In checking voice mail messages one evening, I had a message from someone who was clearly upset. She left a message asking about the baking temperatures listed in our directions. She thought the temperature listed was too hot.
I called and asked her what had happened. She’d made the dough and baked all the scones. The bottoms of all her scones were either scorched or burned. I told her that the baking temperatures were correct as listed, but did she have time for me to ask her a few questions. I was reasonably sure I knew what had happened, but you know what they say about assumptions.
My questions were:
1. Did the parchment paper turn tan? (YES)
2. Did you make up the dough, cut the scones and put them on the cookie sheet to bake, and then begin pre-heating the oven? (YES)
3. How cold was the butter when you started making the dough? (refrigerator temperature)
The primary issue here is the answer to question 1. The fact that the parchment paper turned tan is a good indicator that the oven was running hot. I don’t know why many ovens, mine included, age this way, but they do. As they age, they may run true to temperature in the mid-temperature ranges, but as you get higher than 400 degrees, will run too hot. The easy solution for this is to purchase an oven thermometer and do some simple checking of your oven settings. For my oven, I set the temperature back 20 degrees to 405, and now my scones bake correctly.
There were other factors, however, which contributed to the problems with her scones. Letting her cut scones sit on the parchment paper while the oven preheated gave the butter time to warm and seep into the parchment paper. Likely there was a nice buttery spot under each scone before those scones went into the oven. As soon as the heat hit that spot, the butter scorched, causing the bottoms to burn. (And by the way, she did NOTHING wrong by starting with refrigerator temperature butter. While even colder butter is better, the real problem was the time spent waiting to for the oven to preheat.)
If you find out that you forgot to start the oven preheating, just pop the scones into the freezer while the oven heats, and then replace the parchment paper with a fresh sheet before baking.
Here are a few “ounce of prevention” baking tips:
1. If you are baking something for the first time, bake as few as possible for the first batch, and set the timer for the minimum time called for by the recipe. This lets you make sure both the temperature and time settings are accurate.
2. If you are baking one cookie sheet of scones, cookies, or biscuits–set the rack to the central position in the oven.
3. If despite your best efforts they still scorch slightly, double up your cookie sheet. Just the little bit of extra insulation on the bottom does wonders!
As for my unhappy caller–it is always disappointing to take out your finished creation and discover it not what you anticipated. Creative thinker that this woman is, she sliced off the bottoms of the scones, served them anyway, and explained that they were lower in calories without the bottom crust!! And since the first words out of my mouth had been “we need to replace that bag for you”, I’m now looking forward to hearing about her next batch of scones!
FAQs
Since the scone dough has a fairly high butter content, if the dough gets warm while you are waiting to put it in the oven (such as setting it on top the stove while the oven pre-heats), you can cause some melting of the butter, which will then burn while baking.
What is the difference between a bannock and a scone? ›
According to Cameron, a bannock was the whole circular quick bread or cake, while a scone was the individual piece cut, like a pie slice, from a bannock. It dawned on me that this old distinction is reflected in the way my Scottish mother-in-law made her cheese scones. From my mother-in-law's recipe collection.
Can you eat day old scones? ›
How long do scones last? Unfortunately, not very long! Scones are best the day they're baked. As days go by, they quickly dry out, becoming stale, crumbly, and tough.
Are Scottish scones different from 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.
Should scones brown on bottom? ›
Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet, and brush with the egg, if desired. Bake 10 to 12 minutes for small scones, 12 to 15 minutes for large scones, or until they are golden brown on both top and bottom.
Can you overcook scones? ›
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.
How quickly do scones go stale? ›
Home-made scones generally last 1-2 days stored in an airtight container and placed in a kitchen cupboard or larder. Any longer and they can become a bit dry. If storing scones in the fridge they will last for about a week.
What is the best way to reheat 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.
Do scones taste better the next day? ›
Scones really are best when they are fresh and warm from the oven. Follow this tip: Bake scones right before you plan to enjoy them. If you'd like to get ahead, you can make and shape the dough into scones ahead of time and leave them in the fridge overnight.
What do Brits call American scones? ›
A Biscuit (U.S.) Is a Scone (U.K.)
Both baked goodies use flour, fat, liquid and a leavening agent. The main differences are that scones tend to have less butter (because you'll add butter to it when you eating it — or else, clotted cream or jam) while American biscuits tend to have more butter and light layers.
There are quite a few videos online where British (or Commonwealth) people try American Biscuits and Gravy. They always say that American's just call scones "biscuits", and they usually confirm that understanding after they try the recipe.
How to prevent baked goods from burning on the bottom? ›
How can you prevent cookies from burning on the bottom? To begin with, make sure your dough is cold enough. Also, use parchment paper and never put the dough on a warm baking sheet. Lastly, if you oven tends to burn from the bottom, make sure to place the baking sheet into the top third of your oven.
How do I stop the bottom of my bread from burning? ›
From the beginning of the bake, place your dough on a silpat, or on parchment paper and aluminum foil both. Fill a tray with lava rocks and chains or put a pizza stone on the bottom shelf of the oven to even out the heat of the oven. Put a pan of water under the baking vessel to deflect heat and steam the oven.
Why are my scones hard on the bottom? ›
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.
Why do my cakes burn on the bottom? ›
It's possible you could accidentally set the temperature too high without meaning too. Double-check the oven temperature before placing the cake in the oven to bake to ensure it doesn't burn. Use aluminum foil to avoid the cake from burning.
