Scones (British-style biscuits)
Works in the UK and the US. This version uses US words and measures (stove, cups, °F); the UK version uses hob, grams and gas marks. · UK version of this page
Classic British scones: the rubbing-in method, a soft dough and a hot oven.
- Makes 8
- About 35 min
- Oven
- Best for: Grades 2–5 (ages 7–11)
- Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 225 g (about 1¾ cups) self-rising flour – contains wheat or gluten
- 1 pinch salt
- 55 g (about 4 tbsp) butter, cold, cut into cubes – contains milk
- 25 g (about 2 tbsp) granulated sugar
- 150 ml (about ¾ cup) milk – contains milk
Cup measures are approximate – weighing is more accurate. Need a different amount? Use the recipe scaler.
Equipment
- kitchen scale
- liquid measuring cup
- mixing bowl
- butter knife
- round cutter (2 inch)
- baking sheet
- pastry brush
- oven mitts
- cooling rack
Safety first
- Wash your hands for 20 seconds.
- Tie back long hair and roll up your sleeves.
- Ask about allergies: flour contains gluten; butter and milk contain milk.
Allergens: Wheat (and other grains with gluten), Milk. Always read every label and ask about allergies before anyone cooks or tastes.
Method
- An adult turns the oven on to 425 °F (220 °C) and lightly flours the baking sheet.
- Weigh the flour, butter and sugar. Measure the milk at eye level.
- Rub the butter into the flour and salt with your fingertips, lifting the mixture to let air in, until it looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.
- Make a well in the middle, pour in most of the milk (keep a little for brushing) and mix with a butter knife into a soft dough.
- Pat the dough out on a floured surface until it is about ¾ inch thick. Press the cutter straight down – do not twist – and put the scones on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with milk.
- An adult puts the tray in the oven. Bake for 12–15 minutes until risen and golden.
- An adult takes them out with oven mitts. Cool on a rack for at least 10 minutes.
What this recipe teaches
Using an oven safely, Weighing and measuring, Rubbing in, Mixing, Shaping and cutting out. Steps marked “Adult” are done by an adult.
Try the interactive lesson
Step by step: a quick safety check, questions graded by Classfern, timers for each cooking step, then an honest look at how it went – a teacher or parent judges the cooking, and learners rate their own work. Photos of the finished dish stay at home.
Use the code your teacher gave you – never your name. Progress is kept on this device.