Bright and Buttery Lemon Scones
These Bright and Buttery Lemon Scones are the definition of a bright morning treat. While they are a dream on their own, I highly recommend pairing them with a generous dollop of homemade blueberry jam or whatever you have on hand to balance the citrus. The secret to that bakery-style flake? Cold everything. When cold butter and chilled ingredients hit a screaming hot oven, the butter releases steam before it has a chance to melt. That steam is what pushes the layers apart, creating those sought-after flaky "shards" rather than a dense, greasy mess.
Ingredients
The Scones
- 250 g All purpose flour
- 70 g Granulated sugar
- 15 g Baking powder
- 115 g Unsalted butter (Must be frozen)
- 120 g Buttermilk (plus a splash more for brushing)
- 1 Egg
- 2 Large Lemons' Zest
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
The Lemon Glaze
- 125 g Powdered sugar
- 30-50 g Fresh lemon juice (adjust for desired thickness)
Instructions
The Deep Freeze
- Prep the Butter: About an hour before you start, put your stick of butter in the freezer. If the butter starts to soften before it hits the oven, it will simply melt away into a puddle. You want those tiny "pearls" of frozen butter to remain solid until the very last second!
For the best results, place your mixing bowl and all ingredients in the fridge too.
Dry Mix & The Grate
- Whisk: In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest.
- Grate: Take that frozen butter and grate it directly into the flour using a grater. Toss gently with a fork.
Combine Wet and Dry
- Whisk: In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla extract.
- Mix: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir with a spatula until just combined. It should look slightly shaggy.
Don't overwork it or you'll lose that tender texture!
The Lamination Fold & Shape
- Fold: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll it into a rectangle, cut the rectangle into half and place the halves on top of each other to create layers. Repeat the process one more time and finally pat it into an 8-inch disc (about 1 inch thick).
- Cut: Slice the disc into 8 even wedges.
The "Mandatory Chill"
- Freeze: Place the wedges on your parchment-lined baking sheet and put the whole tray in the freezer for 30 minutes.
The Science: This “shocks” the butter, ensuring it's at its coldest point right before it meets the heat.
Bake Directly from Freezer
- Preheat: While the scones chill, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Brush: Take the tray straight from the freezer, brush the tops with a little extra buttermilk, and slide them into the oven.
- Bake: Bake for 18–22 minutes until the edges are golden and they've puffed up high.
Cool, Glaze & Serve
- Cool: Place the scones on the wire rack for even cooling
- Glaze: Whisk the 125g powdered sugar with 30–50g lemon juice. Drizzle over the scones while they are still slightly warm.
- Serve: Split these while they are still slightly warm. Serve and enjoy with a generous dollop of homemade blueberry jam and even clotted cream if you have it on hand. The combination of the tart lemon and the sweet, creamy toppings is pure bliss!
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