SIMPLE Scones

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Ever since I made the Chicken Pot Pie last week, I have been craving scones. I am not much of a baker, mostly because I have always liked to cook savory curries on the stove top. At my various homes, for the last two decades, the oven has been a place to store extra utensils! Ha! So as I am making my way through shedding inhibitions with regards to baking, I am also trying out some simple recipes that will help me build confidence with baking. Scones is one of those. The recipe I used cannot get easier than this!

Yes, there are countless recipes for Scones, but this one is as basic as it goes. Simple. Elegant. There is no cream or treacle or butter or eggs or sugar or salt or any other stuff. Just pure and simple 10-minute experiment for us newbies!

By the way, it is pronounced in the Scottish way to rhyme with fawns. Come on, try saying it! Scones....

Admit it, Scones are nothing by an airy excuse for jam and cream!

Simple Scones

Recipe and Notes

2 cups all purpose flour

3 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl. 
  3. Stir the soda into the buttermilk and stir till it foams.
  4. Pour into a well in the center of the flour and stir with fork to incorporate and make a soft dough. 
  5. Gather into a ball, roll it/ spread it on a lightly floured board. Knead very less, as little a possible.
  6. Cut into rough wedges.
  7. Transfer to a greased or lined baking sheet.
  8. Baste with milk to give it shine (this is what I did). If you want it golden then brush with an egg yolk beaten with a tablespoon of water.
  9. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes on the upper rack.
  10. Wrap in a linen napkin, tuck into a basket and serve as they are warm.

Note that the dough has to be minimally handled and quickly. As soon as the soda makes contact with the buttermilk, the rising starts. One needs to get the scones to the oven as soon as possible. At that time the dough is kind of wobbling, rest of the rising happens in the oven. This buttermilk reacting with soda actually produces as light, soft crumb and is so very pleasant to the tongue.

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