Traditional Buttermilk and Sultana Scones
Elevenses and Afternoon Tea: The Baking Tradition
A cold block of butter, a carton of supermarket buttermilk, and a handful of plump sultanas. The true Irish scone is an exercise in quiet restraint. It relies entirely on the violent, magical reaction between acidic buttermilk and baking soda to yield a deeply tender, flaky crumb. Barely sweet and beautifully craggy, they are meant for the afternoon. Pull them from the 400-degree oven, split them open while the crumb steams, and smother them in Kerrygold butter and fruit jam.
Before you start
The dry ingredients and butter can be rubbed in up to 48 hours in advance.
Store the crumbly mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you are ready to bake on a busy weeknight, simply add the wet ingredients and stamp them out.
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour3 1/2 cup
- granulated sugar1/4 cup
- baking powder1 tbsp
- baking soda1/2 tsp
- fine sea salt1/2 tsp
- unsalted European-style butter1/2 cup
- golden raisins3/4 cup
- egg1 large
- cultured buttermilk1 cup
- buttermilk1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Preheat the oven to a blistering 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
A fiercely hot oven is non-negotiable; it rapidly activates the baking soda and powder to give the scones a towering lift.
- 02
Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large, wide mixing bowl.
Combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. A wide bowl gives your hands the room they need to work without cramping.
- 03
Rub the ice-cold butter into the flour mixture using just your thumbs and fingertips.
This is the authentic rubbing in method. Toss the butter cubes in the flour, then quickly snap them between your fingers to flatten them. Stop when it looks like coarse, uneven breadcrumbs with a few pea-sized lumps remaining—these melt in the oven to create flaky steam pockets.
- 04
Toss the golden raisins into the flour and butter mixture until evenly distributed.
- 05
Whisk the cold egg and cold buttermilk together, then pour into a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
- 06
Form your hand into a stiff claw and mix in swift, circular motions just until the shaggy dough pulls together.
Move from the center outward. The moment the dry flour disappears, stop immediately. The dough will look slightly sticky and ragged, which is exactly what you want.
- 07
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat it into a 1 1/2-inch thick disk.
Do not knead this dough under any circumstances. Kneading activates gluten and turns a tender scone into a tough hockey puck. Just push it together with the palms of your hands.
- 08
Stamp out the scones with a floured 2 1/2-inch cutter by plunging straight down and pulling straight up.
Never twist the cutter. Twisting seals the edges of the dough and prevents the scones from rising to their full, flaky potential.
- 09
Transfer the scones to the baking sheet, brush the tops lightly with buttermilk, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
Gather the scraps gently to stamp out the remaining dough. Bake in the upper third of the oven until the tops are a deep, beautiful golden brown. Split them open while warm and serve with plenty of salted butter.
Notes
Seek out high-fat European-style butter.
American butter has a higher water content. Using an 82% fat butter like Kerrygold bridges the transatlantic dairy gap and delivers the true, rich flavor of the homeland.
Embrace the imperfect aesthetic.
A traditional Irish grandmother's scone is fundamentally anti-aesthetic. It is meant to be slightly lopsided with a rugged frill around the middle. Do not strive for bakery-case symmetry.
Sultanas are golden raisins.
In the American supermarket, what the Irish call sultanas are sold as golden raisins. Avoid dark raisins, which are too sweet and tough for the authentic flavor profile.
From Cook Irish-American Food.