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Gluten-Free Buttery Scones
Scones are a tradition on nearly every Irish breakfast table. The secret to making a good scone is to use cold fats and work them into the flour before melting; the added step of “laminating” the dough adds more lovely layers. The technique is quite simple. With a few ordinary ingredients and a light gluten-free flour blend, this recipe produces tender, flaky pastry. Enjoy these scones with Irish butter, your favorite jam or a dollop of yogurt. Associate editor Jules Shepard is author of Free For All Cooking (DaCapo Perseus), The First Year: Celiac Disease and Living Gluten-Free (DaCapo Perseus), and Nearly Normal Cooking for Gluten-Free Eating (CreateSpace). Her books are available at GlutenFreeAnd More.com.
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter or dairy-free alternative, , divided
- 3 cups gluten free all-purpose flour blend
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 + 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon cold milk of choice, (not skim), more as needed
- 1 tablespoon honey, , agave syrup or coconut nectar
- 1/2 cup raisins or dried currants
- Demerara sugar or flaky sea salt, , for sprinkling, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut 10 tablespoons butter into small cubes, about 1/4 inch in size. Place them in a bowl in the freezer while you prepare dry ingredients.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour blend, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add 10 tablespoons cold butter by cutting it in with a pastry cutter or 2 butter knives until pea-size pieces of butter are scattered evenly throughout flour mixture.
- In a separate bowl, combine milk and honey. Slowly add to flour mixture, stirring with a fork until a ragged dough forms. Dough should hold together when squeezed lightly. If it doesn’t, stir in an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons milk with a fork. Do not overwork the dough.
- Transfer dough to a clean counter or pastry mat dusted with gluten-free flour. Pat to flatten. Then gently roll dough into a rectangle about 8x12 inches, with the long side facing you.
- Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a small pan or in the microwave until softened (not melted). Spread evenly over dough with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle raisins evenly on top and press gently into dough.
- Fold bottom third of dough up over the center line. Fold the top third down to meet the bottom edge, as if folding a letter. Then fold in half crosswise. Using a rolling pin, gently flatten into a 4x8-inch rectangle. Cut dough into 8 equal rectangles, squares or triangles.
- Arrange on prepared pan, leaving 2 inches between each piece. Sprinkle tops generously with demerara sugar, if using, or sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt, if using.
- Place scones in preheated oven and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
- When done, remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
Nutrition
Calories: 376kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 6gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 307mgPotassium: 150mgFiber: 5gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 580IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 88mgIron: 1.9mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Written by Jules Shepard, originally published in Gluten Free & More.
