Why am I so bad at Scones.??

[seasprout]

I have quite a bit of Strawberry Jam, so hence you need lots of lovley fruit scones to eat it on.

Just used my 2ND different recipie this week and they have both been a disaster, basically they stay flat...


The 1st recipie used egg, but no baking powder or bicarb, the 2nd recipie used no egg and plenty of bicarb, but again very flat chested.!!


Can anybody supply the ultimate fruit scone recipe, tried and tested and very yummy.

My Mum used to make whopping big ones, (scones) but sadly passed away before i got the recipie.

[shirlthegirl43]

I used to make great scones (sorry about the lack of modesty) but tried them recently to find they did the same as yours - I could have built a house with the blooming things! I traced my problem to some out of date baking powder but haven't tried making them again since I bought fresh.

Sorry, not a lot of help really. I think the old saying was warm hands for scones but cold hands for pastry?

[Comfreyfan]

I currently make great scones - hasn't always been the way, but just at the moment scones are good!

I'm using Delia's basic plain scone recipe:
8oz self raising flour (225g)
1 1/2 oz butter (or magerine) at room temperature (40g)
1/4 pint milk (150ml)
1 1/2 tablespoons caster sugar
pinch of salt

Pre heat over to gas mark 7, 425 F/220 C

Sift the flour into a bowl and rub in butter quickly with fingertips. Next stir in the sugar and salt, then use a knife to work in the milk little by little. Flour your hands a little and knead the mixture as little as possible to a soft dough - add a drop more milk if it feels at all dry.
Turn the dough out and roll (or pat) to a thickness of not less than 3/4 inch(2cm). Take a 1 1/2 or 2 inch cutter (4 or 5 cm) and place it on the dough, then tap it sharply so that it goes straight through the dough, don't twist it.
Place on greased baking sheet and bake at top of oven for 12-15 minutes.

In the notes it talks about why scones don't rise. Apparently nearly always because rolling the dough out too thin.

I seem to recall being taught that you should keep the handling of the dough to an absolute minimum and I'm not sure if we cooked them at a hotter temperature but it was always 10minutes to make and 10 minutes to bake.

[seasprout]

Thanks Comfreyfan, interesting no Bicarb or Baking powder, only Self Raising and very little rolling, that must be the key.

And if its good enough for St Delia it must be good.!

And I twisted my Cutters.!!!

[blackkitty]

The dough being too thin is the main reason but also if you glaze them with egg or milk make sure that you only brush the tops and that it doesn't go down the sides as this can also stop them rising.

[seasprout]

The dough being too thin is the main reason but also if you glaze them with egg or milk make sure that you only brush the tops and that it doesn't go down the sides as this can also stop them rising.

I may have dribbled a bit down the sides as well.

[shirlthegirl43]

Deffo don't roll them. I make a mean griddle scone even if I failed badly on my last oven scones. Less handling is deffo better

[seasprout]

Deffo don't roll them. I make a mean griddle scone even if I failed badly on my last oven scones. Less handling is deffo better

But thats how I get my finger nails so clean.

[Hilary B]

too much handling can certainly be bad for scones. If you have SOUR milk, then bicarb produces a nicer flavour than using baking powder (SR flour simply has baking powder already added, equivalent to 3tsp BP in 8oz flour, some recipes give 4tsp addded to 8oz plain flour) but I can never remember the correct amount of bicarb to use, and it really only works well with the acid in sour milk.

[shirlthegirl43]

But thats how I get my finger nails so clean.

Please, please please tell me you are joking

you should make bread for that one

[seasprout]

Please, please please tell me you are joking

you should make bread for that one

...........

[Bren In Pots]

Less handling always works for me, I don't use a cuter for my scones instead I either roll into a circle then cut the dough into 8 or make a square cutting it into 9 pieces.

[Comfreyfan]

But thats how I get my finger nails so clean.

I was a child minder for a very long time and I have fond memories of those awful lumps of grey pastry dough that the children made to make jam tarts for their parents. Those poor parents, full of guilt for leaving their children all day, knew exactly why the children's hands looked so clean, but had to eat the offerings anyway!!!!

[jacob marley]

If any of you Ladies need a unbiased judge send your scones my way i love e'm....jacob

[Alison Adams]

My mum makes fab scones, I did ask once for her recipe but she just rolled her eyes at me - she hasnt used a recipe or weighed anything for years ! She probably started off with the Bero book though... Anyway, she hardly rolls scones at all, just sort of presses the dough into shape leaving it quite thick, maybe an inch or so and then cuts them out with an old teacup.
I might have to do what I did for Yorkshires - I stood next to her and each time she added an ingredient, I counted/weighed it first and wrote it down. Now I too make wonderful Yorkshires !