Making homemade scones might sound daunting, even for the experienced home baker. But don’t worry, we’re here to walk you through every step along the way. And the reward at the end is better than anything you could buy at a store because warm scones fresh from the oven with their crispy exterior and flaky, buttery interior just can’t be beat anywhere else. Use our Garden Ranch Dressing to replace the heavy cream, and even substitute in a flax egg or vegan butter if you have allergies or food restrictions.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup 88 Acres Garden Ranch Dressing
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup non-dairy milk, plus more for topping
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, or 1:1 gluten-free equivalent
- 1 tablespoon, plus 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds, divided
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, very cold
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 415º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, gently whisk together the Dressing, egg, and milk.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, 3/4 cup of the sunflower seeds, baking powder, salt, sugar, and herbs. Stir to combine.
Place the stick of butter in the bowl to coat on all sides with flour. Using the side of a box grater usually used for cheese, quickly but carefully grate the butter into the dry ingredients, tossing the grated butter in the flour periodically as you go to prevent clumping. Once all the butter is grated, work the butter and flour together with your fingers, crumbling it all together until there are just some small lumps of butter left. Be sure not to combine it too much that it begins to look like finely grated parmesan––you want some visible lumps of butter in there.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a silicone spatula to incorporate it into the dry ingredients and mix until you no longer see pools of liquid. This is where it gets a little messy. Use your hands to firmly turn the dough over and press it back onto itself a few times, rotating the bowl each time to try to scoop up as much of the dough as possible until it forms a cohesive mass. The dough may be sticky, so be patient and add flour to the mixture if necessary. Be careful not to overwork the dough, you want it to just barely come together so the final scones are light and flaky.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat the dough into a circle roughly 8 inches in diameter and about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. Use a bench scraper or large knife to divide the dough into 8 equal wedges. You want to make a sharp, clean cut through the dough so it rises properly.
Transfer the scones to the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between them. Brush the tops of the scones with a thin layer of non-dairy milk, being careful to not let it drip down the sides of the scone, and sprinkle with about 1/2 cup sunflower seeds.
Place the baking sheet in the oven on the middle or upper rack and bake for 17-22 minutes, until the scones are an evenly light golden color.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy warm, broken open and lathered in butter or more Garden Ranch Dressing.
