Why it works: Flour and buttermilk 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 ↓
Soda Scones
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the dough
Mix the flour, carbonate of soda, cream of tartar, and salt in a bowl.
Stir in enough buttermilk to form a stiff but elastic dough.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly until it no longer sticks to your hands.
Roll out the dough thinly and cut into small rounds using a tumbler or cutter.
Bake
Bake on a baking sheet in a hot oven (400°F / 200°C) for about 5 minutes.
When risen and smooth, turn and bake for another 5 minutes until pale in color.
Alternatively, cook on a hot griddle, flipping once.
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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Flour + buttermilktop 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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Flour + creamtop 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
- Flour
- Forms the structure of the dough that holds the scones together.
- Carbonate of soda
- Reacts with the acid in the buttermilk and cream of tartar to produce gas that makes the scones rise.
- Cream of tartar
- Provides acid that reacts with the carbonate of soda to help the scones rise.
- Buttermilk
- Supplies moisture and acidity that activate the leavening and tenderize the dough.
The step that matters
Knead lightly. Overworking the dough develops too much gluten, making the scones tough. Kneading only until the dough no longer sticks keeps them 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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