Irish Whole-Wheat Scones
By Andrea GearyPublished on December 23, 2025
Time
55 minutes
Yield
Makes 9 scones
Ingredients
Before You Begin
For best results, weigh your ingredients where a weight is provided. To ensure the best flavor, use fresh whole-wheat flour. If wheat bran is unavailable, substitute oat bran. Serve these scones with jam or cheese or alongside a bowl of soup.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk 1½ cups (8¼ ounces) whole-wheat flour, 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour, ¾ cup (1¾ ounces) wheat bran, 1½ tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon table salt, and ½ teaspoon baking soda together in large bowl.
- Whisk 1 large egg and remaining pinch salt in medium bowl until no streaks of white remain. Measure out 1 tablespoon egg mixture and reserve for egg wash. Whisk 1½ cups buttermilk into remaining egg mixture. Add 6 tablespoons melted and cooled unsalted butter and stir until butter forms small clumps.
- Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and stir with silicone spatula until all flour is moistened and dough forms soft, ragged mass.
- Transfer dough to floured counter. With your floured hands, knead until surface is smooth and mostly free of cracks, 10 to 15 times. (If dough is too sticky to handle, wait 10 minutes for flour to absorb moisture before proceeding.) Pat gently into 8 by 5½-inch rectangle. Using floured 2½-inch round cutter, cut out 6 rounds, recoating cutter with flour between cuts. Arrange scones on prepared sheet. Gather dough scraps, form into ball, and knead gently until surface is mostly free of cracks. Pat gently into 5 by 2½-inch rectangle and cut out 2 scones. Knead remaining dough until surface is mostly free of cracks. Pat gently into 2¾-inch round and cut out 1 scone. Transfer scones to prepared sheet. Discard remaining dough.
- Brush tops of scones with reserved egg mixture. Bake until scones are risen and deep golden brown, about 13 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer scones to wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve scones warm or at room temperature. (Leftover scones can be frozen for up to 1 month and reheated in a 300-degree oven for 15 minutes before serving.)TO MAKE AHEAD: After brushing scones with egg at beginning of step 5, freeze scones on baking sheet until solid, about 1 hour. Transfer scones to zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 3 weeks. Bake frozen scones on parchment-lined baking sheet set in second rimmed baking sheet (to keep scones from browning too much on bottom), increasing baking time by 7 to 9 minutes.
Time
55 minutesYield
Makes 9 sconesIngredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Irish “brown” scones owe their wholesome, nutty flavor and coarse, tender crumb to their use of wholemeal flour, which isn’t widely available outside of the British Isles. To approximate the Irish flour, we combined whole-wheat flour with a generous amount of wheat bran. White flour helped provide structure, and a small amount of sugar balanced the flavor of the wheat. Baking powder guaranteed a nice rise, and baking soda contributed a subtle mineral flavor. Instead of rubbing the butter into the flour mixture in the traditional manner, we saved time and effort by melting it and stirring it into the cold buttermilk, where it formed tiny curds that were easily incorporated into the dry ingredients. We also stirred in most of an egg for structure, brushing the remaining egg on the scones before baking to boost browning and sheen. Baking at a high temperature encouraged a lofty rise while keeping the interior of our scones moist. With a wheaty but neutral flavor, these scones pair as well with cheese as they do with jam, and they make a cozy accompaniment to a bowl of soup.
Before You Begin
For best results, weigh your ingredients where a weight is provided. To ensure the best flavor, use fresh whole-wheat flour. If wheat bran is unavailable, substitute oat bran. Serve these scones with jam or cheese or alongside a bowl of soup.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk 1½ cups (8¼ ounces) whole-wheat flour, 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour, ¾ cup (1¾ ounces) wheat bran, 1½ tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon table salt, and ½ teaspoon baking soda together in large bowl.
- Whisk 1 large egg and remaining pinch salt in medium bowl until no streaks of white remain. Measure out 1 tablespoon egg mixture and reserve for egg wash. Whisk 1½ cups buttermilk into remaining egg mixture. Add 6 tablespoons melted and cooled unsalted butter and stir until butter forms small clumps.
- Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and stir with silicone spatula until all flour is moistened and dough forms soft, ragged mass.
- Transfer dough to floured counter. With your floured hands, knead until surface is smooth and mostly free of cracks, 10 to 15 times. (If dough is too sticky to handle, wait 10 minutes for flour to absorb moisture before proceeding.) Pat gently into 8 by 5½-inch rectangle. Using floured 2½-inch round cutter, cut out 6 rounds, recoating cutter with flour between cuts. Arrange scones on prepared sheet. Gather dough scraps, form into ball, and knead gently until surface is mostly free of cracks. Pat gently into 5 by 2½-inch rectangle and cut out 2 scones. Knead remaining dough until surface is mostly free of cracks. Pat gently into 2¾-inch round and cut out 1 scone. Transfer scones to prepared sheet. Discard remaining dough.
- Brush tops of scones with reserved egg mixture. Bake until scones are risen and deep golden brown, about 13 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer scones to wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve scones warm or at room temperature. (Leftover scones can be frozen for up to 1 month and reheated in a 300-degree oven for 15 minutes before serving.)TO MAKE AHEAD: After brushing scones with egg at beginning of step 5, freeze scones on baking sheet until solid, about 1 hour. Transfer scones to zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 3 weeks. Bake frozen scones on parchment-lined baking sheet set in second rimmed baking sheet (to keep scones from browning too much on bottom), increasing baking time by 7 to 9 minutes.
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