Classic Scones

By Mark Bittman

Updated June 1, 2026

  • Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.
Media 1 of 2
Total Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
9 to 11 minutes
Rating
5(3,370)
Comments
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Traditional English scones are barely sweet — they are usually eaten with sweet jam and clotted cream — and they are lighter, flakier and tastier than their American counterparts. You can make the dough in the food processor (do not overprocess), but if you’re willing to incorporate the butter by hand it is of course fine to do it in a bowl. You’re looking for a slightly sticky but not messy dough; start with a half cup of cream and increase it as needed. Serve the baked scones warm, with the best jam you can lay your hands on, and a dollop of crème fraîche, mascarpone or, if you can find it, clotted cream.

Featured in: A Very Proper Scone

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 scones

  • 2 cups cake flour, more as needed

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 3 tablespoons sugar

  • 5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces

  • 1 egg

  • ½ to ¾ cup heavy cream, more for brushing

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

29 grams carbs; 53 milligrams cholesterol; 246 calories; 4 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 13 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 151 milligrams sodium; 4 grams protein; 5 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Put the flour, salt, baking powder and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles cornmeal.

  2. Step 2

    Add the egg and just enough cream to form a slightly sticky dough. If it’s too sticky, add a little flour, but very little; it should still stick a little to your hands.

  3. Step 3

    Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead once or twice, then press it into a ¾-inch-thick circle and cut into 2-inch rounds with a biscuit cutter or glass. Put the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet. Gently reshape the leftover dough and cut again. Brush the top of each scone with a bit of cream and sprinkle with a little of the remaining sugar.

  4. Step 4

    Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the scones are a beautiful golden brown. Serve immediately.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
3,370 user ratings
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Comments

Huma

These are the best simple scones I've ever made.
In a pinch, if you don't have cake flour, you can substitute with a mixture of corn starch and regular flour:
Combine 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour with 1/4 cup cornstarch.

laura

Can I make these the night before, put them in the fridge, and then bake them in the morning?

Teddy29

A monkey could cook these scones. I'm not a fan of the gargantuan, crumbly-dry US version, but this recipe made light, buttery scones. I halved the recipe with no problems & cooked at 425 for 10 minutes, convection setting - on parchment paper as others suggested. Perfect results.

Brad

I made scones! And it made my Irish/ English wife very happy.🥰

Yaronit

I think if you try to use less of the cream as opposed to more, even if the dough feels dry, these come out better. I was about to throw out half a bottle of cream that was almost sour and used it to make these. They were so good I'm going to use up the bottle to make another batch and freeze them to bake later. The first time I made these, a few days ago, I mixed in a lot of tiny bits of frozen strawberries but it made the dough too wet. Those had a more chewy texture.

Gavin

For savory scones, use 1 tsp sugar instead of 2 Tbsp, and add chopped green onions to the dough

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