In the American vs. British baking wars, I tend to lean Brit. In college, I spent two glorious semesters abroad in England at Oxford University, and although my passion for the Spice Girls has waned, I remain to this day a huge fan of flour, butter and sugar.
Each morning on the way to Shakespearean literature classes at St. Catherine’s, my friends and I would stop on High Street for tea and scones. If we were lucky, we’d also catch a glimpse of the adorable ginger-haired grad student who shared our class schedule.
The air was cold and misty, just like you’d imagine in a Brontë novel, and even the most mundane of experiences — like walking to class — felt magical. You never knew, for example, when the cobblestone path under your feet would suddenly reveal an old tombstone that had been repurposed for pavement during World War II. And you could only imagine which treasured literary characters (Tolkien’s Frodo? Swift’s Gulliver? ) had been conceived in the air around you.
The weight of history was comforting, but in some ways, it was also a lot of pressure. I was thankful for the scones.
There are some pastry chefs who claim no difference between American and British scones. Based on experience, I simply can’t agree. While it certainly depends on the baker, American scones tend to be triangular, and a bit tougher than their British counterparts. British scones remind me more of a sweet American biscuit: light and fluffy, with a delicate buttery-flaky feel.
And then of course, there’s the accent. “Scone” to me sounds harsh, hurried and oh-so-American, with none of the elegance and understated grace that the British embody so well. “Scon” (rhymes with “lawn”) is how I like to think Shakespeare would have pronounced it — and that’s how I like to eat it.
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Ingredients
3/4 cup Zante currants
4-3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1-1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup, plus 1 tablespoon, cold butter
1-1/2 cups buttermilk, well shaken
- Topping
3 tablespoons melted butter
Sugar, for sprinkling
Directions
- Heat the oven to 400° F. Grease a baking sheet with butter or line with parchment paper. In a small bowl, cover the currants with warm water, and set aside for about 10 minutes until plumped. Drain well.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add sugar and salt, and stir to combine.
- Cut the butter into 1/2 inch cubes and mix into dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender or a fork to cut the butter until it breaks into pea-size lumps.
- Add buttermilk all at once along with the currants and mix gently with a wooden spoon until the dough holds together. If the mixture seems dry, add a bit more buttermilk.
- Dust your work surface with flour and turn the dough out onto it. Divide into two even portions. Pat each portion into circular disks about 1-1/2 inches thick.
- Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Then transfer to the baking sheet.
- Bake until the scones are lightly browned on top, about 25-35 minutes. Let cool and serve with jam, clotted cream or your preferred pairing.
START TO FINISH: 1 HOUR, 15 MINUTES. MAKES 12-16 SCONES.
Tartine–inspired scone recipe adapted from alexandracooks.com
