Utah Scones are unlike scones anywhere else in the world! Unlike European scones that are served with clotted cream and tea or American biscuits, these scones are deep-fried pieces of a puffy flatbread that are enjoyed with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, honey, and butter.
Deep fryer OR a large/deep pot with thermometer (Note 1)
Ingredients
Utah Scones
2tablespoonsunsalted butter,melted
2-1/3cupwhite, all-purpose flour
2teaspoonsbaking powder(NOT soda!)
2teaspoonswhite, granulated sugar
1/2teaspooninstant or active dry yeast
1/2teaspoonfine sea salt
1cupwarmed milk (we use whole)
1tablespoonvegetable oil + more for frying
For Topping (Pick Through What Sounds Best To You!)
Mix together 1/2 cup white, granulated sugar + 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Softened honey butter, softened regular butter, honey, powdered sugar, fresh berries, jam, syrup, etc. (Or top it with something savory like taco seasoned ground beef)
DOUGH: Melt butter in the microwave. Let the butter cool back to room temperature (it's important it's not hot!) Microwave the milk until just warmed (Note 2), but not hot. Mix together melted butter and milk and set aside. In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, yeast, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.
DOUGH CONT.: Dough should be rough, shaggy, and fairly sticky, but not too sticky you can't work with it. Lightly flour your hands and knead dough just a few times to shape it into a ball being careful to not overwork/over-handle the dough. In the same bowl you used for mixing, drizzle a tablespoon of vegetable oil in the bowl. Rub oil on the bottom of the bowl and slightly up the sides. Add the dough ball back into the bowl and turn the dough to coat in the oil. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel. Let rest for about 15-20 minutes. We don't need the dough to rise, just the gluten to relax!
PREPARE FOR FRYING: Add 1 inch of oil to a large cast iron pot and heat to 350 degrees F. Divide the rested dough into 8 equal portions (cut the ball of dough in half then half again to get 4 large triangle pieces. Cut each triangle into 2 pieces to get 8 equal triangles). Lightly flour your hands and work with one piece of dough at a time (keep the rest of the dough portions covered). Holding the piece of dough with your hands gently work the dough into a circle pressing it out with your fingers (don't roll out the dough with a rolling pin or flatten on the table). The dough should make a thin 5 to 6-inch circle and doesn't need to look pretty -- it's supposed to be rustic looking!). The thinner the pieces, the better, keep working the dough outwards being careful to not rip it.
FRY: Gently drop only one piece of dough at a time in fully heated oil. Fry about 30 seconds up to 1 minute per side (if not using cast iron pot, it will be longer -- fry pieces to a deep golden brown color) flipping the dough with 2 forks (or tongs) halfway in between. Use a large slotted spoon (or tongs) to remove dough onto a paper towel lined plate. Repeat to fry remaining dough.
FINISH: Right out of the fryer enjoy the scones! Either dredge all sides in a blend of 1/2 cup white sugar with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar or top with butter, honey butter, honey, jam, syrup, berries powdered sugar, etc. Best enjoyed hot!
STORAGE: Like most fried foods, scones are the absolute best right out of the fryer! I don't recommend frying ahead of time, but the dough can be prepared ahead of time.MakeAhead: Cover the dough tightly and place in the fridge. Refrigerate for up to 8 hours. When ready to fry, remove dough from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature before frying.Keep It Warm: Add an oven-safe cooling rack to the top of a sheet pan. Place fry bread pieces straight from fryer onto cooling rack in a single layer. Place sheet pan in a 200 degree F heated oven until the rest are fried. Store: Store scones (before topping with butter/honey/etc.) loosely wrapped with plastic wrap for 1-2 days. Texture and flavor does suffer the longer the scones have been out of the fryer for.
Video
Notes
Note 1: Frying Equipment Options:
Use a deep fryer
If you don’t have a deep fryer, you’ll want a heavy bottomed deep pot (I recommend using a large (5 quart) cast iron pot) and thermometer to gauge the temperature of the oil and ensure it maintains the right heat throughout frying. We want to ensure the temperature stays consistent and doesn’t get too hot (or too cool) which will affect how the bread fries. If you don't have access to a thermometer, try this trick: add a wooden spoon handle in the hot oil. When bubbles gather around the stick, the oil is ready to fry.
Note 2: Test Milk Temperature: Drizzle a few drops of the warmed milk onto the inside of your wrist. If it is warm and comfy it will be perfect for the yeast. If it feels hot, it will be too hot for the yeast. Too cold and the yeast will simply remain dormant.Note 3: Calories do not include toppings just the fry bread, as toppings may vary.