Gluten-Free Currant Scones
By America's Test KitchenPublished on September 12, 2016
Yield
Makes 6 scones
Ingredients
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and place in second baking sheet. Lay large sheet of parchment paper flat on counter and spray with vegetable oil spray.
- Pulse flour blend, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum in food processor until combined, about 5 pulses. Add butter and pulse until fully incorporated and mixture resembles very fine crumbs with no butter pieces visible, about 10 pulses. Transfer mixture to large bowl and stir in currants.
- In separate bowl, whisk together sour cream and egg until combined. Using rubber spatula, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until no dry bits of flour remain. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. (Do not let dough rest for longer than 30 minutes.)
- Using wet hands, transfer dough to prepared parchment on counter. Clean and wet hands again. Pat dough into 6-inch round about 1 inch thick. Spray knife with vegetable oil spray and cut dough into 6 equal wedges. Arrange scones on prepared baking sheet and sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar over top.
- Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake scones until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer scones to wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes before serving. (Scones can be wrapped individually in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 1 month; unwrap and thaw in microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, then refresh in 350-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes.)
Yield
Makes 6 sconesIngredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Even the best traditional bakeshops often come up short when they attempt to make gluten-free scones—the results are usually gritty, crumbly, and pale. We set out to make a light and tender scone with a buttery flavor and gentle sweetness. To fix the crumbly texture we found that a two-part solution worked best. A small amount of xanthan gum acted as a binding agent and provided the structure and stability we were missing, while an egg added additional structure along with moisture and elasticity. For scones with a light, not dense, texture, we added a full tablespoon of baking powder, and to eliminate grittiness we found that resting the dough for 30 minutes before shaping the scones hydrated the flour and softened its texture. The resting step also helped thicken the wet dough a bit and made it easier to shape. For our dairy component, we noticed that scones made with milk or cream spread way too much, and the dough was difficult to work with. Switching to thicker sour cream solved those problems. To achieve a golden crust and a nice rise, scones are typically baked at a high temperature, but we struggled to get a nice color on the tops of the scones without burning the bottoms. Lowering the oven temperature seemed like a natural solution, but we needed to bake them so long that they dried out. We had better luck preheating the oven at a high temperature and dropping it down slightly when putting the scones in the oven. We also found that using a second baking sheet as insulation kept the bottoms from burning. Make sure to preheat your oven before you make the dough. Other types of dried fruit, such as cranberries, apricots, or raisins, can be chopped fine and substituted for the currants if desired.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and place in second baking sheet. Lay large sheet of parchment paper flat on counter and spray with vegetable oil spray.
- Pulse flour blend, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum in food processor until combined, about 5 pulses. Add butter and pulse until fully incorporated and mixture resembles very fine crumbs with no butter pieces visible, about 10 pulses. Transfer mixture to large bowl and stir in currants.
- In separate bowl, whisk together sour cream and egg until combined. Using rubber spatula, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until no dry bits of flour remain. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. (Do not let dough rest for longer than 30 minutes.)
- Using wet hands, transfer dough to prepared parchment on counter. Clean and wet hands again. Pat dough into 6-inch round about 1 inch thick. Spray knife with vegetable oil spray and cut dough into 6 equal wedges. Arrange scones on prepared baking sheet and sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar over top.
- Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake scones until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer scones to wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes before serving. (Scones can be wrapped individually in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 1 month; unwrap and thaw in microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, then refresh in 350-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes.)
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