LunaCafe » Basics

Liquid Gold: Brown Poultry Stock

Susan S. Bradley — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 04:16:15 +0000

The most important element of Thanksgiving preparation in the OtherWorldly Kitchen is Brown Poultry Stock. I say this unequivocally, because it is essential to my Thanksgiving 24-Hour Gravy. Without this luscious, silky gravy, it’s just not Thanksgiving.

I cringe when I see another cook open a few cans of chicken broth to make the turkey gravy. Even homemade simple turkey stock falls short. What you need is a rich, deeply brown stock built on a mountain of slow roasted turkey parts and veggies.

In fact, I always buy an extra small turkey just for the stock. I remove and reserve the meaty breast and leg sections to roast later. Then I cut up the rest of the bird (minus the liver and heart) for the stock.

If you are new to stock making, the following hints and tips cover the basics. The recipe for Thanksgiving 24-Hour Gravy will follow this week. If you want to be renowned and reverred for your Thanksgiving gravy, the first step is this deeply flavored stock.

Stock Making: Hints and Tips

Poultry, meat, fish, and vegetable stocks all utilize the same techniques, differing only in small details.
The aim of stock making is to produce a rich, flavorful broth; therefore, use only enough water to cover the solid ingredients by 1½ inches.
To make a rich, flavorful stock, you must use a high percentage of meat, rather than bones only. Luckily, however, the cheaper cuts of meat and poultry are generally the most flavorful. You can make a light poultry stock with a carcass from a roasted bird, but it will not have the rich flavor of a stock made from uncooked meat and bones.
A non-corrosive stockpot should be used when acid is included in the list of stock ingredients, as with wine in fish stock.
When meat or poultry is heated in water, it releases albumin particles that will cloud the broth if not removed. The water must be heated very slowly to draw out the impurities, which will form a scum on the surface, where they can be skimmed off. This process usually takes 15-20 minutes.
When making meat, poultry, or fish white stock, the skimming process should be completed before adding aromatic vegetables. If vegetables are included at the beginning, they will interfere with skimming. With brown stocks, there is not much skimming required, so roasting the larger vegetables along with the meat is fine.
All stocks should be cooked at a bare simmer. Rapid boiling will cause solid ingredients to disintegrate and cloud the stock.
Meat stock requires 5-6 hours of cooking time; Poultry stock requires 3-4 hours of cooking time; Fish or vegetable stock requires only 45-60 minutes of cooking time.
Seasonings, particularly salt, should not be added until the stock has been concentrated and reduced; or seasonings can be left out altogether so that the future dish utilizing the stock can be individually flavor-balanced.
Stock can be produced more rapidly if finely chopped meat or poultry is used in place of bone-in carcass pieces. The finer the ingredients are chopped, the more surface area is exposed to the simmering water, and the more quickly the ingredients will give up their flavor to the liquid. In this way, acceptable stock can be produced in 1 ½ hours.
The flavor of a rapidly made stock will be good, but because no bones or trimmings are generally used, it will be short on gelatin, thus much lighter in body.
Rapid stock technique does not involve skimming because the many particles of meat “catch” the albumin particles and hold them until final straining.
Stock should be refrigerated after it is of acceptable strength. A flavor change (souring) may occur if hot stock is refrigerated with a cover, therefore, chill thoroughly first, then cover.
Refrigerated stock should be simmered for several minutes every 2-3 days to keep it from spoiling.
Stock may be frozen. Ladle clear, cool stock into heavy-duty, zip-lock freezer bags, seal carefully, and freeze. (Two cup batches are most convenient.) Still in the plastic bag, thaw in warm water; or remove from the bag and heat gently in a small saucepan; or place in a bowl and thaw in the microwave.

Brown Poultry Stock

According to The New Larousse Gastronomique, Brown Stock can be made from beef, veal, or poultry. It’s the method that’s important, and that involves thorough browning of the meat, bones, and vegetables in fat prior to the long, slow simmering generally associated with stock-making.

The following formula is for poultry brown stock, probably the least commonly used of the three types. When I make a brown turkey stock, I buy a small turkey, remove the legs and whole breast to roast later and cut the rest of the bird unto pieces for the stock.

¼ cup vegetable oil
5-6 pounds turkey parts (necks, wings, backs, bones, gizzards)

6 stalks celery, leaves and all, roughly chopped
3 carrots, roughly chopped
2 onions, with skins, quartered
4 unpeeled garlic cloves
small handful of parsley, stems and all

1 bay leaf
2 whole cloves
1 sprig fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried

cold water to cover

In a large roasting pan, put the oil, turkey parts, celery, carrots, onions, garlic, and parsley. (If you have a large Le Creuset casserole, use it. You will be able to take it straight from the oven and onto the burner for the simmering stage. No fuss, no muss.)
Roast, at 450°, uncovered, on the middle rack in the oven, turning pieces occasionally until well browned, 1-1½ hours.
Remove from the oven and transfer the browned ingredients to a large (10-14 quart) stockpot. Deglaze the roasting pan with a little water, scraping up all the bits and pieces of coagulated meat juices from the bottom and sides. (Don’t worry about the fat at this point. It will come off later and in the meantime contributes flavor to the developing stock.) Pour all of the collected juices (everything) into the stockpot.
Add cold water to the stockpot to cover the meat and bones by 1½ inches.
Heat slowly. When the liquid comes to a bare simmer, regulate the heat to maintain, and then begin to skim off any scum that forms on the surface. Above all, do not stir the stock at this point, as this action will incorporate the clouding particles into the liquid. Continue skimming until the scum ceases to accumulate, about 15-20 minutes.
Now add the bay leaf, cloves, thyme, and more water, if necessary, to maintain the beginning level.
Partially cover and continue cooking at a very slow simmer for 3-4 hours, partially covered if desired. (Overnight is fine.)
Remove the large ingredients from the stockpot with a large slotted spoon, and put the stock through a triple mesh strainer. There will be virtually no flavor or nutrients left in the solid ingredients at this point; they should be discarded.
Allow the hot stock to settle for 5-10 minutes before attempting to remove the fat. Then, skim the surface with a spoon, draw a “grease-catcher” brush across the surface, or use a bottom-pouring degreaser (available in most kitchenware stores and definitely the easiest of the three methods) to remove the fat. If time is not critical, refrigerate the stock, uncovered, until the fat hardens, at which point, it can be easily removed.
After the stock is thoroughly degreased, check it for taste. If there is not enough flavor, simply boil it down to concentrate its strength. Salt may be added now if desired, although I think it is generally preferable to wait with this until the final dish is prepared utilizing the stock.
Refrigerate, covered, remembering to boil the stock for several minutes every few days to keep it from spoiling, or freeze in 2-cup batches.

Makes 2-3 quarts.

Additional Inspiration

Seeded Bread Crisps

Susan S. Bradley — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 20:44:37 +0000

Have you ever had a dish haunt you for years and years? Or perhaps one particular component of a dish? Have you tried repeatedly to reproduce that dish and failed miserably every time? Have you feigned innocence with one after another server to see if you could wheedle out the EXACT instructions for making that elusive something? “This is delicious. What type of bread is it?” “Really? But it’s SO crisp. How long does it bake?” “Parmesan too, eh?”

If so, you will understand why I am elated to share this seemingly simple recipe with you today. I have tried again and again over the years to duplicate the exceedingly light, open-textured, crisp “toast” that is part of one of my favorite restaurant appetizers, Herb-Marinated Chèvre with Olives & Parmesan Toast at Higgins in Portland, Oregon.

But no matter what I try (varying oven temperatures, different breads, with and without parmesan, and so forth), until this past week, I could not duplicate that elusive texture, which literally shatters in the mouth and dissolves into shards of buttery, toasty goodness. In fact, I had given up.

I was, however, becoming curious about the toasted bread thingies that are showing up these days in upscale markets at astronomical prices. They aren’t crackers. Instead, they are very thin, very crisp slices of bread, studded with seeds, dried fruit, and other colorful goodies. Here are some particularly lovely examples: Raincoast Crisps, from Lesley Stowe Fine Foods.

Then, for a photo shoot of warmed brie with Spiced Rhubarb Chutney (coming soon), I bought a more affordable box of Raisin Rosemary Crisps at Trader Joe’s. Then at the last moment, I opened the box and discovered that the crisps are a mere 1-inch square. That wasn’t going to cut it for the photo.

So in desperation I noticed a forgotten, 2-day-old seeded baguette on the counter. I turned on the oven, sliced the stale bread as thinly as possible, arranged it on a baking pan, slathered melted butter on both sides, ground sea salt over the bread and shoved the pan into the oven. Within 15 minutes, the photo styling was complete, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, as MauiJim was doing his magic in the photo studio (well okay, a tiny spare room stuffed with photo equipment, table, props, and other incredibly important junk), I began eating the crisps. Holy Moly!

These are the elusive Higgins bread crisps, without the added parmesan topping. The quest is over. And I will never throw out a stale baguette again.

Seeded Bread Crisps

You will treasure these crisps as an adjunct to creamy cheeses (double and triple crèmes, brie, camembert, fresh chevre). Add an assortment of olives, pickled veggies, and a fruit chutney, and a lovely snack becomes a light dinner.

Technique Note The bread must be stale and firm in order to be able to slice it as thinly as needed here.

1 long, narrow, seeded, open-textured baguette, 2-3 days old
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
sea salt in a grinder

Using a very sharp knife, slice the bread on a diagonal as thinly as possible (1/8-inch or less).
Arrange on an edged baking pan.
Using a pastry brush, brush melted butter on both sides of the bread slices.
Grind salt over the top of the bread.
Bake at 350° for about 15 minutes, until the bread is nicely browned and crisp.
Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature. The crisps will keep for several days at least.

Makes a gazillion bread crisps.

Resources

Diane Carnevale: Let the Season Begin (gorgeous photos of crisps)
Foodstuffs: Eli Zabar Crisps
Lesley Stowe Fine Foods: Raincoast Crisps

Be Kind and Leave a Comment

I love hearing from you! If you have read this far, please be kind and leave a comment. Include your blog URL and CommentLuv will automatically link back to your most recent blog post. It is always fun to see what you are cooking and to leave a comment for you as well. I appreciate your support more than I can say. Blessings…Susan

Heavenly Chocolate Crepes

Susan S. Bradley — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 04:09:13 +0000

This is post #2 of LunaCafe’s annual Love Rules! All Chocolate! All Month! celebration. For the next several weeks, I will post nothing but very special chocolate recipes, each one perfect for sharing with those special people in your life. Click the link above for photos and pointers to all past chocolate posts. And don’t miss the post titled, The Wonderful World of Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, which details 17 fabulous cocoas, including my picks for top honors. Now back to the celebration!

Recipes can be inspiring, but there is nothing as satisfying as truly understanding the underlying formula and technique of a particular dish. Once you’ve got those under your belt, you OWN that dish and can riff it successfully and endlessly. That’s when the real fun begins.

Take the concept of dessert crepes (pronounced krep in French or krape in English) for instance, which are a type of very thin pancake. You can go straight to a comprehensive French cookbook, grab the basic dessert crepe recipe and process, and rely on that forever. Or, if you are more curious, you can gather 10-20 solid resources, compare the formulas and processes, and then hit the kitchen and test your way through them. When you are done, the entire world of desert crepes will open up for you and reveal its secrets. You will become the Zen master of dessert crepes.

That’s what I like to do, especially when it comes to concepts that are useful building blocks to a wide variety of dishes. I developed this methodology when I owned the Northwest Culinary Academy. Students didn’t come to learn recipes. They wanted to understand the ingredients, principles, and processes that underscored every dish presented. I still work this way today and there is no end to the learning.

A few Things to Understand about Crepe Ingredients

For crepes, the liquid is always the final variable. You must add enough to create a batter with the viscosity of heavy cream—not too much thinner and definitely no thicker. Formulas with a high egg proportion will accommodate and even require more liquid, regardless of what the recipe specifies. Thus, you can actually disregard the liquid amount specified in the recipe and add just enough liquid to achieve the correct pouring consistency.

The sugar amount is completely variable, regardless of the formula. However, the more sugar you use, the more difficult the crepes will be to handle.

Crepes made with a low egg formula produce thin, very light crepes. However, this formula makes the crepes more difficult to handle without tearing. If you are new to crepe making, it’s probably best to use a medium egg formula.

The Big Secret to the Lightest Crepes Possible

There is one amazing secret to producing the lightest crepes possible. Are you ready? Okay, here goes: Use half water for the liquid. Actually, Julia Child mentioned this in Mastering the Art of French Cooking long ago, but I haven’t seen it discussed elsewhere since then. When I was developing dessert recipes for Cooking Light Magazine, I used this bit of esoteric knowledge to craft crepes that were delicious, ethereally light, AND low in calories. My low to medium egg, low butter formula is now my standard crepe batter. That’s how much I like it.

Comparing 8 Dessert Crepe Formulas

The following formulas are based on a constant of 1 cup of unbleached, all-purpose flour. Formulas were extrapolated from cookbooks of respected culinary authorities (listed below).

Experiment with the formulas over time to determine which ones ring your bell the most. Do you like your crepes rich, dense, and tender? Then go for a higher egg and higher fat formula. Or do you like your crepes crackling thin, ethereally light, and on the lean side? Then go for a lower egg and lower fat formula. Regardless though, each of these formulas produces heavenly crepes, so no worries about choosing a clunker.

Super High Egg, Super High Butter Formula (Francois Payard)
4 eggs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups liquid (milk)
2-3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (alkalized)
¼ cup sugar

High Egg, High Butter Formula (Joseluis Flores)
2 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks (equivalent to 3 large eggs)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup liquid (milk)
3½ tablespoons cocoa (unspecified)
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons sugar

High Egg, Medium Oil Formula (Alice Medrich)
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1¾ cup liquid (milk + water)
¼ cup cocoa (natural)
No sugar

High Egg, Low Butter Formula (John Scharffenberger)
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 cups liquid (milk)
No cocoa
1 tablespoon sugar

Medium Egg, Low Butter Formula (Susan S. Bradley)
2 large eggs or 4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1¾ cups liquid (milk + water/coffee/juice/liqueur)
¼ cup cocoa (natural or alkalized)
¼ cup sugar

Medium Egg, Medium Butter Formula (Susan S. Bradley)
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1¾ cups liquid (milk + water/coffee/juice/liqueur)
¼ cup cocoa (natural or alkalized)
¼ cup sugar

Low Egg, Medium Butter Formula (Julia Child)
2 large egg yolks (equivalent to 1 large egg)
3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1½ cups + 2 tablespoons liquid (milk + water + liqueur)
No cocoa
2 teaspoons sugar

Low Egg, Low Butter Formula (Susan S. Bradley)
1 large egg or 2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1½ cups liquid (milk + water/coffee/juice/liqueur)
¼ cup cocoa (natural or alkalized)
¼ cup sugar

The Lightest Chocolate Crepes (with Spirited Mocha Crepes Variation)

Due to the sugar in the batter, dessert crepes are more fragile and difficult to handle without breaking than entrée crepes. You will likely ruin the first few crepes, but that’s par for the course, so no worries. They will still be imminently edible, and since they may be torn, rumpled, or otherwise marred, they are also just perfect for you to eat on the spot. You may want to purposely ruin a couple more after you’ve tasted these. They are fabulous right out of the pan with nothing more than a dusting of powdered sugar.

NOTE This batter requires two hours of refrigeration before it is ready to use. To save time, use Wondra brand instant flour in place of the all-purpose flour (in the same proportion) and proceed right away with cooking the crepes. There will be no difference in the quality of the crepes.

NOTE You can use either natural or alkalized unsweetened cocoa here. The most noticeable difference is in the color of the crepes. Alkalized cocoa produces a very dark- brown crepe, whereas natural cocoa produces a rich, slightly reddish-brown crepe.

NOTE For the Spirited Mocha Crepes variation, use coffee instead of water, cinnamon, and Kahlua liqueur if desired.

1 cup King Arthur unbleached, all-purpose flour (4½ ounces)
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa (natural or alkalized process)
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon, optional
½ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup cold milk
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons water or freshly brewed strong coffee (if desired, replace 2 tablespoons water or coffee with liqueur of choice as suggested below)
2 large eggs or 4 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons Kahlua, Frangelico, Grand Marnier, brandy, dark rum, or liqueur of choice, to replace 2 tablespoons water, optional

vegetable spray

In a mixing bowl, sift the flour and cocoa, and then whisk to incorporate. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and combine.
Add the milk, water, egg, and melted butter. Whisk until smooth. Add liqueur if using.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to fully hydrate the flour. Put the batter into a large glass measuring cup with a pouring spout.
The batter should be the same consistency as very light cream, just thick enough to coat a wooden spoon. If, after making your first crepe, it seems too heavy, beat in a tablespoon or two of additional water and try again. The cooked crepe should be about 1/16-inch thick.
To cook the crepes, spray a well-seasoned or nonstick 6-7 inch bottom-diameter omelet or crepe pan with vegetable spray. Set over moderately high heat until the pan is just beginning to smoke. Immediately lift the pan from the heat with one hand and pour 2-3 tablespoons of batter into the middle of the pan with the other hand. Quickly tilt the pan in all directions to run the batter over the bottom of the pan in a thin film. Pour any batter that does not adhere to the pan back into your bowl; judge the amount for your next crepe accordingly. This whole operation takes just 2-3 seconds.
Return the pan to the heat for 60-80 seconds. Lift the edges with a thin, flexible spatula and check to see if the underside is set. If so, the crepe is ready for turning. Turn the crepe by deeply grasping the edge nearest you with both of your thumbs and forefingers and quickly flip over. (If you can’t do this without burning yourself, put on disposable gloves for the procedure. They provide just enough protection from the heat to make the flip comfortable for your fingers.) Brown for a few seconds. This second side is rarely more than a spotty brown and is usually used as the underside of the crepe.
Repeat with the rest of the batter, stacking the crepes on a plate as you continue.
To frig or freeze your crepes, separate them with sheets of waxed paper or foil, wrap well in plastic wrap, and seal in a freezer bag.

Makes about 2¼ cup batter; Makes 12-14, 6-7 inch diameter crepes.

Recipes

Cookbooks

Crepe Pans & Tools

There’s More

Check out these additional CHOCOLATE recipes, which are from the first, second, and third (thus far) Love Rules! All Chocolate! All Month! celebrations at LunaCafe:

Season 3

Chocolate Shortcake with White Chocolate Crema, Strawberry Lime Sauce & Strawberry Lime Salsa

Season 2

Season 1

The Best Scones in the Entire Universe

Susan S. Bradley — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 06:36:20 +0000

I planned to do a short post on how to make a perfect scone and then several days into research and testing realized that like most great things, superlative scones are not so simple after all. This is not to say that they are difficult to make; just that there is a world of contradictory information available on the best way to produce them, plus dozens of basic formulas that run the gamut from doughs with no butter or eggs at all to doughs with large quantities of both. What is the bewildered cook to do?

Well, this bewildered cook pulled several dozen reputable baking books off the shelves and compared formulas and processes. I recalibrated over a dozen formulas based on a constant of two cups of flour. When the comparisons were complete, the testing began. I tested the low end of the spectrum, then the high end, then went straight for the middle, which interestingly was not in any of the books. The middle formula proved to be my idea of the ideal scone: Golden color, crisp on the outside, and moist, tender, and flakey on the inside. Not a cake, not a muffin, and richer than most biscuits, a scone is an entity in its own right, and it has a long tradition.

A scone (pronounced either skohn or skon, to rhyme with either cone or gone) was originally a Scottish quick bread that got its name from the Stone (or Scone) of Destiny, the place where Scottish kings were once crowned. It was made with oats, shaped into triangles, and fried on a griddle. Today, scones are usually made with flour and baked. And they now come in a wide variety of shapes.

While the word ‘scone’ goes back to the 15th century, the baking powder or baking soda leavened version that we know today, as with the American baking powder biscuit, dates only to the mid-19^th century.

As my testing confirmed, although the formula is important, the MOST important aspect of making a perfect scone is the technique. No formula can make up for poor technique. And by poor technique, I mean use of less than VERY COLD butter and liquid, warming of these very cold ingredients in the creation or shaping of the dough, or over handling the dough while creating or shaping it. In addition, the way in which the butter is incorporated into the flour is CRITICAL to the flakiness and tenderness of the scone.

None of this is difficult, and you will soon be making the best scones you have ever tasted. Everything you need to know is covered in the next section. Be sure to read carefully before jumping ahead to the basic recipe.

Tips & Tricks for the Best Scones Ever

Layering the Butter | Mixing the Dough

Just as with pastry, everything depends on HOW you mix the dough. For the flakiest scones, chunks of chilled butter are rolled with flour to create large, thin sheets. Butter should not be reduced to the texture of cornmeal or breadcrumbs as specified in many recipes. In addition, gently incorporating 1-2 letter folds (as for flakey pastry or croissant dough) into the process helps to build flakey layers in the baked scone.
There are two methods for ensuring the butter is layered, rather than incorporated into the dough.
- Method 1: Cut the butter into 1½ teaspoon size chunks (16 chunks per 1 stick butter). Dump the mixed dry ingredients out onto a clean surface and scatter the very cold butter on top. With your hands, lightly coat the butter chunks with flour by tossing the two together a few times. Then, using a heavy rolling pin, roll over the mass, flattening the butter into thin sheets. Gather the mixture up into a loose mass and repeat twice more. Scoop the mixture into a mixing bowl and continue with the recipe. After the dough is formed, flatten somewhat and gently make 2 letter folds (as for flakey pastry or croissant dough) in opposite directions. This will help to build flakey layers in the baked scone.
- Method 2: Cut the butter into 1½ teaspoon size chunks (16 chunks per 1 stick butter). Add the dry ingredients to the workbowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Scatter the very cold butter on top of the dry ingredients. Pulse the mixer to cut the butter into the flour, making sure not to cut the butter pieces too fine. Peas-size pieces are just about right. Add the wet ingredients and pulse the mixer a couple of times only to barely incorporate the liquid. Turn the dough out onto a clean countertop and finish by hand. After the dough is formed, flatten somewhat and gently make 2 letter folds (as for flakey pastry or croissant dough) in opposite directions. This will help to build flakey layers in the baked scone.
Just as the lightest bread is produced from the wettest dough, scone dough should be quite soft and almost paste-like. Don’t be tempted to work more than 1-2 tablespoons of additional flour into the dough—just enough to facilitate handling.
Don’t overmix the dough. In fact, handle it as lightly and minimally as possible. Never knead scone dough. You don’t want to activate the gluten in the flour any more than necessary.

Main Ingredients

Best results are obtained with premium-quality flour. I use King Arthur unbleached, all-purpose flour. Other flours may produce good results as well, but you will have to experiment to determine which ones you can rely on consistently.
For an accurate flour measurement, weigh rather than measure the flour.
For unsurpassed flavor, use premium quality, fresh, unsalted butter. And it must be used straight from the frig—very cold in other words.
Regardless which liquid you decide to use in your dough, it must be very cold.
If your butter or liquid or prepared dough has been sitting out too long at room temperature, put in into the frig for at least 15 minutes before continuing with the recipe. Never let the dough warm to room temperature.

Optional Ingredients

You can add frozen fruit to your scones, but make sure it is still frozen when added to the dough.
To keep diced fruit or berries from clumping together in the dough, dust them with a little flour before adding them.

Shaping

Patting the dough to the shape you want produces lighter, higher scones than rolling the dough with a rolling pin.
The best shaping technique is one in which the dough is minimally handled and there are no scraps. I usually shape the dough into a disk at least 1-inch deep and cut the disk into wedges.
With wet dough, you can also use a release-style ice cream scoop to shape balls of dough. Place the balls on an oiled cookie sheet and then flatten each one slightly with your hand. If you want to get really fancy, make an indent in the center of each little disk and fill it with your favorite jam before baking
If you use a biscuit cutter, don’t twist it when you cut the dough. It will seal the edges of the dough and prevent the scone from rising as high as it might otherwise. Fluted and glass cutters have the same effect, so don’t use them.
If you use cutters to cut shapes from the dough, gently push together the scraps to make the second cut.

Finishing

If you use an egg, milk, cream, or buttermilk glaze on top of your unbaked, cut scones, don’t let it drip onto the sides of the dough. This may inhibit the rise.
Demerara sugar is a nice finish for sweet scones, as it adds a crunchy top.
You can either brush the finishing glaze over the entire disk and then cut it into edges or glaze individual wedges after cutting.

Baking

Don’t overbake scones. If you overbake, the scones will be dry and crumbly, rather than moist and tender. The bottoms should be golden brown and the tops set but only golden. The timing will vary depending on the temperature of the oven, the pan you use, and the size of the scones.
Add ½ cup of water to an ovenproof container and put on the lower rack of the oven 10 minutes before you bake the scones. The steam will assist with the rise.
Bake scones in the upper third of the oven.

Eating

Scones should be eaten right out of the oven. They are not nearly as good even only an hour after baking. The good news here is that you can make them ahead and keep them in the refrigerator for a day or even longer before baking, usually with no deleterious effect.
If you do have leftover baked scones, simply warm them one or two at a time in the microwave for around 10 seconds. The texture will soften beautifully.
The setting in which you eat the scone definitely affects the experience. Have your loveliest English bone china or Asian iron tea pot heated and at the ready, along with water brought just to the boil, a hauntingly fragrant loose leaf tea, and a beautiful tea plate on a tray, with unsalted butter and the most delicious jam you can find (preferably homemade) alongside. When you pull the scones from the oven, brew the tea, and then arrange the still hot scones on your plate. Retire with your tray to a secluded spot, such as the garden in summer or near the fireplace or a view window in the winter. Now savor fully over the next half hour.

Storing

You can freeze scones after cutting and before baking. Completely defrost before baking and increase the baking time as necessary.
Leftover baked scones can be frozen. When you want to serve them, thaw completely and reheat in a 350° oven for 4-6 minutes or in a microwave for around 10 seconds, just to warm through.

Ten Basic Scone Formulas

Note The following formulas are based on a constant of 2 cups of unbleached, all-purpose flour. Leavener, sugar, and salt quantities are variables. Formulas were extrapolated from cookbooks of respected culinary authorities (listed below).

Note Notice that the higher the proportion of butter, the less total liquid (eggs + liquid) is needed to hold the dough together, just as with pastry. The Balanced Formula in red text produces a fairly wet dough, which helps assure a tender, moist scone with good height. However, if the dough is too wet, it will spread, as well as rise, in the oven. So a balance needs to be achieved here.

No Butter, No Egg Formula (Yankee Kitchen Cooking School)
No unsalted butter
No egg
1 cup cream

Low Butter, No Egg Formula (Karen Demasco)
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
No egg
1 cup cream

Low Butter, High Egg Formula (Joanne Chang)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
½ cup buttermilk + ½ cup crème fraiche

Medium Butter, No Egg Formula (Flo Braker)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
No egg
2/3 cup buttermilk

Medium Butter, Medium Egg Formula (My Balanced Formula)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large egg
¾ cup buttermilk, cream, or half of each

Medium Butter, High Egg Formula (Grand Central Bakery)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large eggs
½ cup buttermilk or cream

High Butter, Low Egg Formula (Flour Bakery, Joanne Chang)
10½ tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ large egg
1/3 cup cream +1/3 cup crème fraiche

High Butter, Medium Egg Formula (Once Upon a Tart Bakery, Frank Mentesana & Jerome Audureau)
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large egg
½ cup cream or buttermilk

Super High Butter, No Egg Formula (La Brea Bakery, Nancy Silverton)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
No egg
½-¾ cup cream or buttermilk

Super High Butter, Low Egg Formula (Once Upon a Tart Bakery, Frank Mentesana & Jerome Audureau)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 large egg
6 tablespoons buttermilk

LunaCafe’s Heavenly Scones

Here is a lofty, light, well-balanced, perfectly textured, and utterly delicious scone. This recipe produces such fantastic results that I rarely stray too far from the basic formula—with one exception and that involves the egg.

On occasion, I have actually forgotten to add the egg and didn’t even notice the faux pas until long after we had eaten all of the amazingly delicious scones, raving over every bite. So clearly that indicates that the egg is nice to have but not absolutely essential. In fact, you may not even notice if you forget to add it. Try it both ways and see what you think. If you do opt to forgo the egg, you will want to increase the liquid by ¼ cup. But (and I know this from experience), if you forget to do that, your scones will still be scrumptious.

Dry Ingredients
2 cups King Arthur unbleached, all-purpose flour (9 ounces)
0-6 tablespoons sugar (none for savory scones and 4-6 tablespoons for sweet scones)
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda, ONLY IF acidic liquids are used, such as buttermilk, yogurt, sour cream, or crème fraiche
½-1 easpoon fine sea salt (½ teaspoon for sweet scones and 1 teaspoon for savory scones)

Butter
8 tablespoons very cold, unsalted butter, cut into 16 equal-size pieces

Liquid Ingredients
1 large, very cold egg (or ¼ cup additional liquid)
¾ cup very cold buttermilk, cream, or half of each (or thinned yogurt, sour cream or crème fraiche)

Additional Ingredients (choose one)
2 ounces grated cheese, optional
½-1 cup dried fruit, such as currants, raisins, cranberries, blueberries, or cherries, optional
½-1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries, optional

Finishing
Buttermilk, cream, or beaten egg, for brushing on tops prior to baking, optional
Demerara sugar, sanding sugar, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or chopped nuts, optional

Serving
unsalted butter, optional
favorite jam, optional

In a mixing bowl, add and then whisk together the flour, sugar (if using), baking powder, baking soda (if using) and salt. Dump out onto a clean work surface.
Distribute the butter over the dry ingredients and toss lightly to coat the pieces with flour. Using a large, heavy rolling pin, roll over the mixture to flattened the butter. Using a dough scraper, push the mixture together, and then repeat the rolling process. Repeat two more times, scraping off the rolling pin between each process.
Scoop the mixture into a mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and frig for at least ½ hour to chill the butter.
Meanwhile, in a glass measuring cup with a pouring spout, whisk the egg and then whisk in the liquid. Cover and frig until needed.
Remove the bowl from the frig and add the very cold liquid. Use a large, flexible spatula to gently fold the liquid into the developing dough so that the dough becomes uniformly moistened. Do not stir the dough!
Turn the dough out onto the work counter and very gently move it around a bit to ensure that all portions are uniformly moistened. Do not knead the dough!
If desired (for extra flakiness), after the dough is formed, flatten somewhat and gently make 2 letter folds (as for flakey pastry or croissant dough) in opposite directions. This will help to build flakey layers in the baked scone.
Pat the dough into the desired shape and then cut 8 equal-size scones. If there are scraps, push them together gently, pat into shape, and cut into the desired shape.
Put the scones onto a lightly oiled baking sheet and either bake or cover with plastic wrap and frig until ready to bake, as much as a day later.
Just before baking, brush the tops (but not the sides) of the scones with buttermilk, cream, or beaten egg. Sprinkle with Demerara sugar or other garnish of choice.
Ten minutes before baking, set an ovenproof dish filled with ¼ cup water on a rack in the bottom third of the oven. (The steam will enhance the scone’s rise.)
Bake at 375° in the upper third of the oven for about 15-16 minutes, depending on scone size, or until the scones are light brown on the bottom and just golden on top. Do not overbake! Overbaking produces dry scones.
Remove scones to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before devouring them. Scones are at their absolute perfection within an hour out of the oven.
To store, let the scones cool completely, then seal in an airtight Ziploc bag for as long as a day before eating. Otherwise freeze the scones and later reheat in a 350° oven for 5 minutes or in a microwave for 10-15 seconds.

Makes 8 scones.

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