Oven temperature. . .we’re talking oven temperature here!
I have baked hundreds of scones in the last decade. So, when a friend asked me to bake scones for her daughter’s wedding shower, I agreed. This would be fun AND easy. Make the dough up in advance, and get up early enough to bake before leaving for the shower.
The first batch into the oven was ‘plain’ Original Recipe. I preheated the oven to 405 degrees (it runs hot so this is the setting that gives me 425 degrees). The scones came out of the freezer, were set onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, placed into the oven. I set timer for 18 minutes and moved on.
At the end of 18 minutes, I checked the oven and was horrified! My scones had spread laterally, and had minimal rise. The bottoms of the scones were suspiciously white, and there was a puddle of melted butter around each scone. In short, they were not baked.
I second-guessed everything I did. Did I prep the dough correctly? (YES) What had I done differently? Then I looked at the problem again. The scones were not baked. So, I found the oven thermometer and put it in the hot oven to confirm the oven temperature. Sure enough, my oven was running at a mere 360 degrees rather than 425 degrees. This is not nearly hot enough to properly bake scones. I made a simple adjustment to the settings and the next two batches of scones baked up perfectly. They had a nice rise, good color, and baked within the normal baking time.
Look carefully–the scone on the right baked at the unexpectedly lower oven temperature. It is flatter and more spread out. It was very tasty, but it didn’t have the same light texture or appearance as the scone on the left.
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.
As for my temperamental oven? A faulty igniter (gas oven) is the culprit, and repair is scheduled next week.
FAQs
Pre-heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Stir in the sugar, add the butter and rub quickly into the flour, creating a fine breadcrumb consistency.
Should scones be baked at a high temperature? ›
Pre-heat oven to 350-375 degrees (350* for convection, 375* for standard). Place frozen scones directly on parchment-lined, un-greased baking sheet - evenly spaced. Tip: Use cooking spray or foil on baking sheet if you don't have parchment paper. For best results, bake scones on the the middle shelf.
What temperature should internal scones be? ›
Baked goods temperature chart
| Baked good | Pull Temperature |
|---|
| Rich-dough breads | 180–190°F (82–88°C) |
| Lean-dough breads | 190–210°F (88–99°C) |
| Quick breads, muffins, cornbread, biscuits, scones | 200–205°F (93–96°C) |
| Cake, cupcakes, angel food cake | 200–209°F (93–98°C) |
6 more rowsBake scones
Bake scones in a 425°F oven for 18 to 23 minutes, until they're a very light golden brown. Don't over-bake; dark scones will be dry.
What is the secret to making good scones? ›
Baking tips for making the perfect scones
The colder the better when it comes to scones, we recommend a chilled bowl and pastry cutter too. Use pastry flour: This will create a noticeably lighter scone. However, self-raising flour works just as well and creates a higher rising scone that holds its shape nicely.
How to make scones rise higher? ›
To ensure taller scones, start with a thicker dough disc and place the scones on a tray with sides, allowing them to slightly touch one another. This arrangement encourages the scones to push against the pan and each other, promoting height.
How do you know if scones are underbaked? ›
Use the top of your fingers for this. Insert a skewer or toothpick into the scone. If it comes out clean, the scone is ready. If it comes out with dough on it, the scones need a little more cooking time.
What to avoid when making scones? ›
5 Mistakes to Avoid When Baking Scones
- Using anything but cold ingredients. The secret to the flakiest scones is to start with cold ingredients — cold butter, cold eggs, and cold cream. ...
- Only using all-purpose flour. ...
- Overmixing the dough. ...
- Not chilling the dough before baking. ...
- Baking them ahead of time.
Placing a dough in a cool oven that then slowly heats up actually affects the rising agent. Make sure your oven is at the right temperature you will be baking the scones at before you put them in. Also having an oven that is too hot or too cold will affect the baking of your scones immensely.
What temperature do you heat scones? ›
What's the best way to re-heat scones? If you want to eat them warm place in an oven preheated to 150c/300F for 5 to 10 minutes. You can also reheat them in a microwave if you prefer. Once defrosted put them in the microwave for 10 to 20 seconds on high.
Scones like to cosy up to one another in the baking tray. This helps them to rise evenly in the cooking process. When placing the scones in the baking tray they need to be touching.
Why do you refrigerate scones before baking? ›
Recipes for scones sometimes provide a make-ahead option that involves refrigerating the dough overnight so it can simply be shaped and then popped into the oven the next day. But now we've found that resting the dough overnight has another benefit: It makes for more symmetrical and attractive pastries.
Should scones be cooked at 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.
What type of flour is best for scones? ›
We recommend using all-purpose flour. There is some debate as to what flour one should use to go around achieving the perfect scone. This is because within different flours comes different levels of protein.
How do you stop your scones from drying out when baking? ›
Don't overbake! If you bake scones too long, they'll dry out, so keep an eye on them through the oven window. (Don't open the oven to look — it'll let out the heat.) “Bake your scones until they are just golden brown,” Bethany recommends.
Why are scones baked in a hot oven? ›
It's important to have the oven preheated to give the scones that immediate heat burst which will create a lighter scone.
What not to do when making scones? ›
Just a reminder: Don't overwork the dough or the scones will turn out rubbery – or worse, bullety and hard. Cut out your scones cleanly. Twisting the cutter can impair the rise. If you use a fluted cutter, you can't twist it.
Look carefully–the scone on the right baked at the unexpectedly lower oven temperature. It is flatter and more spread out. It was very tasty, but it didn’t have the same light texture or appearance as the scone on the left.