This is the best English Scones Recipe I have ever tried and I want to share it with you.
With this recipe you can make light and fluffy scones every time!
Why you’ll love this recipe
If you want a baking recipe with tips and hints, you’ll find lots here on Marcellina in Cucina. There’s recipes for a quick chocolate cake, an easy vanilla cake or AMAZING chocolate chip cookies and exactly how to make biscotti. And here you’ll find the best English scones recipe with all my tips for success.
Scones are such a classic Australian treat. Everyone loves them. Whether you like you scones with strawberry jam and cream or with honey or just dipped into your tea. A light, tender scone is always appreciated and enjoyed by everyone.
Quite a few years ago I visited Tasmania and enjoyed Devonshire Tea every afternoon. I marveled at the bakers in the tea houses who made fresh, delicious scones all day, every day. I wanted to make great English scones too!
Then I found this English scones recipe and copied it by hand into my little red recipe book. Now I want to share with you what I have discovered.
Ingredient notes
I’ve tried lots of different easy scones recipes. From recipes with lemonade and cream to recipes containing eggs but I have found this very basic recipe is the best English Scones Recipe ever! Why? Because it is light and fluffy, quick to make and never fails. The best part is that the ingredients are pantry staples.
- self raising flour
- salt
- butter
- milk
Variations
This is a basic English scones recipe. A soft and easy scones recipe but a basic one which means you can add extra flavorings that you may like.
- a spoonful of sugar.
- a handful of dried fruit.
- grated rind of an orange or lemon.
- a teaspoon of spice like cinnamon.
- chopped walnuts or other nut that you like.
- chocolate chips – white or dark.
- spoon the batter onto hot, stewed fruit and bake to make a delicious cobbler.
- cheese and herbs for a savory scone.
- sun dried tomato with olives and cheese.
- substitute gluten free flour for a gluten free scone.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven
- Rub the cold butter into the flour and salt
- Add the cold milk all at once
- Combine into a dough and pat out onto floured board
- Cut out scones
- Place on baking sheet and bake in a hot oven
Tips for success
Really, it’s quite simple. Here are the 8 secrets I have learnt over the years to make great English scones.
- Preheat the oven to a very hot temperature – 230°C/450°F
- Start with cold ingredients and keep everything cold.
- Grate the cold (even frozen) butter into the flour and rub in but leave little “pebbles” of butter for extra flakiness
- Add the cold milk all at once and mix quick with the blade of a dinner knife.
- Turn out on a VERY lightly floured board and knead briefly…by that I mean count quickly to 30 and stop.
- Resist adding more flour – this dough is meant to be sticky.
- Use a floured cutter and DON’T twist the cutter. Simply press down to cut. (Hint: use a floured glass if you don’t have a scone cutter)
- As soon as the scones come out of the oven wrap in a clean tea towel to retain the moisture.
FAQ’s
As with any scones, it is really best if they are eat warm from the oven. And, I mean, who could resist that? But, even though this is the best English scones recipe ever, you may have a few left over.
You can keep the scones in air tight container for the next day but warm in the microwave before splitting and topping with jam and cream.
However, it is best to FREEZE any leftover scones so that they don’t dry out. I like to wrap each one individually in plastic wrap then pop all of them into a zip lock bag.
To defrost, simply remove the plastic wrap and defrost for 20 seconds in the microwave, turning over halfway through. Is it like a fresh scone? No, nothing beats a freshly baked scones but at a pinch, I think it’s fine.
You can make your own quite easily! It takes just two ingredients – plain or all purpose flour and baking powder. Just remember that different brands of baking powder perform differently. So it is adviseable to check the instruction on the box of baking powder you are using.
In Australia to make self raising flour you will need 2 teaspoons of baking powder to each cup of plain flour. However in the United States, you will only need 1 ¼ teaspoons of baking powder per cup of plain (all purpose) flour. In other countries, please check your brand of baking powder.
Serving suggestions
These English Scones should be eaten warm from the oven. Split the scone in half and you can melt butter onto the scone before slathering on some lovely, thick jam.
I’m a classic girl and love eating scones with my easy microwave, strawberry preserves recipe (you really should try it) and fresh cream. However the list is endless. Any spread is good on English scones – honey, golden syrup, maple syrup or even just really good butter. Little people love chocolate spread on their scones.
More recipes
Damper with olives, sun dried tomatoes and cheese
Pumpkin Scones
Mascarpone Cream
What readers are saying
“This is the first time I’ve ever made scones that rise! I’ve been trying for years. Thank you. This recipe really works for me. Made some date ones and plain. Your tips are what I’ve needed all this time.”
“Easiest and most delicious scone that can be prepared in half an hour. Very impressed.”
If you enjoyed this recipe, I’d really appreciate a star rating and a comment or tag me on instagram @marcellina.in.cucina.
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Best English Scone Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups self raising flour (no self raising flour? see notes)
- pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons (60grams or 2oz) butter
- 1 ¼ cups milk plus extra
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 450°F/230ºC.
- Sift flour and salt into a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. It’s fine even better if some of the butter is not completely rubbed in. Leave little pebbles of butter.
- Stir in the milk with a flat bladed knife. Depending on the weather and your flour you may need a spoonful or two more of milk. The dough should be sticky.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead gently for a brief 30 seconds. (Hint: count quickly to 30). Pat into a flat round about 1⅓in (3cm) thick.
- Cut with a floured cutter pressing straight down and not twisting. Place on baking paper lined tray close together.
- Bake in the hottest part of the preheated oven. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes.
- Remove scones from the oven and wrap in a clean teatowel. This will keep them soft and tender.
Notes
- 450 grams self raising flour (no self raising flour see below)
- pinch salt
- 60 grams butter
- 310mls milk plus extra if needed
- In Australia to make self raising flour you will need 2 teaspoons of baking powder to each cup of plain flour.
- However in the United States, you will only need 1 ¼ teaspoons of baking powder per cup of plain (all purpose) flour.
- In other countries, please check your brand of baking powder.
- Preheat the oven to a very hot temperature – 450°F/230ºC
- Start with cold ingredients and keep everything cold.
- Grate the cold (even frozen) butter into the flour and rub in but leave little “pebbles” of butter for extra flakiness
- Add the cold milk all at once and mix quick with the blade of a dinner knife.
- Turn out on a VERY lightly floured board and knead briefly…by that I mean count quickly to 30 and stop.
- Resist adding more flour – this dough is meant to be sticky.
- Use a floured cutter and DON’T twist the cutter. Simply press down to cut. (Hint: use a floured glass if you don’t have a scone cutter)
- As soon as the scones come out of the oven wrap in a clean tea towel to retain the moisture.
- a spoonful of sugar.
- a handful of dried fruit.
- grated rind of an orange or lemon.
- a teaspoon of spice like cinnamon.
- chopped walnuts or other nut that you like.
- chocolate chips – white or dark.
- spoon the batter onto hot, stewed fruit and bake to make a delicious cobbler.
- cheese and herbs for a savory scone.
- sun dried tomato with olives and cheese.
- substitute gluten free flour for a gluten free scone.
I’m also a Queenslander who bakes but just wanted to point out scones originated in the UK not Australia and a real Devonshire cream tea is eaten in Devonshire with clotted cream.
Hi Suze! Thank you for visiting Marcellina in Cucina! I love hearing from a baker who is so interested in food and I hope you get a chance to try my scone recipe.
Can I add mashed pumpkin to this mix, if so how much?
Hello Mary! I probably would be more inclined to use my Pumpkin Scones recipe which you can find here… https://www.marcellinaincucina.com/pumpkin-scones-mascarpone-cream/
Be sure to have well drained pumpkin otherwise the mixture will be too wet. If you find the pumpkin is quite wet, don’t add all of the milk at once. Reserve a little. It can always be added if you think you need it. Happy baking!
Thank you Marcellina! I will definitely try them!
You’re welcome, Mary xx
This looks perfect for my daughter’s first birthday tea party! How would you store them if you wanted to make them for a party that was not the same day? I’d love to make them the day before if possible. Thanks in advance!
Hi Heather, thanks for your kind comment! Scones are really best made and eaten on the day of baking. These scones will be ok if stored in an airtight container but not as good as freshly baked. If you freeze them, you could defrost them the next day and warm them in the oven, wrapped in foil. Just for maybe 5-8 minutes at 180c/350F. These are so easy though that you really could make them the morning of the party. Serve with lots of fruity jam and freshly whipped cream! Enjoy your daughter’s party! xx
Haven’t tried this recipe yet but i see there is no egg in the recipe. Is this correct?
Thanks
Hi Sonia, yes that’s correct. There is no egg in this recipe. I think you will like the results. xx
Hello! I’m wanting to try and make these tomorrow and I want to flavour them with lemon. Can I infuse lemon juice into the mixture instead of the zest? I making them for my daughter and she is quite picky and doesn’t enjoy the texture of zest in her food. Is there any other option or do I have to include the zest in order to flavour them? The recipe looks great so I don’t want to mess it up 🙂
Hi Kassie! You could use a little lemon juice. If you add it to the milk, the milk with curdle and be like buttermilk which isn’t a bad thing. However I’m not sure you’d get a lot of lemon flavour. What about using some good lemon extract instead? That’s what I would do. Let me know how it goes. xx
Can i put the flour and butter in a food processor to combine or is it best to do it by hand?
I have never put the flour and butter in the food processor but I can’t see why not. Be sure to only pulse and not overprocess the mixture. Stop when the mixture looks like sand. I would not recommend adding the milk in the food processor though. The food processor would overprocess the scone mixture. Let me know how it goes. Thanks for dropping by!
This is the first time I’ve ever made scones that rise! I’ve been trying for years. Thank you. This recipe really works for me. Made some date ones and plain. Your tips are what I’ve needed all this time.
Hi Clare, I’m so happy that you have succeeded!! Thanks for the feedback! Personally I absolutely adore date scones. Baci, Marcellina xx
Can I prepare the dough and leave it until tomorrow in the fridge? I want them to be fresh but I don’t have time to do it tomorrow morning?
Hi Chanàl! I don’t recommend preparing scones ahead of time because they won’t rise as well. Baking powder (in the self riding flour) is activated firstly by the addition of liquid and then by heat. However you can rub in the butter the night before, leave that flour/butter mixture in the refrigerator overnight then add the milk in the morning and proceed with the recipe. Hope this helps. xx
Easiest and most delicious scone that can be prepared in half an hour. Very impressed.
These really are, Katrina!
Quick, easy, simple and the best ! I would also serve these beauties with strawberry jam 🙂 Grazie milla !