Scones are a simple and quick bake that can be enjoyed at any time of the day – whether it’s a breakfast treat or an afternoon snack – and one woman has revealed the one simple trick that makes all the difference
While it’s easy to grab a pack of scones from the supermarket, I’ve found that homemade ones are far superior, and you can mould them to your heart’s content. My mum’s scones have always been fluffier than any shop-bought variety, and when I took up baking, she let me in on her secret – simply shape them into squares rather than rounds.
Surprisingly, the form makes all the difference, with square scones rising better and boasting a softer, loftier texture. It might seem odd to make scones square, but it means you don’t have to keep reworking the dough to cut it, which aids its rise in the oven during baking.
Traditionally, when shaping scones, you keep folding the dough to use every bit, but this can toughen it and squeeze out all the air. Overdo the folding, and the dough can dry out, leading to really crumbly, hard scones that are a challenge to eat.
However, by simply cutting square scones instead of rolling them out, the butter in the dough remains more intact and releases more steam while baking, as per the Express. More steam gives the dough a better lift, so you’ll end up with a flaky and tender scone that’s bursting with rich, buttery flavour.
How to make square scones
Ingredients
For the scones:
- 500g of self-raising flour
- 50g of caster sugar
- 170g of butter (straight from the fridge)
- 250ml of whole milk
- One egg
- Pinch of sea salt
- One tablespoon of light brown sugar (optional)
For the egg wash:
Method:
To kick off, just pop the dry ingredients (flour, sugar and a pinch of salt) in a large mixing bowl, then add the butter.
Begin by blending the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until you achieve a breadcrumb-like consistency, which should take around five minutes.
Then, combine the milk and egg for the scones in a jug. Give it a good whisk with a fork before pouring it into your breadcrumb mixture.
Your dough will be quite sticky at this stage, so lightly dust it with flour before shaping it into a ball.
Wrap the bowl in cling film and pop it in the fridge for 20 minutes. The cold butter will release steam as it bakes, giving your scones that desired light and fluffy texture.
Once the time’s up, crank up your oven to 200C or Gas Mark 8. Dust a surface with a bit of flour and turn out your dough.
Now it’s time to shape your scones into squares. Either roll out your dough or pat it down until it’s an inch thick and rectangular.
Aim for straight sides to make the cutting process smoother.
Next, slice the dough vertically and rotate it to create even squares. You can also trim the edges for a neater finish.
Use a spatula to transfer the scones onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper, ensuring there’s enough space between each one for them to expand.
Prepare your egg wash in a jug (one egg and 25ml of milk) and brush a thin layer on top. Be careful not to get any egg wash on the sides of the scones, as this can seal the edges and hinder the dough from rising properly.
If you fancy, dust each scone with a bit of brown sugar before popping them into the oven to bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Once they’re done, allow them to cool in the tray for 10 minutes and then fully on a wire rack.