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The BEST Gluten Free Scones Recipe makes scones which are soft, moist and fluffy AND stay fresh. Moistened with buttermilk, this recipe takes the gluten free scone to a better level…
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A Quest for the Best Gluten Free Scones Recipe
Finding a great gluten free scones recipe is not as easy as you’d think it should be. There are so many recipes on the internet to choose from. But deciding which ones will be soft and fluffy and which will be rock hard or crumble as soon as cut is tricky to decipher. As for stay-freshness? Another question to ponder! Whilst you wouldn’t expect the average scone to last for days and days, you would hope that it would last more than a couple of hours… even a gluten free one. Sadly however, this is often not the case.
Although I’ve made some great basic scones since going gluten free, the perfect plain gluten free scone recipe remained a little elusive… In my search, the question ‘what makes a great scone?’ has frequently been asked. And to answer, I have recalled my pre-gluten free days and some of the bestCream Teasin my history.
The Most Memorable Cream Tea
My most nostalgic Cream Tea memory dates back (way too many) years to when I was a mere slip of an adolescent. I took a holiday to Devon with my sister in the family ‘hand me down’ orange Mini. In those days, Minis weretinyand noisy, but so much fun. I still have the number plate indelibly etched on my brain, so memorable was that Mini… RUR 598M. How many of you remember that ordering of letters and numbers? I may be old, but I am proud to say that we owned a Mini in the 70’s…
But back to Cream Teas… That Mini took us down the empty motorways of the 70’s to Devon, where we stayed in the palm-littered town of Torquay. There, we did what any self-respecting young women do and sought out beaches to bask… And we found the best ice creams, fish and chips and cream teas we could. Being at an age when eating vast quantities of sugar, carbs and fats made little dent on our weight, we indulged to our limits…
It was at Badgers Holt that we found the best, softest, tallest, jammiest, clotted creamiest Cream Tea ever. The weather was scorching and sitting on a grassy bank, we scoffed until we were bursting… Compelled to lie on the grass for a good couple of hours, before we could subject our stuffed bodies to further movement… The scone memory was made!
What Makes a Scone Great?
But what made those scones so great? They were a perfect texture… Soft, but close of crumb and slightly dense… Tall in rise, with little crinkles and cracks around the edges, but still slightly warm… They were also mild in flavour, but with a hint of sweetness to complement the cream and jam which was generously delivered… Rich, decadent, smooth, creamy, slightly clumpy dollops of Clotted Cream spread in a thick layer across the top of each half, begging to be crowned with a spoonful of joyous, dark red, gooey strawberry jam… The Devon way.
So, there you have it. The perfect Devon Cream Tea… just needing to be recreated with a gluten free scone recipe.
The BEST Gluten Free Scones Recipe… Buttermilk Scones
Which brings us to the BEST gluten free scones recipe. Made with my rice free flour blend B which is still mild in flavour and appropriately pale, these scones are light and oh so soft to the touch (see recipe NOTES). The addition of buttermilk and a little ground almond moistens the bake. It takes them to a level which is more than comparable with their glutenous cousins. And whereas gluten free scones will often be stale and hard within hours, these gluten free buttermilk scones are still soft two to three days after they come out of the oven.
Of course the best way to enjoy them is with my delicious home-made Strawberry Jam and some gorgeous Roddas Clotted Cream. Or if you prefer butter, why not make your own?
Gluten Free Buttermilk Scones or Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits?
For those of you across the pond, this is an interesting question. I have no idea why, when or how the English Scone morphed into the American Biscuit or why there was a necessity to change the name. But then, I also have no idea why your cookies are our biscuits either. Given the suggestion that the Scone originated in 16th Century Scotland however, I am going to stick my neck out and lay claim to culinary ancestry on this one.
Made the Best Gluten Free Scones Recipe?
Why not create your own cream tea memory with this delicious gluten free scones recipe? I promise you won’t regret it…
And please let me know what you think of them. I’ve been contacted by a few people who already made and loved them. But it also helps other people to find them if they are star-rated and if you leave a comment below.
And if you haven’t yet followed me on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest, I’d love you to join me… Why not subscribe to the Gluten Free Alchemist Newsletter too for the latest updates and news.
If you are looking for other Scone Inspiration, we have plenty of recipes at Gluten Free Alchemist. My favourite recipes include our EPIC Blueberry Scones with Lemon, Cherry Bakewell Scones, our Hot Cross Scones and Chocolate Chip Scones… and of course, our Cheese Scones and Pumpkin Scones. But there is also lots of other inspiration on our dedicated Scones Index Page.
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4.77 from 13 votes
Best Gluten Free Scone Recipe with Buttermilk
The BEST Gluten Free Scone Recipe will make scones which are soft, moist and fluffy AND stay fresh. Moistened with buttermilk, this recipe takes the gluten free scone to a better level…
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time18 minutes mins
Total Time48 minutes mins
Course: Afternoon Tea, Bread, Sweet Treats, Tea Time
Cuisine: British, Gluten Free
Keyword: buttermilk, scones
Servings: 10
Calories per serving: 226.4kcal
Author: Gluten Free Alchemist – Kate Dowse
Key equipment
Oven
flat-bladed knife
Ingredients
- 320 g plain gluten free flour blend GFA Rice Free Blend Bsee NOTES
- 2 tsp xanthan gum
- pinch fine sea salt
- 50 g ground almonds
- 1 tbsp GF baking powder
- 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 90 g unsalted butter cold and cubed
- 30 g caster sugar
- 1 large egg beaten – UK large (Canadian ‘Extra Large’; Australian ‘Jumbo’; and US ‘Extra or Very Large’)
- 284 ml buttermilk 1 pot UK
- abeaten egg mixed with a little milk for glazing
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200 C/400 F/Gas 6. Line a couple of baking trays with baking paper and set aside.
Weigh and mix together the flour, xanthan gum, salt, almonds, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda until well-blended (I weigh mine into an airtight container and shake vigorously).
In a large bowl, rub the cold butter into the flour mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add the sugar and stir through.
Make a well in the centre and add the beaten egg and buttermilk.
Using a flat-bladed knife, mix the wet ingredients into the dry, until it clumps together. Continue to mix until it comes together as a very sticky dough. If it looks like the dough is too dry, then add a little milk.
Lay a large piece of baking paper on the work surface and sprinkle liberally with gluten free flour/tapioca starch.
Flour your hands well and gently bring the dough together. It should be quite wet.
Tip the dough out onto the floured baking paper, sprinkle a little more flour on the top and lay a further piece of baking paper over.
Gently roll out the dough between the paper to a depth of about 4 cm.
Use a round/fluted cookie cutter (I used a large one 3 inches/7 cm) to cut rounds from the dough and carefully transfer to the lined baking sheets.
Bring any remaining dough gently together (trying not to over-work) and repeat the rolling and cutting process, until all the dough has been used and transferred to the baking sheets.
Beat an additional egg with a little milk and brush the top of each scone with the egg-wash to glaze.
Bake in the oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until well-risen, firm and golden.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Eat warm or cold, with butter and/or jam and/or cream. Store the scones in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days if necessary. If it is very hot, store in the fridge after a day and 'refresh' in the microwave for a few seconds.
Notes
* Note: nutritional information is an estimate & may vary according to portion size/ingredient variants.
Gluten Free Alchemist Rice Free Flour Blend B can be found on the Page. If using an alternative flour (particularly one which is rice-based), the texture may be drier and the mix may require a little more liquid.
Nutrition
Calories: 226.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 5.6g | Fat: 12.2g | Saturated Fat: 5.5g | Cholesterol: 41.1mg | Sodium: 308.1mg | Potassium: 166.4mg | Fiber: 3.9g | Sugar: 5.5g | Vitamin A: 298.8IU | Calcium: 118.9mg | Iron: 1.4mg
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© 2019-2024 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
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