Scones flat

The causes, in order

• The cutter was twisted. Pressing straight down leaves an open cut edge that layers can rise through. Twisting drags and pinches it shut, and the scone rises lopsided or not at all. Press down, lift straight up.
• The dough was rolled too thin. Scones roughly double in height. Start at 2.5cm at least — thicker than looks right.
• The dough was over-worked. Kneading develops gluten and knocks out the gas the raising agent has already produced. Bring it together and stop.
• Stale baking powder. It loses strength on the shelf, particularly once opened. Test a teaspoon in hot water; it should fizz hard.
• The oven was not hot enough. Scones need a fast, fierce heat — 210–220°C — to set the structure before the gas escapes.
• The dough stood around. Chemical leavening starts working on contact with liquid. Get them in the oven within minutes.
• Glaze ran down the sides, gluing the layers shut. Brush the tops only.

Getting height

1. Keep everything cold — cold butter, cold liquid, and work quickly.
2. Rub the butter in until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs, lifting high to keep it cool.
3. Add the liquid all at once and cut it through with a knife rather than stirring.
4. Bring it together with your hands in as few movements as possible. It should look rough and shaggy.
5. Pat it out to a good thick slab — do not roll it. A rolling pin compresses.
6. Dip a sharp cutter in flour, press straight down, and lift straight up. No twisting.
7. Place them close together on the tray so they support one another, brush the tops only, and bake hot.

Details that add height

A sharp cutter

A blunt or plastic cutter compresses the edge even without twisting. A thin metal one is much better.

Buttermilk

The acid reacts immediately with the raising agent for a faster lift, and tenderises the crumb.

Folding the dough two or three times

Creates layers that separate in the oven, like a rough puff. A genuine improvement.

Placing them close together

They climb rather than spreading, using each other for support.

Chilling the cut scones

Fifteen minutes in the fridge before baking helps them hold shape.

A really hot oven

The single biggest environmental factor.

Why the twist matters so much

A scone rises by its layers separating as steam and carbon dioxide expand between them. Those layers are exposed at the cut edge, and an open cut edge lets them climb freely.

Twisting the cutter drags the dough sideways as it goes down, smearing the cut face and pressing the layers into one another. The edge is effectively sealed, so gas that should have lifted the scone straight up escapes unevenly or not at all — which is why a twisted scone often rises lopsided rather than simply staying flat.

It sounds like superstition until you cut one batch each way and compare them. The difference is roughly a centimetre of height on an ordinary scone, which is a great deal when the whole thing is four centimetres tall.

Common questions