Zen and the art of making scones
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Scones © Clare Richards 2009
I have always been an average scone maker, and it has bugged me, as they are such a simple recipe. I recently came across a brilliant set of instructions for successful scone making in an old book, and then launched on a full-scale research bonanza to see if I could uncover all the do’s and don’ts for successful scones.
Today I threw all my research together into a swift sequence of scone making, and the above scones were the result. Straight from the oven, they were light with that paper-thin scone crust holding together the warm insides. Don’t make scones if you are in ponderous or questioning frame of mind, because they require quickness, decisiveness and lightness from every part of your being.
Imagine wings on your feet as you flit from bench to oven, feel your hands to be as light and deft as feathers – that’s the zen part of the knack of scones – they need lightness of technique, so best be light in your whole being.
Here below are my discoveries regarding technique, and the recipe I’ve used follows:
TECHNIQUE
Preparation prior to mixing dough
Before turning on your oven, set the top shelf at the point 1/3 down from the top of the oven then make sure your oven is preheated and has fully reached the 220 oC required before putting your scones in the oven.
Don’t start mixing your milk/cream into the flour until your oven has reached 220 oC and you have the tray covered in baking paper ready for your scones.
Have extra flour ready next to the work surface on which you will press out your dough, and throw out a generous amount over an area about 25cm by 25cm.
Making your scones
Sift the flour (2 cups worth if you use the recipe below), whether you are adding baking powder to plain flour or using ready-made self-raising flour. Leave it in the pile it falls to in the bowl (ie. don’t tap the bowl, stir it, or otherwise mess with it as you’ll lose the lightness gained by sifting). If you are doing cheese scones, add the mustard and paprika powders to the flour prior to sifting. Once the flour is sifted, sprinkle over the salt.
Gently push a crater into the pile of flour then add the milk/cream mixture in one go to the flour. (You will note that at the end of the ingredients list there is allowance for more milk, but this is only if needed so don’t add this in the first go.) Immediately fold the liquid through the flour with light strokes, gathering the flour in from the sides of the bowl to the wetter dough in the middle.
Scone dough should come together well in a mass but still have enough moistness that it sticks slightly to the sides of the mixing bowl, and the dough should feel quite soft to touch. If the dough seems too heavy and dry, add some extra milk, but only 1 tablespoon at a time as the dough can go from OK to wet very quickly.
Lightness of movement and touch is important. Some instructions suggest mixing with a knife, but I find that too narrow so I’ve settled for a medium-sized spatula which works well.
If you are making cheese scones, once the dough is mixed gently spread it out slightly in the bowl, sprinkle the grated cheese over the surface, then lift one side of the dough over and across the other (as when you fold a pancake) and lightly press the edges together. Take care to be gentle scraping the dough out onto the floured surface so you don’t break open your cheese parcel.
Only mix until the dough is just incorporated. It will still look a bit lumpy, there may be some wetter edges, but by the time you’ve scraped it out of the bowl and out onto a heavily floured surface, dusted it liberally in flour, lightly rolled the mass over once or twice, then lightly and gently pressed it out into a rough rectangle, it will be OK.
Do not squash your scone dough flat, it should be at least 3cm thick.
Cut your dough with a sharp knife and clean strokes, as any dragging or twisting will wrench the dough and inhibit rising on that side. Quickly lift them with a light touch and drop them onto your baking paper-covered tray, allowing almost as much room between each scone as the size of the scones.
Bake undisturbed for 10 minutes then check them, and if needed (10 minutes is ample in my oven) give them up to another 5 minutes. They should be just turning pale gold on top.
While your scones are baking, melt a little butter in a pan. When they come out of the oven, lightly brush a little butter on the top and bottom of each scone. It removes the dustiness of any remaining flour and helps them to stay moist.
That’s the gist of it, so onto the ingredients, and make use of the method outlined above with the ingredients below:
INGREDIENTS
Plain Scones
(I use spelt flour instead of wheat flour, so either will be fine for this recipe.)
2 cups SR flour, OR 2 cups plain flour plus 4 teaspoons (which equals 1 Australian tablespoon) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
125ml thickened cream
125ml full cream milk
up to 60ml additional milk if dough comes together dry and needs a little more moistness, added in maximum of 1 tablespoon amounts
about 1 tablespoon (1/2 cm slice) butter, melted, for brushing on cooked scones
extra flour for dusting your work surface
Preparation of ingredients
Sift the SR flour into the mixing bowl. If using plain flour, thoroughly mix it with the baking powder first in a separate bowl, also adding the spices if making cheese scones, then sift into the mixing bowl.
Add your 125 ml of cream to the 125ml of full cream milk and stir until incorporated. Keep aside a separate small jug with 60ml of additional milk in case it is needed.
From that point, follow the technique outlined above.
Cheese Scones
As above, except you increase the salt to 1/2 teaspoon, include 1/4 teaspoon of mustard powder and 1/4 teaspoon paprika with the flour when sifting, and grate 1/2 cup of mature cheddar cheese to add to the dough when it is mixed and just before lifting out onto floured bench.
That’s it! If there are any other average scone makers out there, I hope these notes help you to lift your game to new, airy heights.
