This buttermilk scones recipe is one I come back to again and again. As well as scones being one of the best things you can pull from the oven, this is the kind of recipe that rewards you fast. Take a short list of pantry staples, ten minutes of hands-on time, and fifteen minutes in the oven. Whether you’re making plain scones for afternoon tea or loading the dough with blueberries, cheese, or chocolate chips, this is a great base to start from every time.
The perfect scone is all about technique, and the good news is that these work beautifully in any oven. If you have a combi steam oven, it does take things up a notch — more on that below — but if you’re baking in a regular oven, you’re still going to end up with wonderfully tender, flaky scones that disappear fast.
If you’re new to scone-making, this recipe will become your go-to. And if you’ve been making them forever, your scone game is about to level up.
“Always expect to make 2 batches…they are so light and fluffy you can’t stop at one each.”
– Lucy
If you’re coming to this post from the USA, it’s worth noting that British-style scones and American biscuits are related but distinct. Both should be tender, but scones have a slightly crumblier, drier texture than biscuits, which are flakier and more buttery. Scones can also lean sweet or savory depending on what you add to the dough, while biscuits are almost always savory and typically served alongside a main meal rather than at afternoon tea.
Why does this buttermilk scones recipe work so well in a steam oven?
The humidity in the oven keeps the surface of the dough moist in the early minutes of baking. This means the crust doesn’t set too quickly and the scones have more time to rise before they firm up. That’s what gives you that dramatic lift and the soft, tender interior that’s harder to achieve consistently in a dry oven.
You also bake these at a slightly lower temperature than you would conventionally, which feels counterintuitive but works beautifully. The added moisture compensates, and the result is a scone that’s golden on the outside, fully cooked through, and wonderfully soft rather than crusty.
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Buttermilk scones: ingredients and substitutions
See the recipe card further down for full method and ingredient quantities.
- Self-raising flour: Australian self-raising flour is what I use, and it makes fantastic buttermilk scones with minimal fuss. If you can’t get it where you are, substitute plain (all-purpose) flour with 3 teaspoons of baking powder added.
- Butter: Use unsalted so you can control the salt level. The butter needs to be cool but not fridge-cold — soft enough to rub into the flour, but not so warm that it melts straight in. I cube mine about 15 minutes before I start.
- Sugar: Just two tablespoons, enough for a gentle sweetness without making these feel like a dessert scone. Leave it out entirely for the savory variations below.
- Buttermilk: This is what gives the scones their tenderness and a subtle tang. If you don’t have any, mix regular milk with a teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar and leave it for five minutes to curdle slightly — a good substitute in a pinch.
- Salt: A small amount, but important. It brings out the flavour of everything else.
Buttermilk scone recipe variations
The base recipe is a flexible one, and once you’ve made it a couple of times you’ll find yourself adapting it constantly.
Raisin scones: Stir about half a cup of raisins into the dry mixture before adding the buttermilk.
Blueberry buttermilk scones: Add a little orange zest when rubbing in the butter, then fold in a cup of whole fresh blueberries when you turn the dough out. Lovely finished with a simple icing made from icing sugar and lemon juice.
Chocolate chip scones: Stir a cup of chocolate chips into the dough just after the buttermilk goes in.
Spiced date scones: Add ½ tsp cinnamon and ¼ tsp nutmeg to the flour at the start, then fold in 8–10 pitted, chopped dates after the buttermilk.
Cheese and herb scones: Leave out the sugar and increase the salt to ½ teaspoon. Add ⅔ cup of grated cheddar and 2–3 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary and parsley work beautifully together) before adding the buttermilk.
Lemon scones: Head to my dedicated lemon scones recipe — it’s based on this one.
How to make buttermilk scones
View, save and print the recipe card further down in this post; read on for the visual walk-through.
Preheat your oven before you start – scones need to go into a properly hot oven to cook well! Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl, then rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse, lumpy breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre, pour in the buttermilk, and use a butter knife to stir and cut until a rough, shaggy dough just comes together. Don’t overmix — it should look a little ragged at this stage, and that’s exactly right.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently bring it together with your hands — use a light touch, as overworking leads to tough scones. Press it out into a rectangle about 4cm thick. Cut straight down with a floured round cutter without twisting. Press the scraps together gently and cut again to make 12 scones.
Place the scones almost touching on a lined baking tray — close enough that they’ll just kiss at the edges once risen. Brush the tops with extra buttermilk and bake until golden and puffed, about 15 minutes. They’re done when they sound hollow if you tap the tops.
The moment they come out of the oven, cover them with a clean tea towel. This traps the steam and keeps them soft as they cool. Give them ten minutes or so, then split and serve warm.
Buttermilk scones tips for success
Work quickly once the buttermilk goes in. The reaction between the buttermilk and the leavening starts immediately, so the faster you get the scones into the oven, the better the rise.
Use a light hand throughout — when rubbing in the butter, when bringing the dough together, and especially when shaping. Overworked dough makes for a tough, dense result rather than the open, tender crumb you’re after.
Cut straight down with the cutter and don’t twist it. Twisting pulls on the edges of the dough and prevents the scones from rising evenly.
Keep your dusting flour to a minimum. A light coating on the work surface and the cutter is all you need — too much and you’ll end up with thick, floury patches on the finished scones.
If you don’t have a round cutter, a thin-lipped drinking glass works fine, or simply cut the scones into squares with a sharp knife. Bonus – squares are faster to cut and avoid the need to re-roll the scraps!
Serving suggestions
Buttermilk scones are best eaten on the day they’re made, ideally while still warm. Split and serve with good jam and whipped or clotted cream for an afternoon tea that’s hard to beat.
The cheese and herb variation is wonderful alongside a bowl of soup for something more casual and substantial.
If you do have leftovers, wrap them well and warm them in the steam oven the next day at a low temperature with a touch of steam. They come back to life beautifully. If you don’t have a steam oven, microwave individual scones briefly just to warm through.
These scones are the kind of recipe that feels a little bit special no matter how many times you make them. Quick, reliable, endlessly adaptable, and genuinely better out of a steam oven.
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Best Buttermilk Scones Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups self-raising flour or all-purpose flour plus 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter cool but not fridge-cold, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk see notes for substitutes
- 2 Tbsp buttermilk extra, for brushing
Instructions
Preheat oven
- For conventional oven, preheat to 450°F/220°C. For steam oven, set to Combi Steam, 400°F/200°C, 30% humidity (if your steam oven doesn't have variable humidity, don't worry! Just set to combi steam at the correct temperature and the oven will sort out the steam for you). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Make scone dough
- Place the flour, salt and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter. Using fingertips or a pastry blender, rub butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse, lumpy breadcrumbs.3 cups self-raising flour, 1/4 tsp fine salt, 2 Tbsp granulated sugar, 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
- Make a well in the flour mix and pour in the buttermilk. Using a butter knife, stir and cut the mixture together until it forms a rough dough that almost comes together. Do not overmix. If it seems very dry you can add a little more buttermilk, but don't go overboard! You want a damp dough, not a muffin batter!1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and use your hands to gently bring it together so it just forms a cohesive mass. Press out into a rectangle 1 1/2-inches/4cm thick.
Cut and bake scones
- Use a 2-inch/5cm round cookie cutter to cut scones (dip the cutter into flour between cuts to prevent dough sticking). Gently press leftover dough pieces together and cut these to make a total of 12 scones.
- Place scones, almost touching, onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with extra buttermilk and bake until light golden brown and puffed, about 15 minutes. If they're done, they'll sound hollow when tapped on top.2 Tbsp buttermilk
Wrap, cool and serve scones
- As soon as you remove the scones from the oven, cover them with a clean hand towel. This helps them stay soft and tender when cooled. Allow to cool until they're warm, then split and serve with jam and whipped cream.
Notes
- Flour: In Australia we can readily buy self-raising flour at the supermarket. If that’s not the case where you are, you can substitute all-purpose flour mixed with 3 teaspoons baking powder. It’s not an exact substitute but it will do fine here.
- Butter: The softness of the butter is key in this recipe; it needs to be just soft enough that you can rub it into the flour, but not so soft that it melts and blends in. I remove it from the fridge and cube it about 15 minutes before I’m ready to use it, and that works well.
- Buttermilk: cultured buttermilk makes the scones very tender and gives them a slight tang. If you’re desperate for scones but have no buttermilk, mix regular milk with 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice or white vinegar and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to curdle and thicken slightly.
- Variations:
- Blueberry Buttermilk Scones: add a cup of whole, fresh blueberries to the scone dough when you turn it onto the bench to bring together. Gently fold and squash them into the dough then proceed with cutting and baking. These are lovely with a quick glaze made from powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice.
- Chocolate Chip Scones: add a cup of chocolate chips to the bowl just after the buttermilk and proceed with the rest of the recipe.
- Date Scones: add 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp nutmeg to the flour at the start of the recipe. Add 8-10 pitted and chopped dates to the bowl just after the buttermilk, then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
- Lemon Scones: head straight over to my recipe for lemon scones, it’s based on this recipe!
- Cheese and Herb Buttermilk Scones: omit the sugar from the recipe and increase the salt to 1/2 teaspoon. Add 2/3 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and 2-3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs to the bowl once the butter is rubbed through the flour, then proceed with the recipe. I love thyme, rosemary and parsley as a good all-around herb mix.
Nutrition
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7 Responses
Yes, you could add some raisins into the dough, I would put them into the dry mix before adding the buttermilk. The quantity is subjective; around half a cup would be a good starting point.
can I do it with raisins and if I could, how?
I can’t wait to try the scones the ingredients sound like perfect partners I am so tired of getting scones like scud missiles in cafes they need cold light hands for baking I will take a photo and post it when doneA
This recipe was too wet. My scones turned out flat and spongy. This recipe doesn’t work for our Canadian environment perhaps. Shame really. Waste of good ingredients.
I’m not familiar with it, but if you’re a member of my ‘Combi Steam Cooking with Steam and Bake’ Facebook group you’re almost guaranteed to find at least someone else with the same appliance! It would definitely be worth asking in there for any pointers on how the steam operates in the oven’s combi function/s.
Thanks for posting this recipe. It verifie how I’ve been baking scones in batches for cream teas at our brass band summer events. I’d experimented with steam and came up with similar to you. A little humidity in the oven gives a great rise.
My recipe used self-raising and an extra couple of teaspoons of baking powder, but might not be needed in steam. Also uses 1 egg.
I’ve also used plain milk Keffir to replace buttermilk and that works well.
When I bake multiple batches I never double up, just prepare one tray at a time – I have small ovens, and use one station for each step, food processor for rubbing in, bowl and jug for wet mix, floury board. When speed baking I always cut into squares, it’s quicker and avoids over handling the sensitive dough. Scones barely take 15 minutes to cook and next tray is ready to go in. I know they sell well and bake 4 or 5 batches very quickly.
Beware when making for breakfast brunch – always expect to make 2 batches. At a family holiday they’d eaten the first tray in minutes…..they are so light and fluffy you can’t stop at 1 each.
“(if your steam oven doesn’t have variable humidity, don’t worry! Just set to combi steam at the correct temperature and the oven will sort out the steam for you)”
I don’t think my oven sorts anything out. Are you familiar with Baumann oven? Not sure how to use it for these kind of recipes.