 ml) cold buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream, or milk
- 2 tablespoons coarse sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
- Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender, 2 knives, or your fingertips. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.
- Whisk the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla together and gradually add it to the flour mixture. Stir just until the dough comes together. You may not need all the buttermilk. Add a little at a time until the mixture is moist but not too wet. Do not over mix the dough or the scones will be tough.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and gently knead the dough four or five times. Pat the dough into a 7 inch round circle.
- Cut the circle in half, then cut each half into four triangle shaped wedges. You should have 8 triangles.
- Arrange the scones 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the scones in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Position the oven rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400°F.
- Brush the tops of the scones with milk or cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve immediately.
Notes
The scones need to be cold when going into the oven. Placing the shaped dough into the freezer for 30 minutes ensures the scones will bake up light and fluffy.
Alternatively, you can place the scone dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Fun flavor options:
- Mix in ¾ to 1 cup of your favorite add-in. (fresh or frozen fruit, dried fruit, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, etc.)
- 1 tablespoon of lemon or orange zest.
- Use ½ cup orange juice and ½ milk in place of buttermilk.
- Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of your favorite extract in addition to the vanilla.
Make ahead tip
- Unbaked scones can be refrigerated overnight. Or seal in an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month. Add about 2 minutes to the baking time when baking from frozen.
- Baked scones will keep for up to 2 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
- Scones can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 224Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 544mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 7g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the values shown are just an estimate.
Precious Makopa says
Thank you for the recipe....i wil definetly try this out.isnt it that eggs make the scone fluffy and super soft
Jen Sobjack says
The eggs contribute but there are many other factors that I've discussed in the blog post.
Tehilla says
I made these for the first time and they came out amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
Ana Milan says
I would prefer less baking powder as this turns the flour a yellow brown colour instead of white. Maybe if the flour had no raising agent the tablespoon of baking powder would have been OK. The texture was good & scone light. Will try again making the above changes.
Jen Sobjack says
You shouldn't be using flour with a raising agent in it. The recipe calls for all-purpose flour. This is plain flour with no raising agents.
Ana Milan says
Glad to know that as in Europe we call flour without raising agent Plain.
Monica says
Ok
Kathleen says
I made these today, and they were awesome! I did add mini chocolate chips over the cinnamon mix because I love mocha chocolate. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Christina says
I have tried several recipes for scones and these turned out just perfect. Light inside and firm on the outside. Freezing is the trick.
jess says
the texture was amazing but I def needed more sugar. I ended up making lemon glaze for the top of my scones in order to sweeten it up. it would also be lovely with jam and butter.
Kiki says
Do I need to use buttermilk? Or is there a substitution?
Jen Sobjack says
Yes, this recipe needs buttermilk. You can make it with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar and enough regular milk to equal 1 cup. Stir it and let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
Anne Davies says
My first attempt ever attempt making scones, and they turned out fantastically. I'll be making them again, for sure! Thank you for the recipe and tutorial.
Linda Miley says
Hi Jen, we are from Oregon, a bakery in Baker City, or is call My Sweet Wife, the make a soft scone call Lemon ginger, could you at all be able to tell me how to use your recipe to make these, we are now back to California and in need of trying your soft scone recipe, please help.
Thank you Linda Miley
Jen Sobjack says
I've never had one of these scones and have no idea how it tastes. You could try using a little lemon juice in place of some of the buttermilk and add lemon zest and ginger. You'd have to play around with the amounts until you get the flavor you're looking for.
Tina says
Hello. Can I make with out eggs. Add more buttermilk
Jen Sobjack says
You'll need to add enough buttermilk to make the dough moist. But, I can't guarantee the scones will come out as soft as intended if you change the recipe.
Cathy Schultz says
Hi Jen! This recipe looks like a great one! We just moved to a high altitude area and I was wondering how I could make these here? Any tips and thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
Jen Sobjack says
Unfortunately, I have zero experience with high altitude baking.
Linda Williams says
Made this recipe (which is my first time making scones) and they turned out delicious. I added some ricotta cheese, blueberries and lemon zest. They were very soft which I liked. Next time I will add some lemon juice and reduce the buttermilk as suggested. Will definitely be making these again!
Jen Sobjack says
Thanks for sharing, Linda! I'm so happy you enjoyed the scones.
MaryAnne says
1st time ever making scones but took your advice & added a few things: fresh peaches, toasted pecans, nutmeg & cinnamon! Can’t taste the peaches (I’ll have to work on that) but they came out perfect otherwise!!! Thanks so much!!!
Jen Sobjack says
I'm thrilled to hear they turned out for you. Enjoy!
Dee says
Thanks so much ,my scones usually are hard but I'll try these above method to be soft
John Nail says
Excellent recipe and tips!