MARY HEARTY BYE'S SCOTTISH SCONES

Mary Hearty Bye's Scottish Scones image

Yield Makes 1 dozen scones

Number Of Ingredients 11

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten
Vegetable oil for greasing
Equipment: a large griddle (preferably cast-iron) or a 10-inch cast-iron skillet

Steps:

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar in a large bowl, then blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in buttermilk and egg with a fork just until a soft dough forms.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, divide dough into thirds and knead each piece 3 or 4 times. Pat each piece into a 6-inch round (1/2 inch thick), then cut each round into 4 wedges.
Heat griddle over low heat until hot, then lightly oil.
Working in 2 batches, dust each wedge of dough with flour, patting off excess, then cook over low heat, undisturbed, 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-low and cook until puffed and undersides are golden-brown, 3 to 5 minutes more. Turn scones over and cook until undersides are golden-brown, 6 to 8 minutes (watch closely; move scones and adjust heat as needed so they cook through without burning). Turn scones on edges and cook until golden-brown, about 1 minute per edge. Cut one scone open to check for doneness.
Transfer to a rack and cool to warm. (Lightly oil griddle between batches.)