Plz fluff my scones

zeppenwolf

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Hi, I hope this is the right sub-forum for scones.

I'm following the very basic recipe I find here:

http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/simple-sweet-scones-66409

In addition to those instructions, I also

1) chop my butter into little cubes and stick them in the freezer for some minutes before incorporating

2) stick my blueberries in the freezer for some minutes before incorporating

3) after all the mixing and then cutting into servings, I put the tray in the freezer for some minutes so that the flour can "relax" or something.

The result is... ok. I just need a bit more fluffiness, and then I will be able to say categorically that my scones are yummier than Starbucks.

But I can't quite exactly say that yet-- they have a tendency to feel somewhat gooey and undercooked, ( even though I cook them for longer than the recipe above proscribes ), and, well, I just really consider fluffiness to be the most important thing in a scone.

Plz help, thx.
 
Plus 1 per MG. Also, are using a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut in the butter? If your fingers, you may be melting the butter. Also, you don't want to cut the butter in too much, it should be small crumbly looking. I wouldn't put it in the freezer either, but the fridge.
 
Plus 1 per MG. Also, are using a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut in the butter? If your fingers, you may be melting the butter. Also, you don't want to cut the butter in too much, it should be small crumbly looking. I wouldn't put it in the freezer either, but the fridge.
I use a fork to cut the butter into the flour. And, as both @morning glory and @medtran49 have suggested, the less you handle the dough, the better. Here's my recipe for scones, which I've made a few times:

http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/light-blueberry-scones-527146
 
Depending on what you mean by a scone (British or American) we could be aiming for different things, but I've always made scones for as long as I can remember and tbh, what you are found is over complicating it. You don't need ice cold butter or ice cold dough. You don't need to put anything in the freezer either and I've certainly never let mine intentionally rest before baking.

So combine the dry ingredients (first 3 ingredients), add the butter and make into breadcrumbs. I use my mixer for this with the balloon whisk on it (a Kenwood Chef). Fine breadcrumbs is what you are after. Mix in the sugar briefly. Then add the blueberries, don't mix and now carefully at the liquid and mix gently with a dough book or by hand. Don't over do this stage because the blueberries will break up. Though I can't see why you couldn't use frozen blueberries at this stage which would prevent that problem!

Now roll out the dough with a rolling pin. You need it much thicker than you realise. Almost the depth you actually want the scones! So I say to people (using British measurements here) that if you're using 8oz of flour, you'll get s maximum of 8 medium sized scones. If you want decent sized, then 8oz will give around 6 scones. The biggest mistake people make is rolling the dough too thin, followed by trying to get too many scones out of their mixture.

The oven must be at temperature and hot otherwise they won't rise.

Best of luck.
 
Hi @zeppenwolf and welcome to CokkingBites.

What are "CokkingBites"? That's probably where I'm going wrong...

BTW, the Morning Glory, Ipomoea Violacea, is my 2nd favorite flower, ( behind poppies, OF COURSE! Papaver Somniferum )-- it's ALL about how the light shines THROUGH.

Anyway, when you say "over mixing", do you mean the part where I'm grinding the butter into the flour with my thumbs, the "mixing" part, or do you mean when I've got it mixed and I have to knead it, at least a little bit, to get it where I can cut it into suitable scone-sized squares/triangles/circles ?

TLNG: "I use a fork to cut the butter into the flour."

I don't understand-- how many weeks does that take? When I grind with my fingers, it seems to take almost eternity minus ten minutes... I can't imagine getting the stuff mixed with only a fork..??

PS: Ok, TLNG, now maybe I see-- because you toss in a bunch of Half & Half when mixing... But that leaves mysterious the first part, where you mix in the butter with the flour, without aid of the cream... Hmmmm, arrrgh, hmmm
 
What are "CokkingBites"? That's probably where I'm going wrong...

:laugh: my mistake!

BTW, the Morning Glory, Ipomoea Violacea, is my 2nd favorite flower, ( behind poppies, OF COURSE! Papaver Somniferum )-- it's ALL about how the light shines THROUGH

Yes, exactly - except Morning Glory is my 1st favourite.

Anyway, when you say "over mixing", do you mean the part where I'm grinding the butter into the flour with my thumbs, the "mixing" part, or do you mean when I've got it mixed and I have to knead it, at least a little bit, to get it where I can cut it into suitable scone-sized squares/triangles/circles ?

Both stages.

I don't understand-- how many weeks does that take? When I grind with my fingers, it seems to take almost eternity minus ten minutes... I can't imagine getting the stuff mixed with only a fork..??

It shouldn't be taking so long to mix in the butter - this suggests that you may be overworking it. Try watching a video of someone demonstrating how to do this - its hard to explain in words! I'll see if I can find a good one later and post a link.

What does TLNG stand for?
 
The Late Night Gourmet (TLNG)

ZW, try using a pastry cutter. They are fairly cheap, nearly always found in a good size grocery's cooking tools area, and make cutting in butter really easy. You can do the same with a fork as TLNG mentioned but it does take a bit longer. And, MG is correct, if it's taking you 10 minutes to work the butter in, you are overworking and melting the butter, which will lead to a denser heavier scone.

BTW, you can also cut in butter using the food processor by gently using the pulse function. I make pastry dough completely in the food processor now. You just have to be really gentle and quick with the pulse function to not over-process, then turn on and add just enough liquid until dough barely starts to form a ball, but is still a little crumbly. It's kind of a trial and error until you learn exactly what to look for. I have NOT tried to make biscuits/scones with the FP.

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Ok, it seems clear that I'm in the market for a "pasty cutter". Fair enough. And after using it, I'll report back, I suppose, but it has to make me wonder:

If there is a problem with working the butter in with my fingers, *because* the butter warms & melts, then what could possibly be the problem with working the butter in with my fingers and then putting it in the fridge to cool down? I mean, is the problem the temperature of the butter or isn't it?

SNSSO> Depending on what you mean by a scone (British or American)

I wasn't aware that there was a difference. I posted the recipe I'm using... can someone tell me what side of the pond I'm doing? Regardless, what I want is a scone like they sell at Starbucks(tm), except more fluffy. ( More yummy too, but I've got that part down-- use twice as many blueberries! )

SNSSO> You need it much thicker than you realise. Almost the depth you actually want the scones!

But then... ipso facto, you are saying that your scones don't fluff up when baking??

This is really starting to seem like voodoo...


m'49> you are overworking and melting the butter

I *could* read this to mean that "overworking" is one thing, and "melting" is another.

If that's the case, what is "overworking" ? Do you mean that I should be leaving little pebbles of butter in the final mixture, rather than completely incorporate it?
 
Yes, it should look a little crumbly. But, when you are overworking, you are melting the butter and incorporating it too much. I have hot hands and cannot work butter in with my fingers, even doing my best to use just fingertips. My mother always had cold hands and used her fingers. Her pastry doughs always came out wonderfully flaky and light. She gave up on me and bought me a pastry cutter.
 
SNSSO> You need it much thicker than you realise. Almost the depth you actually want the scones!
Most people to put their dough way too thinly.
I say aim for the depth you want as an indication of thickness. You won't, human nature says so. You need to roll it out to at least 1 inch thick. Most people roll it out to half that depth and then it really won't rise at all. 1 inch minimum.
 
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