Basic Scones

5 from 1 vote

These tender cream scones are a traditional scones recipe made with butter and cream. It's a great jumping off point and you can easily customize it!

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Freeze time15

Total Time45

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 305kcal

375 grams bleached all-purpose flour
100 grams granulated sugar
15 mL baking powder
2.5 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
115 grams unsalted butter very cold, cut into small pieces
310 mL whipping cream (35 % fat) plus a little extra for brushing on the scones before baking

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Drop the cold butter cubes into the dry ingredients, and press the cubes of butter into the flour with your fingertips to get large flour-covered flakes (approximately the size of corn flakes).
With a big fork, stir in the cold cream until the dough clumps (don’t over-mix it!). The dough should be a clumpy, floury mess at this point.
Using your hands, press and gently squeeze the dough together, working it just enough to be able to gather the dough into a fat disk.
Divide the dough into two.
Working with one disk at a time, pat out the disk to a 15 cm (6 inch) diameter. The thickness should be a little around 2 cm ( 1 inch).
Cut the dough into 6 wedges.
Repeat with the second half of dough. You will have 12 scones in total.
Place the scones on a parchment lined sheet pan. Freeze for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200 °C) while the scones are freezing.
Just before baking, you can brush the tops of the scones with a little cream.
Bake the scones for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges and tops are golden brown.
Serve warm, as is or with a glaze.

This recipe calls for Diamond Crystal fine Kosher salt. If using regular table salt, add half the amount or the recipe may be too salty!
This scones recipe is made with all-purpose flour, also known as plain flour, which is why we have to add baking powder and salt to the dry ingredients. If you are in the UK or other countries that regularly use self-rising flour:
- use 375 grams self-rising flour and do not add the baking powder and the salt.
Want to make this scone with whole milk instead of cream? This is how to do it:

Add 58 grams (¼ cup) extra butter for a total of 173 grams (¾ cup) cold butter
Replace the 35 % cream in the scones dough with the slightly less 3.25 % whole milk, so use 250 mL (1 cup) milk.