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Home » baking, desserts & puddings » easy buttermilk scones

easy buttermilk scones

30 April, 2015 Last Modified: May 20, 2021

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Easy buttermilk scones are the perfect weekend breakfast or an afternoon treat with friends, serve with a cup of tea and a pot of homemade jam. 

Buttermilk scones are a favourite bake of mine. I am by no means a fancy baker, but I do really enjoy baking and do it regularly. What I am best known for amongst my family and friends are these great tasting scones.

A glass cake stand of buttermilk scones and an open buttermilk scone topped with fresh homemade jam and the jar of jam open to the side.

Scones are simple to make, provided you follow a few basic guidelines. This recipe for scones made with buttermilk is fails-safe and it turns out great tasting, light and airy scone, time after time.

It is almost always a scone that I opt for when out for coffee with friends. However, I have eaten some bad ones over the years: too dense; too dry; too crumbly; loaded with baking powder to make them rise (the latter being the worst as it sets your teeth on edge)!

This simple scone recipe will avoid any problems with badly baked scones and can be easily adapted to add any flavour combination that you choose. They make great tasting fruit scones with buttermilk too.

How do I ensure a light scone?

I make a good scone, however, I have friends who say that they struggle to bake a decent scone. Some complain about the lack of rise, others saying they are tough and too dense.

The trick to any scone is to remember that scone dough needs a light hand. With all scones it is essential not to overwork the dough! Most of the problems people tell me about when they are baking scones are the result of too heavy a hand and overworking the dough.

How to make Buttermilk Scones – recipe steps:

A pink bowl with flour, sugar and butter being weighed out and milk and egg in a jug next to it.
  • Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl.
  • Add chilled butter, rub together gently until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
  • Do not press the mixture together.
A pink bowl with flour, sugar and butter mixed to breadcrumb stage and now milk and egg being poured into the bowl from a glass jug.
  • Beat eggs with the buttermilk, add to the dry mixture and combine using a round knife.
  • Then use your hands to gently bring the dough together into a ball.
  • Place the dough onto a floured surface and roll out to around 3cm thickness using a well floured rolling pin.
  • If you don’t have a rolling pin, pressing gently with the back of your hand will suffice.
A hand brushing the top of scones with leftover buttermilk and egg mix to glaze the top of scones before baking.
  • Using a 6cm round cutter stamp out your scones and place them on a greased and floured baking sheet.
  • Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the scones with the remnants of the buttermilk mixture left in the measuring jug to give a golden top to the scones.
  • Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C/200CFan for 16-18 minutes or until the scones have turned golden on top.
Apple and cinnamon scones fresh from the oven on a non stick baking mat to show the height of the scones.
  • Once baked, remove the scones from the oven and pop them onto a wire tray to cool a little.

How to serve scones?

Scones are at their absolute best served warm, straight from the oven. In my case with a nice hot cup of tea or coffee. Here are some topping suggestions for your scones:

  • butter
  • clotted cream; whipped cream or whipped double cream
  • any flavour of jam or jelly:
    • Strawberry Jam
    • Raspberry Jam
    • Apple Jelly
    • Blackcurrant Jelly
    • Blackberry (Bramble) Jelly
  • any flavour of curd: lemon; blackcurrant

What to do with leftover scones?

I’ll be entirely honest, I very rarely have any scones leftover after baking a batch. Although best served warm, straight from the oven, leftover scones can be kept in an airtight container and warmed up gently in the oven for the next day or so.

Scones also freeze really well! Once baked simply allow to cool completely on the wire rack before placing in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, defrost and warm up in the oven before serving.

A cooling rack with scones from the oven and a hand opening one to show the texture inside the scone.

5 Top tips for baking a light scone:

A good scone should have a good rise and a light and open texture. We do not add baking powder to this basic scone dough, instead we following these 5 simple steps:

  1. Bring the dough very gently together with your hands, take care not to be too heavy handed, try to use your fingers rather than the palm of your hand.
  2. Once combined into a rough ball, place on a very well floured surface. If using a rolling pin add a generous amount of flour to that too. You don’t want the dough sticking to either the board or your rolling pin.
  3. Gently roll the dough to around 2.5cm – 3cm in depth before cutting and placing onto the baking sheet and baking in the oven.
  4. Scones should have a light, open fluffy texture once baked, overworked dough will not rise, you will be left with flat, hard scones. The less you work the dough the better the rise and the fluffier the scone.
  5. Cut the first round of scones then gently bring the leftover dough together again before cutting more scones to use up the dough.
A tray of buttermilk scones

Other flavour combinations for scones?

I use this basic buttermilk scone recipe as a base for all my other scone recipes. Get creative with the flavours, here are some suggestions:

  • dried fruits: sultanas; raisins; apricot; cranberry
  • fresh fruits: apple; pumpkin (puree); lemon; blueberry; strawberry
  • chocolate chips: dark, milk or white
  • cheese: cheddar; comte; gruyere; blue
  • fresh or dried herbs: chives; thyme; wild garlic; lavender; oregano; parsley

This is by no means an complete list, get creative and add any flavour you like using the scone as a base. When it comes to savoury scones, cut out the sugar entirely.

Worth pointing out that if you do decide to add additional flavours to your scones this will affect the overall rise of the scone.

Our buttermilk scones contain no baking powder as the eggs do all the hard work. However, if adding flavours add a teaspoon of baking powder to the dough so that the scones will still rise with the heavier ingredients.

You will also need to adjust the amount of liquid. For example apple is a wet fruit so you need to add a little less buttermilk and egg into the dough.

Pin the recipe:

Additional recipe suggestions:

Love scones then why not try some of these great tasting recipes:

  • Savoury Cheese Scones
  • Pumpkin Scones
  • Apple & Cinnamon Scones
  • Scottish Pancakes (also know as Drop Scones)

If you enjoyed this bake have a look at our Ultimate Guide to Baking with Kids, full of great recipe suggestions for baking with children.

A glass cake stand with 4 large buttermilk scones piled together on top.

buttermilk scones

The perfect weekend breakfast or an afternoon tea treat with a cup of tea. These buttermilk scones are delicious. A simple recipe that can be adapted to incorporate any flavour combination that you choose.
5 from 6 votes
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Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Servings: 12 portions
Calories: 263kcal
Author: Lesley Garden

Ingredients

  • 500 g self raising flour
  • 100 g caster sugar
  • pinch salt
  • 100 g unsalted butter (chilled from fridge and diced)
  • 2 medium free-range eggs
  • 200 ml buttermilk

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the chilled butter and rub together gently through your fingers until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Do not press the mixture together.
  • Beat the eggs with the buttermilk and add to the dry mixture and mix using a round knife. Use your hands to gently bring the dough together into a ball. (Take care not to over-work the dough as this will only result in dense, heavy scones. The lighter the handling the lighter the scone).
  • Place the dough onto a floured surface and roll out to around 3cm using a floured rolling pin. (If you don’t have a rolling pin pressing gently with the back of your hand will suffice). Using a 6cm round cutter stamp out your scones and place them on a greased and floured baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the scones with the remnants of the buttermilk mixture left in the measuring jug to give a golden top to the scones.
  • Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C/200CFan for 16-18 minutes or until the scones have turned golden on top. Remove from the oven and serve.

Notes

Scones are always best served warm, fresh from the oven but they can be cooled and frozen easily enough.
Feel free to experiment with flavours using this simple plain scone as a base. Dried fruits, lemon zest and poppy seed, glace cherries, chocolate chips, get creative.
Nutrition Facts
buttermilk scones
Amount Per Serving
Calories 263 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 47mg16%
Sodium 30mg1%
Potassium 74mg2%
Carbohydrates 39g13%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 275IU6%
Calcium 32mg3%
Iron 0.5mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •

Course : Baking
Cuisine : British
Keyword : buttermilk scones, coffee break, easy baking, easy buttermilk scones, how to make buttermilk scones, teatime, treat
Tried this recipe? We’d love to see your photos!Mention @lostinf00d or tag #lostinfood!
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Tagged With: comfort food, simple, traditional 9 Comments

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jacqui Bellefontaine

    16 November, 2019 at 10:20

    5 stars
    Love how you two became friend. any foodie will know the how divine a well baked scone is. It made me think about friends i made through food and apart more recent friends made through a local dinner club. My two best friendships that have stood the test of time came about through food. My 1st through studying Home Economics together and being partnered fro cookery classes our skills complimented each other so me a made a good team, The other was when i invited a friend of a friend whom i met once before to Christmas dinner in June back in the 80s I was working on a photoshoot for a magazine and i didnt want all the food to go to waste.

    Reply
    • Michelle

      17 November, 2019 at 14:41

      Thanks Jacqui, it is true, the love of food and friendship go hand in hand. Our skills too compliment each other which is why I think we work so well with each other, that and our agreed commitment to be utterly honest with each other! So glad to hear you’ve made some life long friends through the love of food.:-) Cheers, Michelle x

      Reply
  2. Janice

    2 February, 2019 at 21:16

    These look like epic scones, buttermilk makes all the difference to the rise.

    Reply
    • Lesley

      3 February, 2019 at 09:05

      Thank you Janice, buttermilk does indeed make a big difference and cuts out the need for raising agent. This scone recipe is how Michelle and I first struck up a friendship. She’d heard I made the best scones and asked if I’d share the recipe. Friends ever since. Lesley x

      Reply
  3. Kirsti Cook

    22 May, 2015 at 06:45

    I have never mastered scones so will give these a try. X

    Reply
    • Michelle

      22 May, 2015 at 09:31

      They are lovely and light Kirsty, they really don’t even need to be rolled, most times I just pat the dough and put the cutter straight through. Love to see your photos once you do make them – and you can vary them too with adding spices, etc.

      Reply
  4. Karen

    1 May, 2015 at 08:33

    BOOKMARKED and ready to bake this weekend, thanks so much for sharing this recipe and what a heart-warming post too! Karen

    Reply
    • Michelle

      5 May, 2015 at 15:25

      Thanks Karen, I hope you enjoy them! They are a go to breakfast for us on mornings when we are blogging!

      Reply

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