The Buttermilk Scones You'd Never Guess Are This Flaky (and Easy)
These buttermilk scones are golden, tender, and actually flaky—thanks to one simple trick: grating frozen butter right into the flour. Ready in 35 minutes, they're perfect for weekend mornings with jam and coffee.
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Box grater
- Pastry Blender or Two Forks
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Bench Scraper or Sharp Knife
Ingredients
For the Scones
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, frozen
- 1/2 cup cold buttermilk
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (for dough)
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp water
For Finishing
- flaky salt (like Maldon)
Instructions
- Set your oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Grate the frozen butter on the large holes of a box grater.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Toss the grated butter into the flour mixture. Use your fingertips or a pastry blender to distribute until it looks like coarse meal with some pea-sized bits remaining. Work quickly to keep the butter cold.
- Make a well in the center. Pour in the cold buttermilk and vanilla extract. Stir with a fork until just combined—a shaggy dough is what you want.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently bring together into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Fold over once or twice, then pat into an 8-inch circle.
- Use a bench scraper or sharp knife to cut into 8 wedges. Place on the prepared baking sheet, spaced 2 inches apart.
- Whisk the egg with 1 tbsp water and brush over the tops. Sprinkle generously with flaky salt. Bake for 18–22 minutes, until golden brown and the bottoms sound hollow when tapped.
Notes
Keep everything cold for the flakiest scones. If your kitchen is warm, chill the flour and grated butter before adding buttermilk. For blueberry lemon variation, add 1 cup blueberries and 1 tbsp lemon zest. For cheddar chive, reduce sugar to 1 tbsp and add 1 cup shredded cheddar and 1/4 cup chives. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend with xanthan gum. Unbaked scones can be refrigerated up to 12 hours or frozen up to 3 months. Baked scones keep at room temperature for 2 days; reheat in a 300°F oven for 5-7 minutes.