Scones are a tasty treat that people often enjoy while drinking tea or coffee. Depending on your background, you might have grown up eating them regularly.
These pastries are delicious, but sometimes people have issues with them turning out dry. You also might have problems keeping them moist.
There are a few issues to consider here, and you need to know how to avoid making scones turn out dry.
Then, you need to understand how to store them properly to keep them from drying out. Below, you’ll learn about both of these topics so you can enjoy scones that taste great.
Why Did the Scones Turn Out Dry?
When scones turn out dry, there’s usually one of three things wrong. It’s likely you made some mistakes along the way since you weren’t aware of how you should make homemade scones.
If you can avoid these common mistakes, it’ll be much easier to get good results. You can make scones that turn out how you want them to by doing things carefully.
Don’t Knead the Dough Too Much
Kneading the dough too much can easily cause scones to turn out dry. You do have to knead the dough, but going overboard will cause issues.
When you knead dough more than you should, it’ll cause protein bonds to form. This makes it much denser and the scones will wind up being sort of dry.
It’s common for people who are making scones for the first time to make this mistake. Instead of kneading the dough too much, you want to simply turn the dough over a bit.
Some very minor kneading is fine, but you don’t want to take things too far. It’s wise to avoid using electric hand mixers, too, since that makes it easier to make mistakes.
Not Using Butter Properly
Butter is an important part of making scones turn out moist. If you don’t add the butter to the mix at the right time, you’ll be left with dry and unsatisfying scones.
To do things right, you’re supposed to add butter to the flour before proceeding with the rest of the mixing process. There should be a specific set of instructions that you’re given with a recipe.
It’ll detail when you’re supposed to add certain ingredients. If you make mistakes, you could cause the scones to turn out wrong.
Not adding the butter at the right time might make them dry. You also have to be careful to use enough butter without going overboard.
Pay Close Attention to the Ingredients
When you want the scones to be moist, it’s imperative to use the right ingredients. Often, people make the mistake of using the wrong ingredients or not using enough of a specific ingredient.
For example, if you don’t use enough milk, it’ll make the scones turn out dry. You always need to pay attention to how much of a specific ingredient you’re supposed to use.
Be sure to read the recipe carefully. This will allow you to do things right so you can enjoy tasty scones.
Don’t use substitute ingredients unless you have to. Try to use the specific ingredients that are called for in the recipe to get results that are as close to optimal as possible.
How to Make Scones More Moist
Making scones moister might be as simple as adding a bit more milk. Often, people will add a bit of buttermilk to the recipe to add extra moisture.
However, it’s generally best to follow a recipe closely. Otherwise, the scones might not turn out as intended.
Prevent Scones from Drying Out
Preventing scones from drying out will take a little bit of effort. Scones aren’t going to stay good for too long after you bake them.
Storing them properly will allow them to stay moist and tasty for a few days. They will, inevitably, become dry and stale no matter what you do, though.
This doesn’t mean that it isn’t worthwhile to store scones the right way. If you want to enjoy leftovers, it’s important to store them wisely.
You should cover them with either foil or plastic. Putting them in an airtight plastic container or a sealed plastic bag will do the trick as well.
It’s important to store the scones in a room temperature environment. Putting them in a pantry or a breadbox will be fine so long as it’s not too hot.
When you store them well, they should stay good for one or two days. They should be relatively moist during this time if you’re doing things right, but they’ll dry out as time passes.
Are Scones Healthy?
Scones aren’t considered to be good for you. If you’re looking for something healthy to eat while drinking a cup of coffee in the morning, you may wish to look elsewhere.
As you might expect, scones are very high in calories. They also contain saturated fat and you should be careful how many of them you eat at one time.
Since they’re not healthy, it’s best to enjoy them in moderation. You should treat scones as a special treat and not as something that you eat daily.
There are some scones that are healthier than others. Scones that contain fruit might be a bit healthier, but they’re still likely to be high in calories.
You don’t have to shy away from eating scones. Just know that you need to be cautious for the sake of your health.
How Can You Make Scones Taste Better?
Scones are pretty tasty even if they’re a bit plain. Regardless, some people want to make them that much more delicious.
Thankfully, there are many excellent toppings that go well with scones. It’s common for people to put various types of fruit on top of them.
You can also spread jam or jelly onto them. This will make them even tastier than usual.
Of course, it’s fine to go with something simple such as butter. It just depends on what you’re in the mood for.
Adding toppings will make eating them more enjoyable than usual. However, the toppings will add unnecessary calories.
Final Thoughts
Making scones moist is really just about preparing them properly. You want to follow a good recipe to get the right results.
You can easily make mistakes that will cause them to turn out dry. Avoid this by using the tips above to your advantage.
It’s important to knead the dough only as much as you’re supposed to. Kneading the dough too much leads to scones that are dense and a bit dry.
You also need to add the ingredients to the mix at the right time. For example, adding butter at the wrong point in the process can ruin everything.
Not using enough of a certain ingredient can throw everything off, too. You want to be sure to read the recipe carefully so you don’t make mistakes.
Storing scones well will allow you to enjoy them for a few days after making them. Store them in an airtight plastic container or a sealed plastic bag.
If you store the them in a room temperature setting, they should stay good for one or two days. They will eventually dry out and become stale, but you should be able to eat them before that occurs.
Remember that scones aren’t an incredibly healthy snack. Only enjoy these pastries in moderation.
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.