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Freshly baked plain and date scones served on a platter with butter, jam, and cream ready for afternoon tea.

Plain and date Scones

Soft, fluffy, and beautifully golden, these Plain & Date Scones are a timeless homemade classic. Made with simple ingredients and balanced baking science, they bake into tender, buttery scones with light centres and beautiful rise. Enjoy them warm with jam, cream, or butter for the perfect afternoon tea treat.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 8 people
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Baking
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Scone dough
  • 480 g Plain flour
  • 40 g Baking powder
  • 2 g Sea Salt
  • 90 g Castor sugar
  • 100 g Unsalted Butter cubed
  • 250 g Full Cream milk
  • 2 eggs 70g
Date addition
  • 120 g Pitted Dates
Egg wash
  • 1 egg 70g
  • 20 g Water

Equipment

  • 1 Oven
  • 2 Baking trays
  • 1 Scone cutter
  • 1 knife
  • 1 Sieve
  • 1 Dough scrapper
  • 1 Stand Mixer
  • 1 Stand Mixer flat beater
  • 1 pastry brush
  • 1 Small bowl
  • 1 fork
  • 1 knife
  • 1 chopping board
  • 1 Medium Bowl

Method
 

  1. Set the oven at 200 C
  2. Prepare two oven trays - line with baking paper
Scone dough
  1. Sieve together the flour and baking powder
  2. Add to the stand mixer bowl and add in the salt
  3. Add in the milk (Note 2) and eggs
  4. Melt and Cool the butter
  5. Add to the bowl
  6. Mix on a low speed until incorporated and the texture is open but not wet. (Note 1)
  7. Lightly flour the bench and pop the dough out onto the bench.
  8. Divide in half and set aside one lot for the date scones.
  9. With the other half bring the dough together to 2.5cm high or to the height of your scone cutter.
  10. Using a bowl or flour scoop dip your cutter into the flour to coat the inside.
  11. Push down straight down without turning your cutter to press the scone out. Repeat to make as many as possible before bringing the dough back together again. repeat to use up the dough.
Date Scones
  1. Soak the dates in hot water (not boiling) for 5 minutes and then tip out.
  2. Roughly chop the dates
  3. Using the reserved dough add the dates and incorporate.(Note3)
  4. Bring the dough together to 2.5cm high or to the height of your scone cutter.
  5. Using a bowl or flour scoop dip your cutter into the flour to coat the inside.
  6. Push down straight down without turning your cutter to press the scone out. Repeat to make as many as possible before bringing the dough back together again. repeat to use up the dough.
Egg wash
  1. In a Bowl mix together the egg and water lightly with a fork.
Baking
  1. Place the scones on a tray leaving 1cm between
  2. Brush the tops of the scones using a pastry brush not the sides lightly.
  3. Bake for 12-15 mins until the top is a light golden brown.

Notes

Note 1-if the dough becomes stick lightly dust with flour. Try not to use too much flour.
Note 2 -leave aside  30-50 ml of milk and add in -to the mix if too dry. 
Note 3 -As the dates are soaked in water the dough may need a little extra flout to have an open and non sticky dough
Tip: the less the dough is worked when cutting the more fluffy the scones will be.