Why it works: Sugar and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 43,450 recipes. Both carry 2,3-butanedione, which smells butter, sweet. The science ↓
Hovis Scones
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the dough
Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Add the egg and enough milk to form a firm paste.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about ½ inch thick.
Divide the dough into three equal parts and cut each part into four pieces.
Bake
Brush the tops with beaten egg.
Bake in a moderate oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes.
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.
-
Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Flour + milktop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
-
Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Cream + milktop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,399 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Flour and milk barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 78,219 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Hovis flour
- Provides the structure that holds the scones together once baked.
- Lard
- Adds fat that keeps the scones tender and short in texture.
- Cream of tartar
- Acidifies the dough so it reacts with baking soda to help the scones rise.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acid in the dough to produce gas that makes the scones rise.
- Egg
- Binds the dough and, brushed on top, promotes browning and a glossy finish.
- Milk
- Adds moisture that hydrates the flour and forms a workable dough.
The step that matters
Rolling and cutting the dough. Rolling to an even thickness helps the scones bake and rise evenly. Handling the dough gently and cutting it cleanly avoids overworking the gluten, which would make the scones tough.
“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.
More scones recipes
You might also like
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipes
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Spice Cake344 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.