Scones are deep-fried, local Utah breakfast treat. Cover them in honey butter for a Shaw family Christmas tradition.
When cooked properly, they are crisp but airy… chewy on the inside, and crunchy on the outside.
What is the history and difference between deep-fried scones, scones that aren’t deep-fried, Navajo Tacos, Elephant Ears, and others of the type? I researched the history of scones when preparing this page, and came across an interesting research paper “on scones.” Have a read, if you are curious!
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I don’t eat all the scone dough in one day? Will it keep?
Yes! It should keep for a couple of more days. The flavor will grow in complexity, but it’s perfectly safe. Since many artisan pizza dough recipes have doughs that store up to 3 days before making pizzas, in my mind it’s the same here: you should be able to continue to make scones with your dough up to 3 days after that first overnight rise.
What if I don’t have buttermilk?
If you’re in a pinch, you can make a substitute 4 cups’ worth of buttermilk by adding 1/4 cup vinegar to 4 cups of milk. This is what my mom always did to make scones while we were growing up.
This makes way too much! Can I cut this recipe in half?
Yes, it should be fine! I’d recommend still putting the smaller amount of yeast into 1/4 cup water at the beginning, though.
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30 minutes |
| Passive Time | 6+ hours/overnight + oil preheat |
| Servings |
scones
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- 1 quart buttermilk 4 cups
- 4 1/2 teaspoons yeast 2 packets
- 1/4 cup water 110°-115°
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 8 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 gallon canola oil for deep frying
Ingredients
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- Mix yeast and water until yeast dissolves and starts to foam. This step is meant to ensure your yeast is in good shape, so your scone dough rises properly.
- Mix in the rest of the ingredients (except the frying oil). It's important that the dough becomes even, with all ingredients mixed together. It's easiest to use the dough hook on an electric mixer or stand mixer. This dough is too wet to properly knead by hand. It is okay if the dough is somewhat shaggy; but you can continue to mix it until the dough becomes more smooth.
- Cover and refrigerate the dough. Let it rise 6+ hours (overnight). Dough will double in size.
- Preheat oil to 365°. We use our large, deep Presto electric skillet when frying our scones. The large size allows us to set the temperature, preheat, and then fry several scones at a time. Be careful! Hot oil will burn.
- Using oil-coated hands (spray with Pam), shape dough into thin, mini pizza shapes. Don’t make them thick, or they will be doughy on the inside. It's better to have a couple of holes than to have a thick dough.
- Fry in hot oil until golden brown and cooked through.
- Stack layers of scones between paper towels.
- Serve with honey butter.
