Delicious Irish Scones, studded with currants and flavoured with a touch of orange zest. Crispy, tender, flaky, buttery, sweet and salty, all in one perfect bite!
1/2cup(125ml)whole milk, cold (see Recipe Notes for using Buttermilk instead of milk)
2Tablespoonsgranulated white sugar
1/2teaspoonKosher salt, reduce to 1/4 tsp if using salted butter
1 1/2cups(180g)all-purpose flour
1 1/4teaspoonbaking powder
5Tablespoon(70g)unsalted butter, cold and cut into 5-6 pieces
For filling:
1Tablespoonunsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4cupcurrants
Orange zest, about 1 tsp or to taste
For topping before baking:
Milk, for brushing tops
Coarse or regular sugar, such as turbinado or demerera
For topping after baking:
2Tablespoon(28g)unsalted butter, melted
Flaky salt, such as Maldon's or Fleur de Sel
Prevent your screen from going dark
Instructions
*You will need 8 Tablespoons (1/2 cup, 1 stick or 113g) of butter total to make a single batch. Note that 5 Tbsp will be used cold, 1 Tbsp will be used at room temperature and the final 2 Tbsp will be melted. So remember to set aside the 1 Tbsp of butter to soften ahead a bit. If you forget, you can microwave it very, very briefly to soften it enough to spread. Try not to melt it though.
Preheat oven to 375F (regular bake/not fan assisted). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. (Make sure to use a rimmed baking sheet, as there will be butter in the pan that needs to be contained.)
In a medium bowl or a 2-cup measuring cup, stir together the milk, sugar and salt until the sugar and salt is dissolved. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Add the pieces of cold butter and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour mixture, until you have an even crumb with butter pieces no larger than pea-sized. Add the milk mixture to the bowl and use a fork to stir together until all the flour is moistened. The dough should be fairly moist and maybe a tiny bit sticky, but not overly sticky or wet.
Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface. If the dough is sticking to your surface or your hands, add a dusting of flour to the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 7x8-inch rectangle. Spread the dough with the piece of softened butter. scatter with the currants press them down into the dough a bit with the palm of your hand. Sprinkle with orange zest, if using. Fold the dough from the 7-inch end, folding like a letter by folding the top down over the centre and then folding the bottom up to cover the first fold. Finally, fold the dough in half crosswise, folding the right side over the left. *Refer to the Step-by-Step photos above this Recipe Card if the folding instructions aren't clear to you.
Using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough block into a 4x4-inch square and use a knife to lightly score the top into four even pieces. (Again, refer to the Step-by-Step photos if needed). Using a very sharp knife, make one swift, confident stroke to cut the scones into 4 pieces. Place the pieces onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, several inches apart. Brush the top of the scones with milk and sprinkle with coarse or regular sugar.
Bake scones in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and puffy.
Once out of the oven, drizzle with a bit of melted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt flakes. Remove scones to a wire rack to cool to just warm or to room temperature. The texture of scones is better once they are allowed to cool.
Notes
Milk vs Buttermilk - when it comes to scones, you shouldn't just swap the milk for buttermilk! While you can use buttermilk in these scones, you will need to change them from baking powder to baking soda. To use buttermilk here, omit the baking powder completely and replace it with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.