Buttermilk Scones (Fried)

This recipe is a testament to how fully my English grandmother assimilated into American culture. Scratch that. Utah culture, because nowhere but Utah would a piece of dough fried in oil be called a scone. 

Growing up, I didn't know there was any other version of scones besides the Utah variety. These fried delights were one of my mom's specialty items, something she always made when we had big family gatherings in the canyon close to my hometown. Our favorite picnic area, Ponderosa, had electrical outlets, so my mom would bring her electric skillet, oil, and a big bowl of bread dough. While the rest of the meal cooked in Dutch ovens, Mom stood at the skillet, frying away. 

Grandma wasn't involved in this process, so coming across a recipe for scones in her box was surprising. I was also taken aback by its list of rising agents--yeast, baking powder, and baking soda. If light and fluffy scones were the goal, then the bases all seemed to be covered.  

How to make Fried Buttermilk Scones

Because the dough needed to be refrigerated overnight, I started this recipe the day before I wanted to use it.   

The first order of business was to warm the buttermilk, but before I could do that, I had to figure out how much to warm. The recipe calls for a quart of buttermilk and then says to soften the yeast in 3/4 cup. Was that in addition to the quart or part of the quart? I measured out a quart of buttermilk (four cups) alongside 3/4 of a cup, then stared at it for a while, trying to decide. 

Eventually, I concluded that I could add more buttermilk if the dough was too stiff, but I couldn't take it away if I'd put in too much. So I poured the quart (four cups) into a pan and heated it to 100 degrees on the stove, a temperature Google informed me was considered lukewarm.  

While it was heating, I added four cups of flour, the salt, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda to the bowl of my Bosch mixer. 

I gave that a whirl to combine it, then added the eggs and oil. 

Next, I poured the warm buttermilk into a cup to the 3/4 level and sprinkled the yeast on top. I used Red Star yeast from Costco, which is more granulated than the yeast in Grandma's day, so I doubted this step was necessary, but I also knew it wouldn't hurt. 

I poured the remaining buttermilk into the Bosch and mixed it until it was combined.  

The yeast hadn't completely dissolved into the buttermilk, so I gave it a stir. 

I then added it to the dough in the mixer, let it mix for a minute, then added the rest of the flour with the mixer running. 

The dough was sticky, even after the last of the flour had been added. My instinct was to add more, but that warred with my vow to make the recipe as directed. I compromised by adding half a cup. The dough was still stickier than I'm used to working with, but maybe the reason for the overnight refrigeration was make the dough easier to handle.  

I oiled a large bowl and scraped in the dough. I then let it rise until doubled, which took about an hour and a half. I cleared some space and placed it in the fridge.   

The next day, I floured my baking mat, rolled out a quarter of the dough, and cut it into pieces, like so. 

They weren't uniform in size, but that would make it easier for my family members to take the piece that corresponded with their appetite. 

Like my mother used to do, I used an electric skillet for frying. I added an inch or so of oil and set the temperature to 365 degrees. Once the oil was hot, I dropped in four or five scones at a time, turning them when they were golden brown.  

My favorite topping for fried scones is taco meat and all the fixings, Navajo-Taco style.  

Grandma's recipe card also had a simple recipe for a yummy-looking honey butter, but I forgot to make it that day. Instead, we topped our second helping of scones with a dab of butter and some honey. I'm thinking Jam would have been a good idea, too.  

The Verdict

The combination of yeast, baking powder, and baking soda turned out to be magical. These scones were so airy and crisp, they melted in the mouth. They were flavorful, too, especially in comparison to the scone recipe I usually use, which doesn't have eggs, oil, or buttermilk. I received raves from everyone at the table, which is saying a lot because we fed 13 people that day.

And that brings me to my one caveat for this recipe. I fed 13 people on half a batch. The other half of the dough went into the freezer for a future meal. For that reason, I've scaled the recipe down to half of Grandma's. If you have an army to feed, you can double it. Otherwise, a half batch should be plenty. 

Try the honey butter, too, and let me know what you think. As for me, I think these scones are out of this world, no matter how you top them.