# SCONES!!!



## solitaire (Jun 1, 2015)

Hi There! 

So I work at a Inn that does high tea every day. We, the line cooks, have to bake the scones once we start work then they hold until service. Now we have one of those ovens that has baking and steaming built into one. By accident (a good one it would seem) I did both baking and steaming at the same time for the scones the last time I did them.

What I would like it know is if this is a good idea to continue doing? Does it mess up the recipe? Is this crazy talk and should never be spoken about again????

All I know is that it worked.....if it works keep doing it? Or is there some science I am messing up ? 

THANKS!!! 

Nicole.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

Well, how did the steamed scones compare to the non-steamed ones?  In my quest for the perfect scone I've never come across a recipe that called for steaming them and I'm just a home cook.  8)


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

Actually two sides to the idea of steaming a product like scones or biscuits. Some say the steam makes the product moister. Some say it

does not. Many people will incorporate steam when baking these items.

I personally have done both and have found that it appears the product might be a little moister when it is taken out of the oven but they must be served immediately. If not, the steamed ones dry out much quicker. I'm referring to the American layered biscuit and the American version of the scone, also layered. A traditional English Scone will definitely end up drier when kept. They are usually drier to begin with.


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## luc_h (Jun 6, 2007)

Steam cooking accomplishes 2 things at once:

for the same temperature, heat is transferred more efficiently (maybe more evenly) to the food for a faster baking (i.e. moist heat feels hotter than than dry)

It also impedes (somewhat) the surface evaporation of the foods humidity during baking possibly making a moister final product with less browning (maybe more even) for the same temperature and time as dry cooking.

have you observed any of these predicted outcomes?

As to what it does to scone baking or the difference between American and Brit scones, I have few additional info.

Luc H.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

In making my american style scones, I use heavy cream instead of water and the resulting product is way moister than if made with water.

My understanding is that the scottish scones are more like the american biscuit and american scones are full-on heavier and often laden with fruit.

Checkout the article in the March/April 2014 issue of COOKS ILLUSTRATED. It's entitled Proper British Scones and goes thru the making and baking differences.


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## fablesable (Oct 11, 2014)

If you are in the UK and are baking high tea scones......I give you a wee bit of life saving advice: DON"T MESS WITH THE SCONES!!! The Brits really really really don't like it when us "colonials" mess with what they deem to be a sure (and good) thing. They like their dryer butter only style scones so that they may add slather them with butter, cream and jam. The British style scone is meant to be a dryer version of it's cousin the American scone or biscuit.

I can tell you through experience that I tried the experimenting with their version of scones and barely got out alive.....lol.....that is only because my family were all from there and were able to give the excuse that the "colonial" influence of my upbringing was to blame!

However, I was able to make an awesome traditional scone with some duck fat/butter with savoury ingredients and lard/butter with sweet ingredients that were to die for and made it all okay....hehe

I would ask for feedback on the scones you did via steaming and see what they have to say. You never know......they might be ready for some change!

Good luck and let us know what happens /img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

Luc_H said:


> Steam cooking accomplishes 2 things at once:
> 
> for the same temperature, heat is transferred more efficiently (maybe more evenly) to the food for a faster baking (i.e. moist heat feels hotter than than dry)
> 
> ...


I think this is a great explanation of steaming things like Vegies, starches, fish, meats, puddings, fowl, etc. I'm not quite sure this translates to the process for baking goodies. Most formulas use different ratios of fats, leveners, liquid, etc. The formula is tried and tested and usually requires the full amount of bake time to deliver a quality product. Speeding up the cooking process by increasing heat usually doesn't work. The fats and the CO2 will react differently for each temperature. I know the science look like it would and sometimes does like bread. Introducing steam in the beginning will give the crust elasticity so that the bread can expand. (spring). The heat increase gets things going quicker in the center of the bread. The steam does impede the surface evaporation a bit by drawing out the sugars in the crust, starting the browning.

I would like to know more about the science of steam. I can recall in Culinary school many yrs. ago we discussed heat transfer. The Journal of Heat Transfer?? I can remember doing equations to see how much hotter was compared to dry latent. I remember something like 3X's hotter at certain temps.?

@Luc_H if you have the time?/img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif


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## luc_h (Jun 6, 2007)

let me look into that and try to give an accurate answer.

like I said, I lack knowledge on steam cooking and scones.

Still curious to hear some feedback from the OP.

Luc H.


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## luc_h (Jun 6, 2007)

I'm out of town.  Hard to have time to do research currently.  The little I could did not yield any simply formula.

Will let you know if I find something eventually.

Luc H.


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