BAKE: How to Make Lemon Oat Scones
This quick lemon oat scone recipe is simple and delicious! If you aren’t already acquainted, a scone is similar to an American biscuit, but made with a richer, lightly sweet dough. They’re a natural accompaniment to a cup of tea but also a great partner for your morning cup of joe. The delicate lemon flavor of these scones is subtle and won’t overpower most jams or spreads. They’re equally suited to a light breakfast, casual afternoon snack, or an elegant tea (any tea is an elegant tea if you stick your pinky out, I think?).
Oats for Health (And a Bit of Cultural Context)
These lemon oat scones have a hearty and healthy whole grain addition of old-fashioned rolled oats to the dough. If you want a less toothsome and rustic scone, you can use quick cooking or instant oats in place of the old-fashioned oats. Oats are a common addition to quick breads and other baked goods in cool, rainy regions like the UK, as oats and barley grow better than wheat under those conditions, and historically were used to stretch the harder to grow or imported wheat flour. It’s why oatcakes and porridge were such a staple in the colder areas like Scotland and Ireland, and the Northern parts of England. They’re also delicious, and have numerous health benefits, so even if it weren’t a nod to culinary tradition and regional agriculture, they’re tasty and wholesome!
The weather here has turned a bit over the weekend, from sweltering heat to refreshing cool rain, so it’s a good morning for baking, brewing a warm pot of tea, and a much-needed reprieve from the summer heat we’ve been dealing with. After days of living on dinner salads and cold grain bowls, biting into a warm scone on a cool morning is a welcome reminder of my favorite foggy fall days to come.
Enjoy these lemon oat scones plain, or as I prefer, topped with butter and jam or marmalade. Try them with our vanilla bean marmalade butter spread slathered on top for an extra special treat!
Make-Ahead Tips for Lemon Oat Scones:
These scones are at their best when freshly baked, but you can keep them for up to three days in an airtight tin or other sealed container. They also freeze beautifully for one to three months, and reheat in just 30 seconds in the microwave (or the toaster if you’re patient). So bake a double-batch now and stash some lemon oat scones away for the dog days of late summer still to come when you don’t want to turn on your oven again!
Lemon Oat Scones
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 6 oz butter 1½ sticks or ¾ cup
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp lemon extract substitute 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
Instructions
- Assemble all your ingredients before you begin. Add the milk to a large measuring cup. Add the lemon juice and lemon extract or zest to the cup of milk, stir, and let sit to sour the milk while you mix the dry ingredients. It will thicken or curdle slightly- this is ok!
- Sift the leavening into the flour and the rest of the dry ingredients so that there are no clumps. You can either sift all ingredients together or mix well with a whisk to combine them well.
- Cut the butter into the dry ingredients. You want the largest pieces of butter to be the size of small peas and the rest like crumbly meal. The pea-sized bits will make the scones flaky and the smaller pieces will make them tender.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the mixing bowl. Now is a good time to preheat your oven to 425℉.
- Gently fold in the wet ingredients with a spatula, wooden spoon, or plastic bowl scraper, until the dough just comes together. Don't over mix- you don't want to over develop the gluten in the flour or your scones will be tough.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface or silicone mat. Fold gently with a bench scraper a few times, just enough to bring the dough together into a shaggy mass. The dough will be sticky and have some lumps of butter- this is ok.
- Using the bench scraper, divide the dough in half. Set one half aside in the mixing bowl while you shape the other. Keep it cool- pop the other half of the dough in the fridge if your kitchen is very hot.
- Roll out the dough portion into a 7-8" circle (about ½-¾" thick). Using the bench scraper, cut the circle into wedges (6 or 8, depending on how big you want your scones to be).
- Using the bench scraper or a metal spatula, transfer the scones to a baking sheet (plain, or lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat so they are less likely to stick and break). If you like, you can brush the tops with melted butter, egg wash, or milk (for more golden, glossy, or tender scones, respectively) and sprinkle them with some turbinado or vanilla sugar for extra glitz and sweetness.Bake the scones in a 425℉ oven for 10-15 minutes, or until they are light golden brown on top and bottom.
- Remove from oven and use a metal spatula to transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm, or let cool and wrap to freeze & enjoy later.
