Why it works: Buttermilk and flour are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,721 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Scones
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Preheat a griddle over medium heat.
Make the dough
In a bowl, mix baking soda, cream of tartar, and buttermilk.
Gradually add flour and salt, mixing until a thick dough forms.
Roll out the dough and cut into desired sizes.
Bake
Bake on the griddle until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Buttermilk + flourtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,721 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Cream + buttermilktop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together674 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Cream + flourtop 20% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together30,481 recipes
Shared aroma: acetaldehyde (pungent, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acidic cream of tartar and buttermilk to produce carbon dioxide for rising.
- Cream of tartar
- Acid that reacts with baking soda, helping the scones rise and giving a tender crumb.
- Buttermilk
- Adds acidity for the leavening reaction and moisture that keeps the scones tender.
- All-purpose flour
- Provides the structure that holds the dough together and sets as the scones bake.
The step that matters
Gradually add flour and salt, mixing until a thick dough forms.. Adding flour gradually and mixing only until combined keeps the dough from overworking. Overmixing develops gluten, which can make the scones tough rather than tender.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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