If you are someone who like having afternoon tea, there is a good possibility that you also take pleasure in the flaky, buttery scones that go so well with it. You might be inspired to try your hand at creating your own sweets from scratch as a result of reading this.
You try making scones using a variety of recipes, but no matter what you do, they always turn out to be too flat. One question begs to be asked in this scenario, and that is why do my scones spread?
You have, fortunately, arrived to the correct location. In this piece, we will discuss seven possible causes of flat scones as well as solutions to the problems they cause.
Why Do My Scones Spread?
There are a few potential causes that might result in uneven rising and spreading in your scones. Some of them are related to the components that go into the dish, while others are associated with the methods that you use.
Let’s take a look at seven possible explanations, which can help you figure out what you’re doing wrong:
1 – Wrong Dough Texture
The dough for a decent scone should ideally be moist and sticky, but it should also have a bit of a crumbly texture.
The reason for this is because a scone dough that is too moist will not puff up when it is cooked, which will result in a scone that is dense and chewy. On the other hand, if the dough is too dry, the scones will not only fail to rise but will also be very crumbly.
The following advice will assist you in achieving the ideal texture for your dough:
- First, take care not to overstuff the measuring cup with flour; if you do, you will end up using more flour than the recipe calls for. Instead, give the flour a little stir before you measure it out.
- Sifting the flour will allow more air to be included into the mixture, which will result in scones that are lighter and more fluffy.
- To prevent the dough from becoming too moist, the wet components shouldn’t be added all at once.
2 – Incompatible Ingredient Substitutions
We’ve all been in a position when we’re lacking one component and attempting to find an alternative.
For example, a recipe for scones may call for baking soda, baking powder, or both of these ingredients to be included. In the event that you do not have any baking soda or baking powder on hand, you might look for a suitable replacement in a hurry.
However, introducing another substitution might change the formula in a way that prevents you from achieving the outcomes you want.
When you don’t have any leavening agent on hand, you may use self-raising flour instead of ordinary flour as a suitable replacement. If you do decide to use a rising agent, you must be careful to sift it well along with the flour before adding it. This will guarantee that the scones rise uniformly and do not have any speckling on them.
3 – Using Old Leavening Agents
On the box of raising agents like baking powder and baking soda, you may often notice a date indicating when they have reached their expiry. However, this might still result in a decrease in quality even if the leavening agents have not yet reached their expiration date.
When leavening chemicals like baking powder are combined with water, a chemical reaction takes place that results in the production of carbon dioxide gas. This gas causes the scones to rise and become airy. As soon as you open the container, the chemical raising agents will begin to react with the air and humidity, which will make them less effective in raising your scones.
You will be relieved to hear that you may do the following test to determine whether or not the baking soda or powder you have is still reactive:
- Put two teaspoons of vinegar into a cup and set it aside. For baking powder, use lukewarm water.
- After that, put in a half of a teaspoon of either baking soda or baking powder.
- If there is bubbling soon after you’ve added baking soda or powder, it indicates that they are still fresh, and you may use them in your scone recipe.
4 – Over-Softened Butter
It is very necessary to make use of cold butter in order to get a scone that is airy and light.
In the majority of recipes, you will need to massage the butter into the flour mixture while it is somewhat melted in order to produce fat pockets. These pockets of fat will melt and create steam in the space between the layers of dough, which will cause the scones to rise.
What would happen if you softened the butter a little too much, though?
When the dough is placed in the oven, the butter will melt and some of it will escape, which will cause the dough to spread.
Simply place the butter pieces, which have been softened, in the refrigerator until you have mixed the dry ingredients. You’ll be able to keep them at a cool temperature in this method.
Additionally, you have the option of cutting the stick into tiny cubes that will more easily incorporate into the mixture.
5 – Kneading the Dough for Too Long
You should only give the scone dough the barest of handlings so that all of the components may remain cohesive. If you can help it, stop kneading the dough once you reach that point.
This will not only produce a scone that is similar to bread, but it also has the potential to allow all of the air that was introduced during the sifting process to escape, which will result in flat scones.
6 – Over Rolling and Wrong Cutting Techniques
If you roll the dough out too thinly, you will end up with scones that are thick and flat.
Instead of rolling out the dough, pat it down with your hands until it is about an inch thick. The thicker the slices, the better they will rise, and the more layers and crispiness there will be in the final product.
The method that you use to cut the scone dough is another factor that plays a significant role in producing fluffy scones. The following are some pointers to keep in mind while correctly cutting scone dough:
- Dust the blade of your cutting tool with flour between each cut to prevent it from adhering to the dough.
- You should bring the cutter back up after bringing it down in a single swift motion. Do not twist the blade since this will cause your scones to have uneven or jagged edges, which will hinder them from rising to their maximum potential.
- Last but not least, place the finished scones on the baking sheet. The key is to pack the scones in tightly so that they don’t spread out but instead rise to the top of the pan.
7 – The Oven’s Temperature
The success of your scone recipe will be directly correlated to how well you preheat the oven. It will prevent the butter from becoming liquid and will prevent any air bubbles from escaping the dough before the oven reaches the appropriate temperature for baking.
It is recommended that the oven be preheated to a temperature of 500 degrees Fahrenheit. After placing the scones in the oven, reduce the temperature to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In this manner, the temperature in the oven will be just right for the dough to rise and become a beautiful golden color.
In addition to this, you will need to make every effort to keep the oven door closed while the scones are in the oven. Because of this, colder air will be introduced into the oven, causing the temperature to decrease and resulting in spreadable scones.
FAQs
Why do my scones spread out and not rise?
Putting a ball of dough in a cold oven and letting it gradually warm up has an effect on the rising agent in the dough. Before you put the scones in the oven, you need to check that the oven is already preheated to the correct temperature for baking them. The baking of your scones will also be significantly impacted if the temperature of your oven is either too hot or too cool.
Why don’t my scones hold their shape?
If there is not enough water to hold the dough together, it will break apart much too readily, and it will be extremely difficult to get it back together once it has been broken apart. In addition to this, it is essential that you mix for a sufficient amount of time to ensure that all of the components are well combined.
How do you make scones keep their shape?
Take a piece of the dough out of the bowl and place it on a cutting board that has been dusted with flour. When you set the dough on the cutting board, if it is too crumbly, try adding a little bit more buttermilk to it. When you place the dough on the cutting board, if it is very sticky, add a little bit more flour.
Why do my scones keep going flat?
The dough may have been too soft, or the oven may have been too hot, both of which may cause the scones to spread out when they are cooked. A high sugar content or an overly hot oven may both provide a dark tint in baked goods.
What is the secret to a good scone?
Starting with cold ingredients, such as cold butter, cold eggs, and cold cream, is the key to producing scones with the perfect flaky texture. Using cold components, in a manner analogous to the preparation of pie crust, stops the butter from melting before the scones are cooked, allowing the butter to instead melt in the oven and provide a product that is very flaky.
What happens if you over knead scone dough?
Overworking the dough might cause your scones to have a texture that is more chewy and rough than the desirable light and crumbly one. If you overwork the dough, your scones will not have the desired result. The secret is to gently work the dough a little bit, with very mild pressure, until it just starts to come together.
Final Thoughts
Then, why do my scones get so flat?
In most cases, the dough for scones has a consistency that is excessively moist, which prevents the scones from rising properly. If you do not use fresh ingredients, if you do not keep the butter cold, if you overwork your dough, or if you do not bake the scones at the correct temperature, you may not be able to achieve puffy scones. Other possible reasons include: not using the correct baking temperature; not using cold butter; over
The good news is that solutions to all of these issues are simple to find, and as soon as you get rid of them, you’ll be able to bake and enjoy delicious scones that are light and flaky for breakfast!