Newry Wheaten Scones

Name: Newry Wheaten Scones
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 33 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Northern Irish
Ingredients: 250 g coarse wholemeal flour; 150 g plain white flour; 40 g Rolled oats; 5 g bicarbonate of soda; 3 g Fine sea salt; 20 g soft brown sugar; 50 g Unsalted butter; 300 ml Buttermilk; 10 g Rolled oats

Hearty, nutty wholemeal buttermilk scones with a crumbly texture, baked until deep golden and best enjoyed split open warm with salted butter.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· County Down

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 18 min
Total: 33 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 295 kcal

Ingredients

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Servings

250 g coarse wholemeal flour — often sold as wheaten flour
150 g plain white flour — plus extra for dusting
40 g Rolled oats — porridge oats
5 g bicarbonate of soda — sifted to remove lumps
3 g Fine sea salt — about half a teaspoon
20 g soft brown sugar — adds subtle caramel notes
50 g Unsalted butter — chilled and diced
300 ml Buttermilk — fresh cultured buttermilk
10 g Rolled oats — for sprinkling over the tops

Equipment

•Baking tray
•Large mixing bowl
•6 cm round cutter
•Pastry brush
•Wire cooling rack

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 295 kcal
fat: 8 g
carbs: 46 g
fibre: 4 g
protein: 8 g
calories: 295 kcal

Instructions

1
Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and lightly dust a baking tray with plain flour.
2
Whisk the wholemeal flour, plain flour, oats, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and brown sugar together in a large bowl.
3
Rub in the chilled butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse, grainy breadcrumbs.
4
Make a well in the centre and pour in nearly all the buttermilk.
5
Mix lightly with a flat-bladed knife until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
6
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat gently together into a 3 cm thick round.
7
Cut scones using a floured 6 cm cutter, pressing straight down without twisting the cutter.
8
Arrange the scones on the prepared tray, brush the tops with buttermilk, and scatter over the extra oats.
9
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until risen, golden brown, and hollow-sounding when tapped on the base.
10
Split open while piping hot and serve immediately with thick salted butter.

Chef's tips

Handle the dough as lightly as possible to keep the crumb tender rather than heavy. Do not twist the cutter when stamping out the rounds, as twisting seals the edges and prevents an even rise. Bake them immediately once the buttermilk touches the bicarbonate of soda so the raising agent acts in the oven.

Ingredient substitutions

buttermilk → 300 ml whole milk mixed with 1 tbsp lemon juice, rested for 5 minutes
soft brown sugar → black treacle or honey

Storage

Best eaten fresh on the day of baking, or stored in an airtight container for up to two days.

Reheating

Warm for 5 minutes in an oven preheated to 160°C to restore their freshly baked texture.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Overworking the dough, which develops gluten and makes the scones tough
•Rolling the dough too thin before cutting, resulting in flat, dry scones
•Twisting the pastry cutter, which stops the scones from rising straight

Serving suggestions

Split warm with generous slabs of salted Irish butterServed alongside a bowl of vegetable soup or Ulster vegetable roll brothTopped with local cheddar cheese and sweet apple chutney