Scones always a bit hard?

Sussex18

Hi my recipe is as follows. Eggs, white flour, vanilla, butter milk, xyzlatol/sugar, baking powder, salt, raisins, butter. Cook at 140 degrees for 40 minutes or so.

The taste is reasonable but they are inevitably a bit hard on top. I try to keep kneading to a minimum as I believe this has a toughening effect? I also tried placing a damp t towel on top after taking them out of the oven but again no major impact.

I'd really like if they were softer, like those I used to eat in cafés before the virus.

Any help appreciated.
S

Shenshen

140 degrees sounds rather cool, and 40 minutes sounds rather long.
I would usually bake mine at ca 200 degrees, and for around 20 minutes.

Baking them this long at a low temperature may be drying them out, leading to your tough tops?

KinnegadKid

Hi there..here is s simple recipe for you both
3.5 cups self raising flour
1 cup heavy cream
1cup white lemonade/ Sprite
Knead a little only..cut out scones
Milk to brush tops
175 degrees for 15 mins
All done
Ps report back when u try this recipe

CelticRambler

Sussex18 wrote: »

Hi my recipe is as follows. Eggs, white flour, vanilla, butter milk, xyzlatol/sugar, baking powder, salt, raisins, butter. Cook at 140 degrees for 40 minutes or so.

Forty minutes is ages. I do mine for 15-18mins at 180°C. They come out soft, and stay soft for three days. Mind you, you're using three extra ingredients that I don't use - eggs, raisins and vanilla, so you'll probably have a heavier mixture that needs longer.

Also, unless you're pre-soaking the raisins, they will tend to absorb moisture from the dough; combined with the longer cooking time, I'd say that's almost guaranteed to give you a drier scone.

quaalude

I am a rubbish baker and made these scones twice last week, easy peasy and so soft and unctuous, from the Odlums website: https://www.odlums.ie/recipes/scones/ - 10 mins baking time.

I spend a while rubbing the butter into the flour and didn't knead it at all after I added the milk, just brought the soft dough together, flattened it with my hands, and cut out the scones.

Loveinapril

quaalude wrote: »

I am a rubbish baker and made these scones twice last week, easy peasy and so soft and unctuous, from the Odlums website: https://www.odlums.ie/recipes/scones/ - 10 mins baking time.

I spend a while rubbing the butter into the flour and didn't knead it at all after I added the milk, just brought the soft dough together, flattened it with my hands, and cut out the scones.

Once I found this recipe I never used another. I would be a good enough baker but couldn't master scones. I also discovered my mistake of over kneading, it is so easy to do.

Just realised the OP mentions using eggs. I have never seen eggs used in a scone recipe.

rubadub

Sussex18 wrote: »

Cook at 140 degrees for 40 minutes or so.

Sounds very low as said before. Is this a typo? or maybe converted incorrectly from F. I searched google and can find no scone recipe with that low a temp, they use it for reheating.

CelticRambler

quaalude wrote: »

I am a rubbish baker and made these scones twice last week, easy peasy and so soft and unctuous, from the Odlums website: https://www.odlums.ie/recipes/scones/ - 10 mins baking time.

That's almost the same as the recipe I use, only I use a third less milk and twice as much butter.

phormium

What are the exact amounts in your recipe?

Temp definitely sounds too low, no scone should take 40 mins, half that at most.

Scones are very basic, usually quarter fat to flour, little sugar if you want it, a raising agent which is either self raising flour/plain flour & baking powder/plain flour and bread soda. If using bread soda use an acidic liquid like buttermilk, if using the others use fresh milk. You can add an egg, makes them richer. Always into a hot oven though, I'd be going with about 170/180 fan oven.