Traditional English Scones (Official Buckingham Palace Recipe)

English scones recipe from Buckingham Palace

Traditional English Scones (Official Buckingham Palace Recipe)

Enjoy British royalty's official English scones recipe--adapted from Buckingham Palace--because your tea time deserves the very best. This recipe bakes a batch of tender scones, ready to serve with clotted cream and good strawberry jam. Also check out the video below, so you can follow along step by step.

Ed. note: If the recipe temperatures and quantities seem a little odd, don't worry. It's because this recipe for English scones was converted precisely from European measurements and temperatures supplied by Buckingham Palace's pastry chef.

Prep Time20

Cook Time12

Resting Time50

Servings: 12 to 14 scones, depending on cutter size

Calories: 274kcal

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Ingredients

▢ 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (500g)
▢ 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon baking powder (24g)
▢ Pinch of salt
▢ 7 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (94g)
▢ 1/2 cup sugar (86g)
▢ 3 eggs, divided
▢ 3/4 cup buttermilk, less 1 tablespoon (175ml)
▢ 2/3 cup sultanas or golden raisins, optional (100g)

Instructions

If using, soak the raisins or sultanas in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain before adding to the recipe.
PRO TIP: Why soak the raisins? One, soaking softens the dried fruit, which tastes better in the finished recipe than a hard, tough little raisin. Second, it helps keep the scone dough moist. Raisins (sultanas) naturally want to rehydrate. By letting them soften I water, the hard raisins pull moisture from water, not the scone dough.
Mix the flour, baking powder, pinch of salt, and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and work it into the dry ingredients with your hands until crumbly, like the texture of large peas in sand.
In a separate small mixing bowl, whisk two eggs and the buttermilk together. Stir the egg mixture into the butter and flour. Add the raisins, if using, and mix until evenly distributed. Continue to gently knead the dough by hand just until smooth.
PRO TIP: Do not overmix or knead the scones, as this could make the scones a bit tough and bready, instead of tender.
Remove the dough from the bowl onto a clean countertop lightly dusted with flour. Lightly dust the top of the scones with flour. Flatten the dough to a 1” thickness and cover. Rest for 30 to 45 minutes in the refrigerator. Resting the dough allows the gluten to relax. This helps achieve a tender, flaky scone.
PRO TIP: You could simply use the palm of your hand to flatten the dough. But I suggest a rolling pin for a more even result. Roll from the center out, and rotate the dough as you go to prevent sticking.
Remove the scone dough from the refrigerator and cut to the desired shape using a round biscuit cutter. Place the scones onto a baking sheet greased or lined with parchment paper. Chill for an additional 20 minutes, covered.
(Note: I use standard 2-inch and 2 1/4-inch round cutters. The original recipe did not specify, but this is standard. If you use a 2-inch cutter, I suggest making the height a little shorter.)
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Whisk the third egg and gently egg wash the top of the scones with a pastry brush.
PRO TIP: If you do not have a pastry brush, just use your fingers.
Bake on baking sheets for around 12 to 15 minutes, give or take depending on your cutter size, or until light golden brown. Leave at least 1 1/2" of space between each scone. Cool on a wire rack before serving warm or at room temperature with jam and clotted cream.
PRO TIP: These will bake best if you bake them one sheet at a time, or at least rotate the baking sheets top to bottom, front to back halfway. If you have a convection setting on your oven, adjust the temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes.

Video

Notes

A quicker method

This best English scones recipe was adapted very carefully from the official Buckingham Palace recipe for tea scones.

That said, if you would like to simplify things a bit, my effort-saving trick here is to roll the scones out and cut them with the biscuit cutter at the same time, instead of two separate chillings. Place the scones on prepared baking sheets, cover, then let them rest in the fridge for a full hour to hour and a half. Then just egg wash them and pop them in the oven.

Making the scones in advance

These English scones can be rolled, cut, and frozen in advance in an airtight container, such as a freezer bag. Just freeze the scones on a baking sheet first before putting the scones in the airtight container into the freezer, so they keep their shape and don't smush.

You can bake frozen scones exactly as you would chilled scones, directly from frozen. They may just take an additional minute to bake.

Notes on Adapting the Royal English Tea Scones Recipe

The original recipe, as written, was very vague on some small points, and definitely presumes a certain level of baking experience. So I have added a bit more detail, and converted this English scone recipe to American-friendly volume measurements from metric.

But other than adding a smidge more buttermilk because the original recipe seemed a little dry, the recipe and technique is exactly the same, and you'll be able to enjoy a lovely cream tea.

Additionally, I am fairly certain that the original recipe was written for a convection oven, which would be normal in a professional kitchen. The temperature, as written, was way too low for a standard oven for the amount of time listed. So I have adjusted the temperature and time for a conventional oven, not convection.

Nutrition

Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.