Made with soda bread dough, Ballymaloe’s recipe for Sweet White Scones is the perfect starting point for a novice baker. Since they don’t have to be stamped out with a cutter, these mouthwatering morsels can be cut into any shape using a knife. As versatile as they are delicious, these treats can be brushed with buttermilk or egg wash and dipped in grated cheese, or they can incorporate a variety of stir-in ingredients, from raisins to curry powder.
Sweet White Scones
Makes 9 scones
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (50 grams) demerara or other coarse sugar
- 1½ large eggs (75 grams)
- 1 cup (240 grams) whole milk
- 3½ cups plus 2 tablespoons (454 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (24 grams) castor sugar
- 4 teaspoons (20 grams) baking powder
- Pinch salt
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) cold salted butter, grated
- Jam and whipped cream or jam and butter, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475°F (250°C).
- In a small bowl, place demerara sugar; set aside.
- In a 2-cup liquid-measuring cup, whisk together eggs. Add enough milk to measure 1¼ cups. Whisk well to combine. Reserve 2½ tablespoons (37 grams) egg mixture for egg wash.
- In a large bowl, sift together flour, castor sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add cold butter, and toss lightly to coat with flour. Using fingertips, rub butter into mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in center. Add remaining egg mixture. Using a fork, stir together until a soft dough forms.
- Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. (Do not knead.) Shape dough into a round, and roll to 1-inch thickness. Using a floured 3-inch round cutter, cut dough, rerolling scraps once. Brush tops with reserved egg wash. Dip tops in demerara sugar. Place on a baking sheet.
- Bake until tops are golden brown, 9 to 11 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack. Serve with jam and whipped cream or jam and butter.
Notes
Cut the dough with as little waste as possible, as the lightest scones will come from the first rolling.