Paul Hollywood's best fluffy scone recipe - Something Sweet Something Savoury (2024)

LAST UPDATED: BY NICKKI THOMPSON FIRST PUBLISHED: 77 Comments

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Would you love to make light, fluffy, tall scones? Look no further – Paul Hollywood’s best fluffy scone recipe is the one!

It’s that time of year again…the new series of The Great British Bake off starts tomorrow night on BBC2, 8pm…and I can’t wait!

To celebrate this occasion, I decided to make Paul Hollywood’s scone recipe. I’ve wanted to try this particular recipe for a while now.

Paul Hollywood's best fluffy scone recipe - Something Sweet Something Savoury (1)

I don’t make scones very often because they are usually a bit of a hit or a miss for me. I always longed to make big, fluffy scones but mine can sometimes turn out a bit…flat.

Paul Hollywood's best fluffy scone recipe - Something Sweet Something Savoury (2)

I was well chuffed with these beauties! They rose so high and were really light and fluffy.

How to make the best fluffy scones

According to Mr Hollywood, the secret is in “chafing” the dough, which involves lightly folding the dough in half, turning it 90 degrees and repeating a few times until the dough is smooth.

Scones require a light touch – so handle the dough with care!

I wouldn’t recommend rolling out the dough with a rolling pin either. All you need to do is lightly pat the dough out with your hands.

You don’t want to go to all that effort of handling the dough as carefully as possible only to undo it all!

When you’re cutting out the scones, don’t twist the cutter when lifting them out or the scones will be wonky.

Paul Hollywood's best fluffy scone recipe - Something Sweet Something Savoury (3)

You can use either egg yolk or milk to glaze the top of the scones – egg yolk makes them look shiny and golden and milk gives a soft crust.

Alternatively, you could just simply dust the top of the scones with a little (not too much!) flour.

This gives a “farmhouse kitchen” look to the scones that I’m actually pretty fond of.

The recipe uses bread flour which I’ve never seen in a scone recipe before but it works really well.

I also figured out where else I was going wrong in my scone making – my dough wasn’t wet enough – it was too dry. It should have a slightly sticky consistency.

Please don’t be alarmed by the amount of baking powder in this recipe – you really do need 5 teaspoons. I promise it’s not a misprint!

If you’re making scones then you’ll need something delicious to spread on them – you could make this 4 minute microwave lemon curd while you’re waiting patiently for the scones to bake!

Or if you love rhubarb, you could try my rhubarb and ginger jam recipe.

If rhubarb isn’t your thing, I also have a great blood orange curd recipe. You could of course use normal oranges if blood oranges aren’t in season.

Want to see more scone recipes?

Here’s my date and walnut scones recipe for you to try – they are so delicious spread thickly with butter.

Like fruity scones? Try my classic fruit scone recipe – perfect for afternoon tea!

Or here’s my all time favourite cheese scones!

Treacle Scones are a perfect bake for Halloween or Bonfire Night.

These salted caramel apple cinnamon scones are absolutely gorgeous – drizzle the the salted caramel glaze over the scones while they are still a little warm for an indulgent afternoon treat!

They are equally as good thickly spread with blackberry jam or apple butter.

If you’ve ever made scones that turned out like hockey pucks, give this recipe a try and I promise you will not be disappointed!

Paul Hollywood's best fluffy scone recipe - Something Sweet Something Savoury (4)

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a comment/star rating and let me know what you thought, or share a photo with me on Instagram!

Paul Hollywood's best fluffy scone recipe - Something Sweet Something Savoury (5)

The Best Fluffy Scone Recipe

Yield: 10 Scones

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

I've tried dozens of scone recipes over the years and this one is BY FAR the BEST I've ever tried. The method may seem a little fiddly with all the folding and turning of the dough, but if you follow the method EXACTLY as below and handle the dough with care, you'll be rewarded with beautiful, tall, fluffy scones.

Ingredients

  • 500g (3 1/2 cups) strong white flour, plus a little extra for rolling out
  • 1/2 Tsp Salt
  • 80g (5 1/2 tablespoons) butter, plus a little extra for greasing the tray
  • 75g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
  • 2 large (not extra large) eggs
  • 5 tsp baking powder, Yes really 5 teaspoons – this is not a misprint!
  • 250ml (one cup) milk
  • I egg yolk OR 1 tbsp milk, for glazing

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 220C/200Fan/428F.
  2. Lightly grease a baking tray with butter and line with baking paper.
  3. Place 450g of the flour and 1/2 tsp salt into a large bowl and add the butter.
  4. Rub the butter into the flour until you have a breadcrumb like mixture.
  5. Add the sugar, eggs and baking powder use a wooden spoon to turn the mixture gently.
  6. Add half the milk and stir gently with a spoon to combine. Then add the rest of milk a little at a time until you have a very soft, wet dough. You may not need to add all of the milk.
  7. Flour a work surface (using the remaining four but keep a little back) and tip the dough out. Sprinkle with the remaining flour. The mixture will be slightly wet and sticky, but it shouldn't be too sticky to handle.
  8. Using your hands, fold the dough in half, then turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat. This method is called “chaffing”. Repeat a few times until the dough is smooth. Take care not to overwork the dough.
  9. Next roll the dough out. Sprinkle more flour on the work surface and on top of the dough, then use the rolling pin to roll up from the middle and down from the middle. Turn the dough by 90 degrees and continue to roll until it’s roughly 2.5cm thick. “Relax” the dough by lifting the edges and dropping the dough back down on the work surface.
  10. Using a cutter dipped in flour, stamp out rounds from the dough and place on the baking tray. Don’t twist the cutter when pressing down, it could make the scones uneven. Leftover dough can be re-worked and re-rolled, but the resulting scones won’t turn out quite as fluffy.
  11. Place the scones on the tray and leave to rest for a few minutes. Glaze the scones with the beaten egg yolk or milk, trying not to let the mixture run down the sides.
  12. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until well risen and golden.

Notes

For light and fluffy scones, it's very important to handle the dough with care. You don't want to knock the air out, so being gentle is key!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 303Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 326mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 1gSugar: 8gProtein: 8g

Did you make this recipe?

Take a picture and tag @somethingsweetsomethingsavoury on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook! I love to see what you've been making!

Paul Hollywood's best fluffy scone recipe - Something Sweet Something Savoury (2024)

FAQs

Are scones sweet or savoury? ›

British scones are often lightly sweetened, but may also be savoury. They frequently include raisins, currants, cheese or dates.

Why are my scones not fluffy? ›

Be sure to double or even triple sift your flour, as it takes away the clumps in the flour allowing for more air pockets in the scone dough - the result being a fluffier and more crumbly scone. It's like washing your rice before you boil it, it's boring, but makes a world of difference to the end result!

What to avoid when making scones? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Baking Scones
  1. Using anything but cold ingredients. The secret to the flakiest scones is to start with cold ingredients — cold butter, cold eggs, and cold cream. ...
  2. Only using all-purpose flour. ...
  3. Overmixing the dough. ...
  4. Not chilling the dough before baking. ...
  5. Baking them ahead of time.
May 1, 2019

How to make scones rise higher? ›

How to get scones to rise higher? Arrange them on a tray with sides so they touch each other, encouraging them to rise upward instead of spreading out.

What are 3 characteristics of a good scone? ›

The best scones have a crisp, slightly caramelized exterior and a tender, buttery, just-sweet interior. They can be dressed up with a glaze, studded with fruit or nuts, or gently spiced. Whichever route you go, we're here to help you achieve scone perfection. These are F&W food editor Kelsey Youngman's favorite tips.

What is the difference between Scottish and English scones? ›

British scones are usually lightly sweetned and contain fruit like currants or berries. Scottish scones are often closer to a biscuit and are made with buttermilk, though some Scottish grandmothers will swear you should only use sour milk.

What is the secret to a perfect scone? ›

Top tricks I learnt from the experts for baking perfect scones:
  • Resist the twist.
  • Use frozen butter.
  • Don't overwork the dough.
  • Freeze the dough. ...
  • Create rise and shine.
  • Follow this recipe.
  • Reduce the juice.
  • Fresh is best.
May 10, 2024

What kind of flour is best for scones? ›

Use all-purpose flour for a higher rising scone that holds its shape nicely, both in and out of the oven. To make more delicate, lower-rising, cake-like scones, substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour. Reduce the liquid in the recipe by 1 to 2 tablespoons, using just enough to bring the dough together.

How long should you rest scones before baking? ›

Keep scone dough as cold as possible. To avoid over-spreading, I recommend chilling the shaped scones for at least 15 minutes in the refrigerator before baking. In fact, you can even refrigerate overnight for a quick breakfast in the morning! Bake until golden brown.

What does egg do in scones? ›

Egg: An egg adds moisture and helps bind the scone dough together.

Is it better to use butter or margarine for scones? ›

But if you want your scones to be a little less-sweet, you can easily swap this for a golden caster sugar. Like any scone recipe, in terms of flavour, butter is always king. However, when it comes to texture, a decent block margarine can be just as good.

Should you have butter on scones? ›

It's usually one or the other. The clotted cream is spread liberally over each slice of scone and a little strawberry jam is placed on top. If you don't have clotted cream then you use butter instead. Though, you could use any type of jam, strawberry is probably the most authentic variety.

Why do scones rise on one side only? ›

Why do my scones rise sideways instead of rising up? - Quora. I'm no chef, but I know you need to be careful cutting scones out of the dough. They will be lopsided if the cutter goes down unevenly, or if you are accidentally a bit heavy-handed pulling them out of the surrounding dough and squash one side down.

What happens if you put too much baking soda in scones? ›

Too much baking soda will result in a soapy taste with a coarse, open crumb.

Should scones be baked at a high temperature? ›

Scones and biscuits both need a hot, quick bake. The high, quick heat is needed to turn that butter into nice steamy air pockets without leaving pools of butter on the cookie sheet.

Is a scone considered a sweet? ›

But characteristically, biscuits are known as flaky, buttery goodness and scones categorized as more dense, sweet pastries. It all began in the early Southern days, when colonists took an original British recipe and started to tweak it a little, adding buttermilk, lard and soft flour.

How would you describe the taste of scones? ›

Taste: The plain scones themselves are ultra buttery with a hint of sweet tanginess. Customization & flavor options are endless! Texture: Extremely tender, flaky, light, and golden brown on top.

What is a scone classified as? ›

Scones and Biscuits are classified as "quick breads" because they are simply mixed with fat (often butter), flour, liquids (milk or buttermilk), and chemical leaveners like baking powder or baking soda.

Is a scone just a sweet biscuit? ›

If you're in the U.S., a biscuit is a round, flaky, buttery piece of leavened bread. In the U.K. a biscuit is a crisp cookie often enjoyed at tea time. A scone is a quick bread that is denser than a biscuit and can be either savory or sweet. Scones come in many shapes, like round or triangular.

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