Homemade Buttermilk Scones (2024)

Light and tender Homemade Buttermilk Scones made from scratch in just 20 minutes ! Afternoon tea wouldn’t be complete without a batch of warm scones fresh from the oven.

An easy, foolproof recipe for light and fluffy buttermilk scones with step by step instructions to make perfect scones every time.

Buttermilk Scones are quick and easy to make so they’re the perfect choice when time is short and you need almost instant results because you fancy a sweet treat but the cake cupboard is bare.

Make a batch of scones and pop them in the oven – 12 minutes later you’ve got warm scones ready to eat. Simply split open and spread with butter. Delicious any time of day, we’ve even been known to have them for breakfast.

For an extra special treat, try them in a traditional cream tea with rich and decadent clotted cream I’ll leave it up to you whether to put the jam or the cream on first.

Baking tips for light and fluffy scones

If you want to avoid the disappointment of dense, flat or dry scones, here are my top tips:

• BUTTERMILK and light handling are the key to success with scones. Buttermilk reacts with the bicarbonate of soda to create carbon dioxide that causes the mixture to rise. It also helps break down the gluten strands resulting in soft and tender scones.
• There’s no need to use a mixer, your hands and a bowl are all that’s required. You don’t even need a rolling pin, just a gentle pressing of the dough with your hands does the job.
• Use butter at ROOM TEMPERATURE. It’s much easier and quicker to rub room temperature butter into the flour. The quicker you blend the ingredients and the less your scone dough is handled, the better.

• SOFT AND STICKY is best when it comes to the consistency of your dough. A dry dough won’t be able to rise as well as a wet dough, resulting in those dense scones you want to avoid.

• DON’T twist the pastry cutter, you want your scones to stand nice and tall. Twisting the pastry cutter risks giving a lopsided scone which won’t rise so well.

• DON’T space your scones too far apart on the baking tray. Firstly, placing them side by side on the baking tray, about 2.5cm / 1 inch apart gives a higher rise and straighter sides. Secondly, placing like this helps prevent the scones from drying out as they retain moisture more readily.
• DON’T OVER BAKE. Scones are baked at quite a high temperature and don’t need long in a hot oven. Bake until a golden brown on top but still quite light in colour on the sides. You want moist scones and over baked dark scones are dry. If you not sure whether your scones are cooked, take one off the baking tray and break it open. The centre should feel moist but not ‘doughy’ or wet.

Can you use normal milk instead of buttermilk ?

Absolutely ! To substitute buttermilk, simply use the same quantity of regular milk with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or white wine vinegar. This gives it an acidity similar to that of buttermilk which is essential for working with the bicarbonate of soda to give you light and fluffy scones.

Add the lemon juice or vinegar to your milk, give it a stir and then leave for five minutes. The milk will have become thicker and clumpy and is ready to use in your scone mixture.

Alternatively, you can use a 50 / 50 mixture of yoghurt and milk as a buttermilk substitute.

Can you freeze buttermilk ?

Yes, you can ! Buttermilk freezes really well for use in baking and will last in the freezer for up to three months. Although the recommendation on the container is not to freeze, it is safe to freeze. Like other dairy products it won’t maintain its qualities for drinking but it does retain its acid content which is what you need for scones.

My scone recipe calls for only a small amount of buttermilk so freezing the rest is the perfect option.

Make sure you freeze the buttermilk within the best before date. I freeze mine in an ice cube tray with a one tablespoonful (15 ml) portion to each cube. Once frozen, keep in a ziplock bag labelled with the date. It’s ready to be defrosted and used for the next time you bake.

How to serve Homemade Buttermilk Scones

Serve fresh from the oven. Split in them in half and simply spread with butter and homemade strawberry jam.

Enjoy as part of a cream tea or afternoon tea.

How long do they keep ?

Scones are best eaten as fresh as possible but you can keep them for a couple of days in an airtight container. Refresh for a few minutes in a hot oven before serving.

Can I freeze them ?

Yes, you can !

Pop your scones into a freezer bag and they will keep for up to three months in the freezer.

Refresh in a hot oven before serving.

If you like Homemade Buttermilk Scones ……you might also like:

Pink Peppercorn Shortbread

Homemade Belgian Buns

Atraditional fruit loaf – Guernsey Gâche

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