Name: Cheese Scones With Plain Flour
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 280 g Plain Flour (Plus Extra For Dusting ); 50 g Butter (Block Butter); 120 g Cheddar Cheese (Plus Extra For Topping); 160 ml Milk; 1 tbsp Baking Powder; 1 tsp Salt (Or To Taste); 1 tsp Black Pepper (Or To Taste); Handful Chives; 1 Egg (For Egg Wash)

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How To Make Light And Fluffy Cheese Scones With Plain Flour

Delicious homemade cheese scones that’s light, fluffy and packed full of cheddar cheese. Serve with garlic butter for the best afternoon tea ever.

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Who can resist a soft, light and fluffy cheese scone? I can’t, these cheese scones are pretty much the best ever: full of flavour, cheesy goodness and don’t get me started on the smell!

It’s really easy to make, you’re simply mixing ingredients together to form a dough, rolling it out and baking it in the oven.

I’ve played around with this recipe multiple times and I’m so happy with the final result, I’ve added my own twist with the addition of black pepper and chives for a slight peppery and oniony taste. These additions are optional, you don’t have to add them into your own scones when you’re making them.

Ultimately, you’ll create tasty cheese scones that have a nice gentle rise as this recipe uses plain flour with the addition of baking powder.

My Top Tips For Making Cheese Scones With Plain Flour

The most important rule is to not overwork the dough! Handle the dough with care and work it just enough to bring the dough together. Over working the dough can make the scones tough, preventing the scones from turning out fluffy and light.

If you’re not a fan of cheddar cheese, then you can pick a different type of cheese and strength. Cheeses like parmesan, red Leicester, and other hard cheeses are great alternatives to use. You could also mix a variety of cheeses together.

Make life so much easier by flouring your work surface, rolling pin and cookie cutter. This will help prevent the dough from sticking and making a mess.

Grating extra cheese on top of the scones just before placing them in the oven adds extra cheesy flavour and colour- don’t miss this step!

My expert tip to get your cheese scones soft and fluffy is to keep your ingredients cold. Use butter and milk straight from the fridge. Make sure your oven is hot and preheated before putting the scones in. With a hot oven the scones with rise rapidly, small pockets of air will arise due to the cold butter used.

Watch How To Make Easy Cheese Scones

Recipe Ingredients

Below are the ingredients needed to make cheese scones. If you’re wondering whether you can make cheese scones with plain flour, the answer is YES!

Plain Flour: This recipe uses plain flour with the addition of baking powder, this combo is a great self-raising flour substitute.

Can I Use Self-Raising Flour To Make These Cheese Scones?

Yes, you can use self-raising flour to make cheese scones. Mixing together plain flour and baking powder is a homemade version of self-raising flour. If you do choose to use self-raising flour don’t add in 1 tbsp of baking powder as shown in the recipe card, there is already sufficient baking powder in self-raising flour already.

Baking Powder: This is what gives the scones its volume and light texture.

Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter; I like to use salted butter for more flavour but this is up to your preference.

Cheese: I used Mature cheddar cheese for its sharp and strong flavour. The pack I brought was already grated. You can buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself at home. It’s usually cheaper to buy a block of cheese then buying it grated.

Milk: I used whole milk because that’s usually what I have at home. You can use semi-skimmed milk but it’s best to avoid skimmed milk because the fat content is lower. The higher the fat the better!

Seasonings: I added black pepper and salt (if you’re using salted butter, you might not want to add extra salt). I also added chopped chives, it adds extra flavour and a nice contrasting colour.

How To Make Cheese Scones With Plain Flour

Below is a step-by-step guide on how to make easy cheese scones, this is my best cheese scones recipe ever! Full instructions are on the recipe card at the bottom with a video.

Step One:

Using the rub in method to combine butter and sugar

Add plain flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl and mix together until the baking powder is evenly distributed. Add cubes of butter to the mixing bowl, using the ‘rub-in-method’ use your fingertips to combine the butter and flour together until combined and resembles crumbs.

Step Two:

Cheese and seasonings added to the flour and butter mixture

Add salt, black pepper, chives and grated cheese into the mixing bowl and mix together until evenly distributed.

Step Three:

Add milk to the mixing bowl and gently mix together until a dough is formed.

Step Four:

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and gently roll out using a rolling pin. You don’t want to roll the dough out too flat, a height of around an inch is perfect.

Step Five:

With a cutter, cut-out circles and place on a lined baking tray. Try not to twist the cutter when pressing down, you’ll want a clean cut by sharply pressing down.

Step Six:

With a basting brush (pastry brush) gently coat the scones with an egg wash by whisking an egg, then add the remaining grated cheese on top and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.

What Do You Eat Cheese Scones With?

The great thing about cheese scones is that they are so versatile, there are many ways to eat them and lots of foods to eat them with. I personally love them freshly baked, cut in half and spread with garlic butter. If I’m particularly peckish I’ll add smoked ham. Below are even more suggestions:

Red Onion Chutney
More Scones (like these Buttermilk Scones)
Smoked Salmon Pate
More Cheese
Pepperoni
Tuna Pate
Salad
Soups
Caramelised Onions

How Long Do Homemade Scones Keep Fresh?

Homemade scones are best eaten freshly baked but can keep fresh for generally up to 2 days. They should be stored in an airtight container and left at room temperature. The longer the scones are left the dryer they become. You can also store them in the fridge where they will last up to 7 days.

How To Freeze Cheese Scones

You can freeze cheese scones.

Allow the scones to cool down before placing them into a freezer bag or an airtight container. Then place in the freezer and freeze for up to 2 to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat them, take them out of the freezer and leave to thaw for a few hours. Reheat in the oven at 180°C for around 10 minutes.

I find that freezing the scones make them lose a little bit of its flavour intensity, this can be easily combated by added grated cheese on top before reheating in the oven.

How To Make Gluten-Free Cheese Scones

It’s so easy to make this cheese scones recipe gluten-free, you simply need to replace the plain flour with gluten-free plain flour. Baking powder is often gluten-free but check the ingredients to be sure before using it.

Equipment Needed

To make these cheese scones, you’ll need the following equipment below:

Mixing Bowl: You’ll need a mixing bowl to mix the scone ingredients together.

Cutters: For the classic scone look, these scones cutters are crimpled. With this set you’ll get a range of sizes.

Baking Tray: I use a set of two baking trays, you’re going to use this over and over again; it’s a baking staple.

Basting Brush: Used to brush the egg wash over the scones.

More Cheesy Recipes

If you love scones, then you also have to try this recipe for big fluffy scones!