This Simple Trick Lets You Enjoy Fresh Scones Whenever You Want

[ad_1] Since I shared a handful of my favourite scone recipes (chocolate, lemon-blueberry, and savory ham 'n cheese), loads of of us have been asking: How effectively do they freeze?

Years spent working in tiny eating places and bakeries with subsequent to no freezer house imply I've discovered to rock an ultra-fresh ethos, so I wasn't capable of communicate from expertise. My instinctive thought was growth can be inhibited within the chilly, laborious dough, limiting its skill to rise. However a longtime reader assured me that frozen scones behave fairly effectively, so I needed to place my recipe to the check.

Recent dough, earlier than and after baking. For the management, I opted for a batch of my primary chocolate scones, largely as a result of I needed to eat them. The wheel of dough began out slightly below an inch thick; after baking, the scones rose to about one and 1 / 4 inches on the very edge and round one and three-quarters inches within the center. This kind of rise offers the scones a pleasant, gentle texture that is neither cakey nor dense.

To check out how effectively the dough would maintain up in chilly storage, I ready two extra batches of scones. I rolled, reduce, and wrapped each wheels in plastic, then put one within the fridge and one within the freezer, the place they remained for twenty-four hours.

Refrigerated dough, earlier than and after baking. The refrigerated dough wanted the identical period of time to bake, and rose about the identical general, however with a barely deformed form, as the sides of every wedge appeared to soften quicker and droop alongside the way in which. To my shock, this did not translate into any textural issues in any respect. The completed scones seemed a bit derpy, to make sure, however they have been nonetheless gentle, tender, and completely crisp on prime.

Frozen dough, earlier than and after baking. Since I already knew the refrigerated dough was inclined to "wilt" within the oven, I made a decision to bake the frozen dough immediately relatively than thawing it within the fridge. Apart from, assuming the purpose is comfort, a contemporary batch of scones could possibly be whipped up within the time it takes to thaw the dough, so why hassle?

In comparison with the contemporary and refrigerated batches, the frozen dough unfold out a bit extra because it baked, creating attention-grabbing cracks alongside the highest, nevertheless it was nonetheless finished in the identical period of time general. Whereas the form wasn't as effectively outlined as that of my regular scones, the frozen dough supplied an enormous enhance in comfort that made any visible defects appear trivial. Lesson discovered! So, what's the easiest way to freeze scones?

Minimize the dough into wedges, however skip toppings like cheese or sugar—the latter will solely draw moisture from the scones and switch syrupy and peculiar over time. Wrap the wedges, whether or not individually or as a wheel, in just a few layers of plastic wrap, then as soon as extra in foil to assist present a little bit of insulation towards odor absorption (one of many largest issues when freezing something, from do-it-yourself ice cream to cookie dough). Mark the date on the foil with a Sharpie so your scones aren't misplaced to the sands of time, then freeze and use inside two months. While you're prepared for contemporary scones, simply preheat the oven and bake as directed.

Since scones stale relatively shortly as soon as they're baked, this trick is very helpful within the quick time period, permitting you to take pleasure in freshly baked scones at their prime all weekend lengthy.