Scones

bouicca21

I made a batch of scones using my tried and trusted recipe, except that I substituted half wholemeal flour. The scones taste great, but do not look quite right. They didn't rise as they should have done - they did rise but also spread a bit.

So question - do I need to change the quantity of raising agent or maybe reduce the liquid? The consistency of the dough felt right but clearly something was wrong somewhere.

jackyann

Wholemeal flour takes up liquid differently. In my mind I think of it as 'heavy' and no, it won't rise as well.
Did the raw mixture feel the same consistency? If so, then I'd say you've probably got it as right as it's going to get. If not, adjust the liquid.
Personally, scones are one of the recipes that I don't use any wholemeal in. You are asking a lot of rising of a scone mixture, and I wouldn't weight it down any more than you need to. If it's important then you could also try reducing the proportion of wholemeal until it does feel right.

monnagran

I think St Delia, in her recipe for cheese scones, uses half wholemeal and selfraising flour and adds a teaspoonful of baking powder.

YorksLass

Just checked my trusty Be-Ro book for brown scones (both plain and fruit); the recipe calls for 3 teaspoons of baking powder to 8oz wholemeal flour. So if you were using half/half, then I'd say 1 1/2 teaspoons to 8oz flour. As for liquid, it's 6 tablespoons of milk for fruit scones and "sufficient to mix" for plain.

bouicca21

Thanks all. I think I'll have another go and play around a bit. In retrospect I think the mix was a tad drier than when I make them with the all white flour. The recipe I use is from Katie Stewart.

melanzana

Make half and half white/wholemeal flour with buttermilk and bicarb. Best ever.

VfM4meplse

YorksLass wrote: »

Just checked my trusty Be-Ro book for brown scones (both plain and fruit); the recipe calls for 3 teaspoons of baking powder to 8oz wholemeal flour.

That is a lot of dietary sodium! (Esp for people like me, who can’t stop at just one).

FrugalWeirdo83

I never have much luck with scones generally they always seem to go very flat

bouicca21

The Katie Stewart recipe is foolproof - at least for white flour:)

jackyann

I think if you have to use a lot of bicarbonate to get them to rise, it affects the taste, but to each their own!

YorksLass

VfM4meplse wrote: »

That is a lot of dietary sodium! (Esp for people like me, who can’t stop at just one).

Tbf, it's an ancient recipe book, probably written in the days of "fill 'em up" but I know what you mean about stopping at just one :drool: - it takes a lot of will power!