Delicious Irish Scones for a Perfect Breakfast Recipe
These traditional Irish scones are light, fluffy, and perfectly golden, making them an ideal breakfast treat. Made with simple pantry staples like all-purpose flour, buttermilk, and cold butter, these scones come together quickly and bake to a tender crumb with a slightly sweet flavor. Serve warm with butter, jam, or your favorite breakfast accompaniments for a delightful start to your day.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 scones
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups (440 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons (18 grams) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter, cold and diced
- 1 large egg
- ¾ to 1 cup (180-240 milliliters) cold buttermilk, plus more for brushing
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 400˚F (200˚C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly flour it to prevent the scones from sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir them together until evenly distributed.
- Incorporate Butter: Add the cold, diced unsalted butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, blend the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces.
- Combine Egg and Buttermilk: In a separate small bowl, whisk the egg together with ¾ cup of cold buttermilk until combined.
- Form Dough: Pour the egg and buttermilk mixture into the flour and butter mixture. Gently fold and mix to combine, and add more buttermilk gradually as needed to form a soft, cohesive dough.
- Shape Dough: Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and pat it into a circle approximately 1 inch thick.
- Cut Scones: Use a round cutter to cut circles out of the dough. Gather scraps, re-pat, and cut again as needed.
- Prepare for Baking: Arrange the cut scones on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops lightly with additional buttermilk to help with browning.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the scones are lightly golden on top and cooked through.
- Cool and Serve: Remove from the oven and let the scones cool slightly before serving warm with butter, jam, or your preferred accompaniments.
Notes
- Use cold butter to ensure flaky, tender scones.
- Do not overmix the dough; handle it gently to keep the scones light.
- Adjust the amount of buttermilk as needed to achieve the right dough consistency.
- For a sweeter variation, add raisins, currants, or dried fruit before shaping the dough.
- Store baked scones in an airtight container for up to two days or freeze for longer storage.
