Buttermilk Scones

Tender homemade scones made with buttermilk and love ❤️ These tall, fluffy scones have a crispy exterior and a soft, buttery middle. They’re the perfect carrier for jam and cream.

You only need a handful of pantry staples to make a batch of these scones, but you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful tea-time treat. These classic English-style scones are what my childhood was made of.

And while Buttermilk Scones are simple in nature, it’s all about the method. If you’ve ever tried and failed at scones in the past, read on for ALL my tips and tricks for perfect scones EVERY TIME.

Why you will love this recipe

• Tall bakery-style scones: Say goodbye to flat or dense scones, these are big, tall, bakery-style scones. Expect a soft, fluffy interior that’s light and buttery.
• No special ingredients: You don’t need any speciality or hard-to-find ingredients to make a batch of these scones.
• No special equipment: You don’t need a food processor or an electric mixer for this recipe.
• Freeze well: Enjoy these scones fresh out of the oven and then freeze any leftovers. Simply defrost and warm again to enjoy the magic of a homemade scone!

Confession: Scones used to be my baking shame. Yes I was a professional food blogger who could make Chocolate Chip Cookies and Brownies with my eyes closed – but a nice homemade scone? Nope, not me!

My scones were always dry, flat and dense as a rock. I shelved my hidden shame and avoided scones for years – until now. I finally decided I needed to conquer my fears and learn how to make good scones from scratch.

So I spent the last three weeks making scones over and over – honestly I think I’m part scone now. But I’ve finally come up with my perfect Scone Recipe.

This one is simple as it is tasty. It will create a lovely high top scone (which was important to me) that has a soft, flakey centre.

While I know there are different recipes using lemonade, heavy cream or the like, I was seeking a more traditional approach. I wanted a classic Buttermilk Scone recipe. I love using buttermilk in my recipes like my Chocolate Buttermilk Cake and my Double Chocolate Muffins.

During my first few experiments, I focussed on my technique. I tried not to over-work the dough just like when you make pie crust, or roll it too flat so I could get those high-top scones I’d always dreamt of. After a few tries, I was happy with the rise, I found the inside of the scones were a little tight.

I really wanted a fluffy, soft scone inside, so I altered the ingredients slightly. More butter, more buttermilk and less flour gave me the tender texture I craved.

Of course, I couldn’t stop there. I continued to test baking times, rest times and even milk wash versus egg wash until I was 100% happy that this Buttermilk Scone recipe is just right.

I made many mistakes along the way which means I’m happy to pass on everything I’ve learnt. My hope is that you (like me) will be able to say farewell to dense, flat rocks and hello to beautiful, bakery-style homemade scones.

Scones are one of the few baked goods that really do only require basic ingredients. Here are all the ingredients you’ll need to make my easy Buttermilk Scone recipe, including any substitutions you can make.

• Plain flour: I have tested this recipe using plain flour or all purpose flour. It works really well in providing a stable, tall but also soft scone.
• Caster sugar: This recipe has a small amount of sugar in it which is necessary to create a sweet scone dough. I recommend using caster sugar or granulated sugar.
• Baking powder: Baking powder is what helps to create a beautiful risen scone. You need 4 teaspoons in this recipe. Be sure to check that your baking powder is fresh and has not expired. Don’t use baking soda in this recipe.
• Butter: I use unsalted butter and add salt to the dry ingredients. If you only have salted butter on hand, omit the salt included in the recipe. It’s also important to use cold butter. More on that below!
• Buttermilk: I tested this recipe multiple times including use regular milk instead of buttermilk. The scones still work! But there’s no denying that buttermilk ensures they rise even more and have a tender texture that lasts longer. However, if you don’t have access to buttermilk, you can definitely use regular whole or full fat milk.
• Egg: You need one egg in the scone dough. You can use another egg for the egg wash on top or simply use leftover buttermilk.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Serving suggestions

These Buttermilk Scones can be served for morning or afternoon tea as a sweet treat. Consider them the perfect accompaniment alongside a cup of coffee or tea. The are designed to be sliced or pulled apart horizontally.

They can be accompanied with strawberry or raspberry jam or fruit preserves, and whipped cream, dollop cream or clotted cream.

You can also serve them simply with butter and/or fresh fruit or berries. My favourite way to serve flaky scones is simply warm from the oven slathered with butter.

Jess’s recipe tips

If I could stand in your kitchen with you, these are the little pieces of advice I would give you along the way. These are the things I have learnt through trial and error – that most recipes don’t seem to specify – that can make a big difference to the end result.

1. Use chilled butter: When you mix the butter into the flour – even if you use a pastry cutter, it will get warm. The warmer the butter, the more likely it is to leach out of your scones when it hits the hot oven. Chop your butter into cubes and then pop it back in the fridge until you are ready to add it into your dry ingredients. Some recipes specify grated butter but I prefer larger chunks to ensure flakier scones.
2. Work quickly: Pressing your butter into your flour shouldn’t be a long process. You can use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to flatten out those pieces of butter until you have only small pieces. But don’t dilly-dally, work quickly like you would when making pie dough.
3. Use a fork: When you add your buttermilk mixture, use a fork to stir together your dry and wet ingredients. Don’t be tempted to mix it until smooth like you would a cake or cookies. Simply mix with a fork until you have a shaggy mix with lots of flour pockets.
4. Don’t knead, just push: Scone dough doesn’t need to be kneaded. All you want to do it push it or press it together to form a disc. You can work it a little so it’s combined, but it should look a little like a shaggy mess.
5. Cut and stack: To ensure plenty of flakey, buttery layers, cut your dough into four. I like to use a bench scraper for this. Then stack your layers on top of each other.
6. Forget the rolling pin: Instead of using a rolling pin, I prefer to use the palm of my hand to simply flatten out the dough. A rolling pin can flatten the dough too much and then you won’t get those big, tall scones we all want. You can also be tempted to over-work the dough by rolling back and forth. Simply press the dough out to be at least 3cm or 1 inch thick using the palm of your hand.
7. Don’t twist your cutter: Press your round cookie cutter down in one swift movement and gently press the scone dough to remove it. Don’t be tempted to twist the cutter which can seal off the edges and prevent the dough from rising.
8. Chill the dough: Even if you follow all my suggestions, you butter will still be warm at this point. This is why it’s so important to rest your dough. I tested different chill times, but found around 20-30 minutes was enough.
9. Bake at a high temperature: When I first made scones, I cooked them at a regular cake temperature out of habit. They were dry and tough as old boots! Scones need to be baked at a high temperature. It’s what ensures they quickly rise, getting that crispy, crunchy exterior and remain soft and fluffy inside.

Troubleshooting scones

After making 10 batches of scones these last two weeks, I’ve come across some of the most comment problems. Here are the top five ways where scones can go wrong and how to fix them: