Buttermilk Scones

Bitten by the scone bug, I set off to surf the net and look for more tips and recipes on scone making.  I chance upon this recipe from  Do what I like.  In her post, Florence has generously shared some valuable tips re the fine points of scone making and I find that the scones made with buttermilk are light with a tender crumb and a wee bit buttery.

I stumbled upon this site as well.  Do check it out if you want to learn more about the final touches of scone making.  Another tip is to just ease open the warm scone with your fingers as cutting it up with a knife will spoil the crumbly texture of the scone. 

Recipe for Buttermilk Scones  (adapted from Buttermilk scones from Do what I like blog)

Ingredients

• 200 gm self-raising flour, sifted 3 times
• 1/4  tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 50 gm cold butter, cut into small cubes
• 150 ml buttermilk  (low fat milk + 2 tsp lemon/lime juice)
• Milk for glazing

Method

1. Make buttermilk by adding 2 tsp of lemon juice to 150 ml low fat milk.  Let stand for 30mins.
2. Sieve flour thrice into a mixing bowl.  Stir in the salt, mix well.
3. Add in the cold butter cubes and rub in with your finger tips till it resembles breadcrumbs.
4. Stir in the sugar.  Make a well in the centre of the mixture.
5. Pour in the milk, hold back a little lest the mixture becomes too runny.
6. Stir to mix with a pair of chopsticks.  Do not overmix, as overmixing will toughen the scones.  Dough should be sticky.  If dough is too dry, add in a bit more milk.
7. Transfer the dough onto a slightly floured worktop.  Lightly pat the dough to 2 cm thick and cut with a  flour dusted 5.5 cm cutter.  Press cutter firmly into the dough.  Do not twist.
8. Arrange the scones side by side slightly touching each other on a parchment lined baking tray.
9. Glaze the scones with some milk.
10. Bake in a preheated oven @ 220 deg C for 13 to 15 mins.  Scones are cooked when they have risen and begin to separate in the middle and a little brown on top.
11. Transfer the scones onto a wire rack to cool.
12. Serve warm scones with jam, butter, cream or any of your favourite spread.
13. Makes 5 scones.

I'm linking this post  with Bake-Along # 27 hosted by Joyce, Lena and Zoe.