Make scones the day you need them and wrap them in a clean tea towel straight from the oven, wrapping in a cloth helps to trap steam and keeps the scones lovely and soft.
Ceramic and plastic should both be fine as long as they can be properly sealed to keep air from escaping. If you store your scones in a container without a lid, they'll dry out and get stale. Alternative: If you don't have a container with a lid, you can wrap plastic wrap over a lidless container.
Storing scones is very similar to storing other baked goods. The key is to keep them in a cool, dry place. If possible, try to store them in the refrigerator. If not, then you can simply keep them in a sealed container.
But now we've found that resting the dough overnight has another benefit: It makes for more symmetrical and attractive pastries.
Keep scones cold before putting them in the oven: For best results, chill the mixture in the fridge before baking, this will help to stiffen up the butter again, which will stop your scones from slumping as soon as they hit the oven's heat.
This short rest relaxes the gluten, making scones more tender; and cold chills the fat, increasing flakiness. Make scone dough up to three days ahead. Shape into 3/4"-thick disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until ready to cut and bake.
Do not over knead! Over kneading is the death of a good scone, the delicate creatures that they are. You want to handle your dough gently and as little as possible, otherwise your dough will become tough and won't be as fluffy.
A simple but effective way to wrap baked goods is to use butcher paper or parchment paper. You may wrap the baked goods up in the paper to transport to a friend's house for dessert or to give as a hostessing gift. Butcher paper is ideal if you are looking for a cheap, easy wrapping for baked goods that are a gift.
Scones can be made either with self-raising flour or with plain flour and baking powder. Sweet scones and cheese scones have an egg added to enrich them. Both will rise but whatever scone you make its important that they are handled lightly and not rolled too thinly.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; cut in butter with 2 knives or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Whisk milk and egg in a small bowl; gradually stir into flour mixture until moistened.
Traditionally scones with added fruit are served with butter only; plain scones with butter and jam or cream and jam. Clotted cream and lemon curd are never served together. These days, people do spread jams on the fruited scones, but it is a good idea to use a jam that complements the fruit.
Those from Devon traditionally put the cream on the scone first then the jam, while the Cornish prefer the jam first then the cream. Some argue it's because of tradition, some say it's because of taste while others think the 'wrong way' is downright illegal.
Pallid looking scones are usually caused by baking them too low or too cool in the oven. If you want to get a scrumptious looking brown top, brush them with either egg or milk before baking for a finish that no one will be able to resist.
To get a nice brown top to your scone, brush egg or milk on top of them.
This, according to Devononians, was the original cream tea and was served cream first and then jam, and still is today—the right way, if you ask me. Devonians say the cream is like butter and forms the base of the scone “sandwich.”
Then, place another paper towel on top of the scones and close the container. It's important to cover the scones because they'll dry out quickly and become stale if you don't.
Wrap each baked scone individually in plastic cling wrap, and transfer them to an airtight freezer bag, with the date and contents labeled. This will prevent freezer burn. Allow your scones to defrost before putting them in the oven to reheat.
What goes on a scone? Scones are most commonly made either plain or with raisins and sultanas. Although they can be enjoyed with any topping, the Brits traditionally enjoy scones as part of a cream, or afternoon, tea. Generally, scones are topped with clotted cream and jam – usually strawberry.
Don't roll out the dough too thinly. It's best to maintain a thickness of at least 2,5 cm (about 1 inch). This ensures you have enough layers and flaky pockets.
For perfectly flaky scones, the dough should only be lightly kneaded. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for a brief 30 seconds - just long enough so the dough is no longer sticky or knobbly. Kneading is also important in that it distributes the rising agent.
The texture of scone dough should be quite wet and sticky as this loose texture really helps to produce the lightest, fluffiest texture once baked. The drier your dough is, the less ability the dough has to rise in the oven and the denser your scones will be.
For extra precaution, it helps to chill the dough again before it's baked. Follow this tip: Cut the scone dough into wedges, place them on a baking sheet, and keep them in the fridge while the oven preheats.
Home-made scones generally last 1-2 days stored in an airtight container and placed in a kitchen cupboard or larder. Any longer and they can become a bit dry. If storing scones in the fridge they will last for about a week.
Get Flaky Scones with COLD Butter
The cold butter melts upon entering the oven and the water content in butter evaporates in steam. As the steam escapes, it bursts up and creates that beautiful tall, flaky, fluffy texture. I like to cube then freeze my butter before assembling the dough.