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Mary Hearty Bye's Scottish Scones

Perfectly textured inside and out, these scones truly are the real deal. Just a touch of butter or your favorite jam is all the embellishment they need.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    45 min

  • Yield

    Makes 1 dozen scones

Ingredients

2

1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2

teaspoons sugar

2

teaspoons baking powder

1

teaspoon salt

1

/2 teaspoon baking soda

1

/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

2

tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1

cup well-shaken buttermilk

1

large egg, beaten

Vegetable oil for greasing

Equipment: a large griddle (preferably cast-iron) or a 10-inch cast-iron skillet

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar in a large bowl, then blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in buttermilk and egg with a fork just until a soft dough forms.

    Step 2

    Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, divide dough into thirds and knead each piece 3 or 4 times. Pat each piece into a 6-inch round (1/2 inch thick), then cut each round into 4 wedges.

    Step 3

    Heat griddle over low heat until hot, then lightly oil.

    Step 4

    Working in 2 batches, dust each wedge of dough with flour, patting off excess, then cook over low heat, undisturbed, 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-low and cook until puffed and undersides are golden-brown, 3 to 5 minutes more. Turn scones over and cook until undersides are golden-brown, 6 to 8 minutes (watch closely; move scones and adjust heat as needed so they cook through without burning). Turn scones on edges and cook until golden-brown, about 1 minute per edge. Cut one scone open to check for doneness.

    Step 5

    Transfer to a rack and cool to warm. (Lightly oil griddle between batches.)