Biscuits vs. Scones

• One of the fundamental questions about scones is how they differ from American-style biscuits. Given the wide variety of scone and biscuit recipes, that isn't an easy distinction to make. In broad terms, scones are usually richer and more crumbly than biscuits. They contain more fat than biscuits, usually in the form of butter, and also incorporate eggs. Scone dough is handled minimally, to keep it tender, while biscuits are usually kneaded and folded to give them a flaky texture. That flakiness also makes biscuits rise more dramatically than scones, though scones also puff up during baking.

Getting Down to Basics

• The basic preparation method for scones is simple enough. Combine the dry ingredients, then cut in your butter or other fat until the mixture comes to a mealy texture, similar to breadcrumbs. Then add the wet ingredients, mix the dough until it just comes together in a soft, sticky mass, and shape and cut the dough on a well-floured surface. If your scone recipe is leavened with baking powder, the liquid used in the recipe will usually be milk or light cream. If your recipe uses baking soda instead, it will likely call for buttermilk or soured milk.

Baking Soda vs. Powder

• At that point, recipes leavened with baking soda and baking powder must be handled differently. Baking soda's leavening power is immediate, so to get the best rise from your scones they need to go into the oven right away. Baking powder won't fully expand your scones until they're in the oven, so some recipes take advantage of this and let the dough rest before it's baked. This gives time for the elastic glutens in the dough to relax, so their tendency to contract doesn't work against the baking powder's leavening power. The end result will be a lighter, higher scone.

Room to Grow

• Some bakers form their dough into rounds and then cut it into wedges, while others cut their scones into circles, squares or triangles. In any shape, the scones should be separated slightly once you put them onto the sheet. Otherwise they'll grow together as they bake, and might remain doughy in the middle. Spacing them at least 1/2 inch apart will give each scone a golden crust on all surfaces. Placing them just 1/4 inch apart keeps the cut edges softer and paler, and helps the scones rise somewhat higher.