Classic English Scones with Chocolate Chips and secret hack
- with Vegan Option
I hope you’re ready for these fluffy, flaky, and buttery classic scones with chocolate chips. This 20-minutes cupboard recipe makes the most delicious authentic scones. Fill them with clotted cream, jam, or slather with butter for a traditional British afternoon tea or high food tea party…or just enjoy these amazing scones as a luxe breakfast or brunch.
Say hello to these Classic English Scones with chocolate chips. They are utterly fluffy, just the right amount of flaky and buttery, and absolutely mouthwatering. And they only take 20-minutes to make, making them great for unexpected guests as well as tea parties.
Make these tasty baked buttery scones with chocolate chips, or leave out the chocolate for plain fluffy scones.
Read on to see how to make the best easy scones, plus the best vegan option.
How to get the perfect classic scones hack
I discovered the hack to getting the perfect scones by accident and later found out that’s the secret trick scones bakers use. So, here it is. The top-secret, well-kept, guarded hack to making the perfect fluffy buttery English and Scottish scones are: using cold butter.
Where most recipes tell you to use melted butter in your scones dough, I’m here to tell you that using cold butter is where it’s at. When you use melted butter your scones just come out tasting like a delicious soft regular bun recipe. It doesn’t get that crispy on the outside scones texture that we all know and adore…but using cold butter and massaging it into your dough will leave you with heavenly cloudy fluffy scones that are light and airy on the inside and deliciously buttery and lightly crispy on the outside.
How to make easy traditional British scones
This scones recipe is super quick and easy because it uses baking powder. This means there’s no proofing, and no time wasted. Just make the dough, bake it right away, and get ready to enjoy these delicious buttery traditional scones.
Ingredients to make the best easy classic scones:
- 4 3/8 Cups (550g) flour
- 1/3 cups (75g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 cups + 2 tbsp (200g) cold butter, cubed
- 1 1/2 cups (3 1/2 dl) buttermilk
- 1 1/4 cups (200g) chocolate chips
- One egg for brushing on top
How to make the best traditional English scones:
Making these amazing scones is quick and easy. Even if you’re a novice baker these scones will work and come out fluffy, buttery, and come-back-for-seconds delicious.
- Heat the oven to 450F (220celcius) and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add half of the cold butter cubes and knead until the butter is evenly distributed and the dough forms little lumps (it should look a little like cheese shreds).
- Next, pour in the buttermilk a little at a time and quickly combine. Knead together for a few minutes until everything is combined.
- Now, add the rest of the cold butter and very quickly knead it into the dough. It’s okay if there are a few small lumps of butter throughout the dough.
- Roll the dough out onto the lined baking pan until it nearly reaches the edges. Fold the dough in half over itself, and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the dough. Fold the dough once more over itself. Use a 3” round cookie cutter or a glass to stick out 15-16 scones (or use a knife to cut out the scones in squares).
- Brush the top of the scones with the egg.
- Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until the scones are golden on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
- Let the scones cool on a baking rack before serving.
- Enjoy your fluffy buttery scones.
Note:
Store in a cool bread container for 2-3 days.
10 tips for making the best scones:
- For the best taste and texture always use cold butter in your scones.
- Use pastry flour for the fluffiest airy texture. It makes light, fluffy, and irresistible scones.
- Chill your scones before baking. 15 minutes in the refrigerator or 10 minutes in the freezer before baking your scones will take your scones to the next level.
- Use baking powder instead of yeast.
- Always use buttermilk instead of regular milk.
- To get maximum height in your scones you can use self-raising flour.
- Always knead in the last half of the cold butter after the dough is formed to make your scones extra fluffy and buttery.
- Want more sweetness in your scones? Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract to make your scones more aromatic and sweet.
- Bake your scones in a preheated oven to get the best scones texture that is fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside.
- Use a good quality dark chocolate to make the best chocolate chip scones
How to make classic scones vegan
Making delicious fluffy vegan scones is a lot easier than you might think. Just switch a few ingredients out with vegan options and you will have a batch of mouthwatering scones ready to serve in 20 minutes.
What ingredients do you need to make vegan scones:
- 550g flour
- 75g granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 200g cold vegan butter, cubed
- 3 1/2 dl almond milk or cashew milk
- 200g vegan chocolate chips
- 2-3 tbsp plant milk for brushing on top
How to serve scones
The traditional way to serve scones is with jam and clotted cream. In the US the closest thing to clotted cream is probably butter. Clotted cream is a very thickly whipped heavy cream that resembles butter.
Other flavors to add to scones
- Orange zest
- Lemon zest
- Vanilla extract
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Cardamom
Frequently Asked Questions
Scones come in at around 318 calories per 100g.
Yes. Plain white flour works very well in scones and is what I usually use. For the lightest airy scones texture, you can use pastry flour instead of plain flour. But both types work very well.
Letting your scones rest and chill before baking lets the gluten in the dough relax, and produces a better texture as well as keeping the shape of the scones intact during baking.
Cold unsalted butter is traditionally used in making scones, however cold salted butter can also work just fine. For a gourmet choice, use cold Lurpak Butter or similar in your baking.
Absolutely. Self-raising flour is excellent in scones as it gives the scones a light texture and makes them get a lot of height. If you prefer using self-raising flour to make your scones, simply leave out the baking powder in the recipe.
Scones should be stored in a cool dry place, preferably in a bread container or similar. Store for 2-3 days.
Yes. Scones can easily be frozen and reheated at a later date.
Classic English Scones with chocolate chips and a secret hack – with vegan option
Ingredients
- 4⅜ cups (550g) Flour
- ⅓ cups (75g) Granulated Sugar
- 2 tbsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- ¾ cups + 2 tbsp (200g) Cold Butter Cubed (vegan butter for vegan version)
- 1½ cups (3½dl) Buttermilk (Almond milk for vegan version)
- 1¼ cups (200g) Chocolate Chips
- 1 Egg for brushing (almond milk for vegan version)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 450F (220celcius) and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.Add half of the cold butter cubes and knead until the butter is evenly distributed and the dough forms little lumps (it should look a little like cheese shreds).
- Next, pour in the buttermilk a little at a time and quickly combine. Knead together for a few minutes until everything is combined.
- Now, add the rest of the cold butter and very quickly knead it into the dough. It’s okay if there are a few small lumps of butter throughout the dough.
- Roll the dough out onto the lined baking pan until it nearly reaches the edges. Fold the dough in half over itself, and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the dough. Fold the dough once more over itself. Use a 3” round cookie cutter or a glass to stick out 15-16 scones (or use a knife to cut out the scones in squares).
- Brush the top of the scones with the egg.Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until the scones are golden on the outside and fluffy on the inside.Let the scones cool on a baking rack before serving.Enjoy your fluffy buttery scones.
Notes
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