Buttermilk Scones is a traditional British recipe for a classic light and airy scone made with buttermilk. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Buttermilk Scones.
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Buttermilk helps flavour the scones and the acid in the buttermilk helps activate the baking soda in the self-raising flour, making your scones raise better. If you don’t have buttermilk you can make an instant form by adding 1 tbsp lemon juice to whole milk. Allow the milk to curdle and thicken, stir to mix and use in place of buttermilk.
Ingredients:
450g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
¼ tsp salt
100g cold butter, diced
85g golden caster sugar
284ml pot buttermilk (see the home-made buttermilk recipe for making your own)
2 tsp vanilla extract
splash of milk
Method:
Pre-heat your oven to 220C (200C fan/gas mark 7).
Sift the flour and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until you can’t feel any lumps of butter (or rub in butter with fingers). Pulse in the sugar.
Gently warm the buttermilk (don’t throw away the pot) and vanilla in a microwave or pan. Using your largest bowl, quickly tip in some of the flour mix, followed by some of the buttermilk mix, repeating until everything is in the bowl. Use a knife to quickly mix together to form a dough – don’t over-mix it or the scones will not rise.
Turn the resultant dough onto a floured work surface and lightly bring together with your hands a couple of times. Press out gently to about 4cm thick and stamp out rounds with a 6cm or 7cm pastry cutter. When using the cutter press down and lift straight up, do not twist (this will help the scones rise during baking). Re-shape the trimmings, cutting out more scones, and repeating until all the dough is used.
Spread the scones out on a lightly floured baking sheet or two. Add a splash of milk into the buttermilk pot, then use to glaze the top of each scone. Bake in the centre of your pre-heated oven for 10–12 minutes until golden and well risen.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Serve hot with butter and/or clotted cream and jam. Like most scones they're best served warm.
