Scone

{{Short description|Traditional British baked good}}

{{Distinguish|American biscuit}}

{{Other uses}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}

{{Use British English|date=August 2019}}

{{Infobox food

| name = scone

| image = File:Scones cream jam.jpg

| caption = Scones with jam and whipped cream, here a substitute for clotted cream as commonly eaten in a cream tea

| alternate_name =

| place_of_origin = United Kingdom

| region =

| creator =

| type = Quick bread

| served =

| main_ingredient = Wheat, barley, or oatmeal

| variations =

| calories =

| other =

}}

A scone ({{IPAc-en|s|k|ɒ|n}} {{respell|SKON}} or {{IPAc-en|s|k|oʊ|n}} {{respell|SKOHN}}) is a traditional British and Irish baked good, popular in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is usually made of either wheat flour or oatmeal, with baking powder as a leavening agent, and baked on sheet pans. A scone is often slightly sweetened and occasionally glazed with egg wash.{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/paul_hollywoods_scones_70005 | title=Paul Hollywood's scones | publisher=BBC | access-date=22 September 2015 | author=Hollywood, Paul | archive-date=7 July 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707053227/http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/paul_hollywoods_scones_70005 | url-status=live }} The scone is a basic component of the cream tea. It differs from teacakes and other types of sweets that are made with yeast. Scones were chosen as Ireland's representative for Café Europe during the Austrian presidency of the European Union in 2006, while the United Kingdom chose shortbread.

Lexicology

File:Buttermilk-Scones-batch.jpg scones]]

The pronunciation of the word within the English-speaking world varies, with some pronouncing it {{IPAc-en|s|k|ɒ|n}} (rhymes with "gone"), and others {{IPAc-en|s|k|oʊ|n}} (rhymes with "tone").{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/news/survey-reveals-correct-way-to-pronounce-scone/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/news/survey-reveals-correct-way-to-pronounce-scone/ |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Survey reveals 'correct' way to pronounce scone|first=Adam|last=Boult|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=2 November 2016|via=www.telegraph.co.uk}}{{cbignore}} The dominant pronunciation differs by area. Pronunciation rhyming with "tone" is strongest in the English Midlands and Ireland, though it seems to have less prominent patches in Cornwall and Essex. The pronunciation rhyming with "gone" is strongest in Northern England and Scotland, although this also seems to be the favoured pronunciation in Southern England, the Home Counties, and East Anglia.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/apr/23/how-do-you-pronounce-scone-answer-says-a-lot-english-language-day-shakespeare-birthday|title=Do you pronounce 'scone' to rhyme with 'cone' or 'gone'? It depends where you're from|first=Robin|last=McKie|newspaper=The Observer|date=22 April 2017|via=www.theguardian.com|access-date=18 January 2018|archive-date=7 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807081246/https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/apr/23/how-do-you-pronounce-scone-answer-says-a-lot-english-language-day-shakespeare-birthday|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/cambridge-app-maps-decline-in-regional-diversity-of-english-dialects|title=Cambridge app maps decline in regional diversity of English dialects|date=26 May 2016|website=University of Cambridge|access-date=13 April 2019|archive-date=5 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805081431/https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/cambridge-app-maps-decline-in-regional-diversity-of-english-dialects|url-status=live}} Natives of Ireland and the United States mainly use the {{IPAc-en|s|k|oʊ|n}} pronunciation.Jacobs, F. "[http://bigthink.com/strange-maps/the-great-scone-map-of-the-uk-and-ireland] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109032615/http://bigthink.com/strange-maps/the-great-scone-map-of-the-uk-and-ireland|date=9 November 2020}}" 2016 British dictionaries usually show the {{IPAc-en|s|k|ɒ|n}} form as the preferred pronunciation, while recognising the {{IPA|/skoʊn/}} form.Wells, J. C. "[http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/wells/survey-report-icphs.pdf Pronunciation Preferences in British English: a new survey] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021015354/https://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/wells/survey-report-icphs.pdf |date=21 October 2020 }}". University College London, 1998

The difference in pronunciation is alluded to in a poem:

{{poemquote|

I asked the maid in dulcet tone

To order me a buttered scone;

The silly girl has been and gone

And ordered me a buttered scone.{{cite journal |date=1913 |title=Cracked Quatrains |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3DJXAAAAMAAJ&q=%22I+asked+the+maid+in+dulcet+tone%22 |journal=Punch |publisher=Punch Publications Ltd |volume=144 |page=253 |access-date=January 2, 2015}}{{cite book |last1=Drifte |first1=Collette |last2=Jubb |first2=Mike |date=2002 |title=A Poetry Teacher's Toolkit: Rhymes, Rhythms, and Rattles |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fE1cAgAAQBAJ&q=%22I+asked+the+maid+in+dulcet+tone%22&pg=PA106 |location=London |publisher=David Fulton Publishers |page=106 |isbn=1-85346-819-3}}}}

The Oxford English Dictionary reports that the first mention of the word was in 1513.{{Cite OED|scone|1049560886}}

=Etymology=

The origin of the word scone is obscure and may derive from several sources. That is, the classic Scottish scone, the Dutch schoonbrood (very similar to the drop scone), and possibly other similarly named quick breads may have made their way onto the British tea table, where their similar names merged into one.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

Thus, the most widely accepted origin of 'scone' is the Scots Gaelic term sgonn, meaning a large lump or mass, reflecting its original form as a rustic, hand-shaped bread. Other proposed etymologies, such as Middle Dutch schoonbrood (fine white bread), are less commonly supported in linguistic studies. The Middle Low German term schöne, meaning fine bread, may also have played a role in the origination of this word.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

On the other hand, Sheila MacNiven Cameron derives the word from the town of Scone ({{IPAc-en|audio=Scone (place name).ogg|s|k|uː|n}}) ({{langx|sco|Scone}}, {{langx|gd|Sgàin}}) in Scotland, the ancient capital where Scottish monarchs were crowned, and on whose Stone of Scone the monarchs of the United Kingdom are still crowned today.Weiner and Albright. Simply Scones. St. Martin's Press, 1988, p. 3.

History

When baking powder became available to the masses, scones began to be the oven-baked, well-leavened items we know today.{{Cite book| last = Smith | first = Delia | author-link = Delia Smith | title = Delia's Complete Cookery Course | publisher = BBC Books | date = 2007-03-27 | location = London | isbn = 978-0-563-36249-4 }}

The Yorkshire-based family bakery, Haywood & Padgett, was the first bakery to launch their scones in supermarkets in the UK in the late 1980s.

{{Cite web|title=Haywood & Padgett |url=https://www.haywood-padgett.co.uk}} Modern scones are now widely available in British bakeries, grocery stores, and supermarkets. A 2005 market report estimated the UK scone market to be worth £64m, showing a 9% increase over the previous five years. The increase is partly due to an increasing consumer preference for impulse and convenience foods.{{cite web | url=http://www.bakeryandsnacks.com/Processing-Packaging/Back-bite-free-scone-mix-launched-in-UK | title=Back-bite free scone mix launched in UK | publisher=bakeryandsnacks.com | date=28 June 2005 | access-date=22 September 2015 | archive-date=10 February 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130210025359/http://www.bakeryandsnacks.com/Processing-Packaging/Back-bite-free-scone-mix-launched-in-UK | url-status=live }}

Scones sold commercially are usually round, although some brands are hexagonal, as this shape may be tessellated for space efficiency. When prepared at home, they may take various shapes, including triangles, rounds and squares.{{Cite web |url=http://www.kitchenproject.com/history/Scones.htm |title=The History of Scones |access-date=2008-09-09 |date=2001-03-01 |work=Food History |publisher=The Kitchen Project |archive-date=28 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180728182028/http://www.kitchenproject.com/history/Scones.htm |url-status=live }} Baking scones at home is often closely tied to heritage baking. They tend to be made using family recipes rather than recipe books, since it is often a family member who holds the "best" and most-treasured recipe.{{Cite book | last = Goldman | first = Marcy | title = A Passion for Baking | publisher = Oxmoor House, Inc. | year = 2007 | location = Birmingham, Alabama | pages = [https://archive.org/details/passionforbaking0000gold/page/85 85] | url = https://archive.org/details/passionforbaking0000gold/page/85 | isbn = 978-0-8487-3179-3 }}

In 2023, a West London woman completed a decade-long project to sample a scone at every National Trust location (244 sites across England, Wales and Northern Ireland).{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-64822669|title=Woman completes 10-year National Trust scone-eating project|work=BBC News|date=2 March 2023|access-date=7 April 2023|archive-date=10 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410202929/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-64822669|url-status=live}} Scones became a staple of afternoon tea in the early 19th century, a tradition popularized by Anna, Duchess of Bedford, who introduced the practice of enjoying scones with tea as a light refreshment between meals.{{cite book | url=https://www.perlego.com/book/2428432/the-rituals-of-dinner-the-origins-evolution-eccentricities-and-meaning-of-table-manners-pdf | isbn=978-1-5040-1169-3 | title=The Rituals of Dinner: The Origins, Evolution, Eccentricities, and Meaning of Table Manners | date=23 June 2015 | publisher=Open Road Media }}

Varieties

File:Scone varieties.jpg

British scones are often lightly sweetened, but may also be savoury. They frequently include raisins, currants, cheese or dates. In Scotland and Ulster, savoury varieties of scone include soda scones, also known as soda farls, sour dough scones known as soor dook scones made with sour milk, and potato scones, normally known as tattie scones, which resemble small, thin savoury pancakes made with potato flour. Potato scones are most commonly served fried in a full Scottish breakfast or an Ulster fry.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

File:Large Irish Scone with Sultanas.jpg]]

The griddle scone (or "girdle scone" in Scots) is a variety of scone that is cooked on a griddle on the stove top rather than baked in the oven. This usage is also common in New Zealand, where scones of all varieties form an important part of traditional colonial New Zealand cuisine.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

File:Scone with strawberries.jpg

Other common varieties include the dropped scone, or drop scone, like a pancake, after the method of dropping the batter onto the griddle or frying pan to cook it, and the lemonade scone, which is made with clear lemonade and cream instead of butter and milk. The fruit scone or fruited scone contains currants, sultanas, peel and glacé cherries mixed into the dough. To achieve lightness and flakiness, scones may be made with cream instead of milk.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

In some countries one may also encounter savoury varieties of scone that may contain or be topped with combinations of cheese or bacon.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

Scones can be presented with various toppings and condiments, typically butter, jam and cream. Strawberries are also sometimes used.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

Regional variations

= Australia =

Pumpkin scones,{{cite web|url=https://www.muffinandcake.com/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-scones/|title=Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones

|access-date=10 April 2025|website=muffinandcake.com |language=en-US}} made by adding mashed cooked pumpkin to the dough mixture, had increased exposure during the period when Florence Bjelke-Petersen was in the public eye.{{cite web|url=https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/australian-biography-flo-bjelke-peterson|title=Australian Biography: Flo Bjelke - Petersen|publisher=National Film and Sound Archive|access-date=18 February 2022|archive-date=18 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218121717/https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/australian-biography-flo-bjelke-peterson|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/homestyle/tried-and-tasted/how-to-bake-the-perfect-scone-20110504-1e7xn.html|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|archive-date=7 May 2016|access-date=7 January 2017|first=Sarah|last=McInerney|date=5 May 2011|title=How to bake the perfect scone|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507053105/http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/homestyle/tried-and-tasted/how-to-bake-the-perfect-scone-20110504-1e7xn.html}} Date scones, which contain chopped dried dates, can also be found in Australia. Another old style of cooking scones, generally in the colder months, is to deep-fry or deep pan-fry them in dripping or oil; prepared this way, they are called "puftaloons".{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

=Hungary=

In Hungary, a pastry very similar to the British version exists under the name "pogácsa". The name has been adopted by several neighbouring nations' languages. Pogácsa is almost always savoury and served with varied seasonings and toppings, like dill and cheese.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

=Norway=

Norwegian scones may contain raisins and orange and lemon bits. Instead of using butter, like most scone recipes, Norwegian scones use cultured milk instead.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

= New Zealand =

Scones make up a part of kiwiana, and are among the most popular recipes in the Edmonds Cookery Book, New Zealand's best-selling cook book.{{Cite web|date=2019-08-01|title=The Edmonds Cookery Book: How NZ's much-loved book has drastically evolved|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food-wine/food-news/114075996/the-edmonds-cookery-book-how-nzs-muchloved-book-has-drastically-evolved|access-date=2021-03-29|website=Stuff|language=en|archive-date=11 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411032412/https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food-wine/food-news/114075996/the-edmonds-cookery-book-how-nzs-muchloved-book-has-drastically-evolved|url-status=live}} The Edmonds recipe is unsweetened, using only flour, baking powder, salt, butter and milk.{{Cite web|title=Best Scones Ever - Edmonds|url=https://edmondscooking.co.nz/recipes/scones-and-scrolls/scones/|access-date=2021-03-23|website=edmondscooking.co.nz|language=en-NZ|archive-date=27 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227175459/https://edmondscooking.co.nz/recipes/scones-and-scrolls/scones/|url-status=live}} Other ingredients such as cheese, sultanas and dates can be added.{{Cite book|last=Lyons|first=Sue|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/156024173|title=Edmonds for young cooks : beyond the basics|date=2002|publisher=Hodder Moa Beckett|others=Deborah Hinde|isbn=1-86958-908-4|location=Auckland, N.Z.|oclc=156024173|access-date=23 March 2021|archive-date=7 June 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240607012301/https://search.worldcat.org/title/156024173|url-status=live}}

Cheese scones are a popular snack sold in cafes or tea shops, where they are commonly served toasted with butter.{{cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/capital-life/cafe-scene/8614684/On-the-hunt-for-the-best-scones-in-town|title=On the hunt for the best scones in town|website=Stuff|date=30 April 2013|access-date=13 April 2019|archive-date=13 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413141012/http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/capital-life/cafe-scene/8614684/On-the-hunt-for-the-best-scones-in-town|url-status=live}}

= South Africa =

Scones are commonly served with clotted cream and jam; grated cheddar cheese is another popular accompaniment.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

= South America =

Scones are quite popular in Argentina as well as Uruguay. They were brought there by Irish, English and Scottish immigrants and by Welsh immigrants in Patagonia (Britons are the third largest foreign community in Argentina).{{Cite web|url=http://www.pasqualinonet.com.ar/Que%20comian.htm|title=Qué comian|access-date=7 April 2023|archive-date=8 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408234243/https://www.pasqualinonet.com.ar/Que%20comian.htm|url-status=live}} They are usually accompanied by tea, coffee or mate.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

= United States =

File:Pile of scones.jpg

Unlike British scones, which are lighter and traditionally served with clotted cream and jam, American scones contain more butter and sugar, making them richer and intended to be eaten on their own. They are usually triangular, and often contain fruit such as blueberries or sultanas, or such flavorings as pumpkin, cinnamon or chocolate chips. They may also be topped with icing. They are often eaten as they are (not topped with butter, jam or cream), along with coffee or tea, and often appear in US coffee houses. American biscuits are more similar to traditional British scones, but are usually savoury and served with savoury meals.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

In Idaho and Utah, the bread products locally called "scones" are similar to Native American frybread or New Orleans beignets and are made from a sweet yeast dough, with buttermilk and baking powder or soda added, and they are fried rather than baked. They are customarily served with butter and either honey or maple syrup.{{Cite journal|

title=Everyman's muffins; Includes recipes|

last= Sokolov|first= Raymond|journal= Natural History|date=June 1985|volume =94|page= 82}} as found [https://web.archive.org/web/20071107194735/http://members.aol.com/foodtimeline/statefoods.html#utah here]

=Zimbabwe=

In Zimbabwe scones are popular and often eaten for breakfast with English tea, jam and clotted cream. Originally brought to the country during its period of British colonial rule, the scone is sometimes seen as symbolic of the country's historic link to the UK that has become Zimbabweanified.{{Cite web |title=WATCH {{!}} Across Zimbabwe, British scones are the taste of home |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/africa/news/watch-across-zimbabwe-british-scones-are-the-taste-of-home-20230304 |access-date=2023-03-05 |website=News24 |language=en-US |archive-date=7 June 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240607012521/https://www.news24.com/news24/africa/news/watch-across-zimbabwe-british-scones-are-the-taste-of-home-20230304 |url-status=live }}

See also

References

{{Reflist|30em}}