Everybody needs a great, classic scone recipe!!! These are really quick plain scones you’ll make again and again.
These scones are made with a food processor which is not only faster, it eliminates the risk of common pitfalls. Soft and fluffy insides, golden tops, serve them with copious amounts of jam and cream for the ultimate classic afternoon experience.
Classic plain scone recipe
Perhaps the simplest of all baked goods in this entire world, the humble scone surely conjures up fond memories for every Aussie. Gatherings with family and friends, school bake sales, fundraising morning teas at work, a quaint little cafe in the Southern Highlands, or your grandmother’s kitchen.
(Your grandmother, not mine. Mine lived in Tokyo and hated cooking. I would have died of shock if she ever baked anything. Or refused to eat it out of suspicion 😂).
Plain scones – made easy!
This is how I make plain scones. They are soft and fluffy on the inside, with the signature “flaky folds” when you break it open, and a golden rustic-but-not-too-rustic top:
Food processor. Self raising flour and cold butter – blitz 8 seconds. Add milk – blitz 8 seconds until ball forms.
Turn dough out, knead lightly 10 times (no more), lightly roll across the top to smooth surface. Cut scones out, bake 12 minutes.
No egg. No lard. No cream. No sugar. Why complicate something that’s already perfect?
Food processor, all the way
“Food processor?”, I hear traditionalists gasp in shock.
Yes. (She says firmly). Food processor. Not only is it faster with literally zero effort, it eliminates a lot of “risk factors” when it comes to making scones (eg overworking dough, melting butter with hot hands) and the dough comes together better. Softer and smoother, which means your scones will have a smoother top compared to handmade ones.
Here’s a comparison of the finger-rubbing method vs food processor. They are virtually identical in terms of rise and fluffy-factor, but the surface of the food processor scone is noticeably smoother.
Not that there’s anything wrong with a rustic top on scones. Scones are, after all, humble and rustic food, not intended to look like something from a Michelin star patisserie. 🙂
Essential Tips for making the BEST Scones!
It alarms me that I feel like I could write an entire essay on scones, so I’m restraining myself and summarising final tips for your new scone making life.
1. Resist the urge to twist – I feel like my hand always wants to twist when pressing the cutter into the dough. Resist the urge. Push straight down and pull straight back up. This will ensure your scones rise and they rise straight, not wonky.
2. Don’t smooth the sides once cut – For the same reason as above. So when handling the cut scones, minimise touching the cut sides.
3. Knead 10 times, no more – Kneading the dough makes the surface of scones smoother with a more even rise. However, many recipes will tell you never to knead the dough because it would make the scones tough.
After decades of scone making, I can definitively tell you – scones can take kneading. I have found that 10 light kneads does not affect the fluffiness, rise or softness of scones at all, but it does make the scones smoother on the surface.
So 10 kneads. That’s my rule!
4. How do you serve scones? With copious amounts of of jam and cream, with coffee and tea. I know not of any other way. 🤷🏻♀️
Scones Q&A
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What’s the difference between a biscuit and a scone? That’s biscuits as they’re known in America that look like scones! A southern classic served savoury, fabulous with grits, sausage gravy and eggs. And a comparison of this humble Aussie scone recipe with this New York Times Biscuits recipe verifies that they are indeed made the same way – just used for different purposes. 🙂
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Should scones have egg? Some recipes do, but it’s much softer and fluffier without egg (because egg binds better but removes moisture from baked goods). I tried with and without side by side just to be 100% sure.
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Are scones British? Yes, we Aussies have the Brits to thank for brining scones to our shores. 🙂
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Why are my scones lopsided? To avoid wonky scones, see Tip #1 above: press the cutter straight up and down, do not twist. And avoid touching the sides when transferring to the baking tray.
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How long to scones keep? Scones are best served on the day they are made but will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Just warm them before serving to make them soft and fluffy.
The great Aussie scone. Old fashioned comfort food that will never go out of fashion.
Interestingly, someone told me the other day that apparently there’s a Great Debate in the UK about whether jam or cream should be dolloped on first. The thought of cream first then dolloping jam on the cream never even crossed my mind!
Someone, please explain!! 😂 – Nagi x
More Aussie favourites
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Lemonade Scones 3 ingredient shortcut scones!
And more afternoon tea favourites
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Cinnamon Swirl Bread – easy, no yeast!
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Cheese, Herb and Garlic Loaf or Zucchini Cheese Loaf– quick bread, no yeast
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Blueberry Lemon Loaf with Lemon Glaze or Blueberry Lemon Yoghurt Cake
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Savoury Cheese Muffins or Cornbread Muffins (personal fave😇)
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Scones
Ingredients
- 3 cups / 450g self raising flour (Note 1)
- 80 g / 3 oz cold salted butter , cut into 1 cm / 2/5" cubes (Note 2)
- 1 cup / 250 ml milk, fridge cold (Note 2)
- Extra flour , for dusting
- Extra milk , for brushing
Serving:
- Strawberry jam (or other of choice)
- 250 ml / 1 cup whipping cream
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C/390F (standard) or 180C/350F (fan / convection).
- Place flour in food processor, then butter. Blitz on high for 8 seconds until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Pour milk all over the flour (don't pour in one place). Blitz for 6 to 8 seconds on high until the crumbs turn into ball(s).
- Transfer dough onto work surface, scrape out residual bits in the food processor.
- Knead lightly no more than 10 times just to bring the dough together into one smooth ball, then pat down into a 2 cm / 4/5" thick disc. Dust with extra flour if necessary (I don't need it).
- Optional: Lightly roll across the top with a rolling pin to smooth the top.
- Dip a 5 cm / 2" round cutter into Extra Flour.
- Plunge cutter straight down and back out into dough - do not twist. Repeat all over disc.
- Remove excess dough from around scones, then carefully transfer scones onto baking tray, taking care not to smear / press the cut sides. (Note 4)
- Gather together dough scraps and repeat. I get 10 scones in total.
- Brush tops lightly with milk. (Optional)
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the top is golden and it sounds hollow when tapped.
- Remove from oven, then transfer onto dish towel and wrap loosely (makes top soft).
- Once cooled to warm (10 - 15 minutes), serve warm.
- Tradition is to split the scone with hands (no knife!), slather with jam and dollop on cream.
Cream:
- Whip cream, sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Makes 2 cups of whipped cream.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
Of course I didn’t give him an entire scone piled high with jam and cream…… I mean, that face? I can totally resist.
These were yummy and so so easy! I added some chopped dates to the dough after I scraped it out of the food processor. I will definitely make these again!
I made these scones in my Thermomix this morning (obviously baked in the oven) for Mother’s Day morning tea. They were so quick & easy and were a hit with the in-laws. Thank you!
A quick question- first time making these scones. Why are my scones speckled/look like they have freckles? Thank you!
perfect.
Hi, I just made these scones. I tried to make them low carb so substituted 1 cup of s/r flour with 1 cup almond flour and 1 tsp baking powder. They tasted pretty good, light and fluffy but they did not rise as scones do. I would like to continue to experiment for low carb. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hi Nagi & friends, love your recipes so will defo give this a go. I have some lush pumpkin that I’d like to make into pumpkin scones – I’d love to know your thoughts on the ratios for adding pumpkin using this scone method?
I never thought to make scones in a food processor, but having made these for the very first time today in a food processor, they were amazing!! So easy and delicious. These will definitely be made more often!!
Amazing and moist even when made by hand!
1st time scone maker.
Made them as per recipe.
PERFECT. So quick and easy. Served with Raspberry Jam and whipped cream. Definitely a keeper this recipe…thank you
I made this recipe adjusted to be a pumpkin scone recipe, purely because I don’t trust anyone other than Nagi!
I ended up adding 1/2 a butternut squash, roasted and pureed with some cinnamon nutmeg and cloves, then pat it down with paper towels on a plate until most of the moisture is gone. Then refrigerate until cold and reduce milk to about 1/4 of a cup but just look for texture. Worked brilliantly!
The receip was easy and the taste was good I love it
I followed the recipe to the letter including all notes, and it was the worst scones I ever made, dry and not fluffy, went straight to the waste.
Loved this recipe!! I want to try and make it with rice flour – can I simply swap the flours, or do I need to adjust the baking powder or anything else?
Hi there
I’m replying to Helen’s question…
Heyo Helen, Yes, I bake what I need with the batter, then freeze the rest to bake the next time so we always have fresh piping-hot scones each time. Nagi’s recipe comes out tops every time, frozen fruit and all!
HI, Can you freeze the scones, and would my Kitchen Aid work?
Loved the food processor idea worked well
Now do you have one for pumpkin scones
A quick observation about cream going on before jam. Having lived half my life in Australia and the latter half in Britain, I’d never encountered cream first and was puzzled by the idea.
I now think it depends on the cream. In Australia, whipped cream is quite light in texture and is ideal on top of jam. The use of clotted cream in Britain is more common with scones and if you tried to put it on top of jam, you’d get nowhere. It has a texture more akin to cream cheese (but is unmistakably cream in taste and silkiness). It is far easier to put clotted cream onto the scone first before topping with jam.
These came out perfect. And so quick to make them. Much better way than by hand .
I always fail at scones but these turned out perfect!
made these using a nutribullet since we don’t have a food processor and they still turned out great! we blitzed for a bit longer than the time suggested by nagi and stopped and shook between bursts. used half the amount of sugar for the whipped cream and found it still quite sweet – will reduce further next time we make these.