So my dad is a really interesting guy. And I don’t mean that in semi-snide jerkfaced way, I mean that he is a really interesting guy. Anyone who knows him (does anyone know my dad? Besides Sara and my one sister who reads the blog?) knows that he is an interesting guy. He is the world’s most cautious man (we were not allowed to have a trampoline, which may have scarred me for life), someone who perpetually drives 15 miles under the speed limit (at least), no matter what it is, but he participates in all sorts of dangerous or potentially dangerous activities like motorcycling and skiing and backpacking and white water rafting. In addition, he has a couple of terrible puns that he re-uses at every opportunity (“I never Metamucil I didn’t like!” or one involving horticulture, which was Sara’s field of study so he brings it up a lot, but it’s kind of PG-13. So you might have to use your imagination.) Are you getting a feel for him?
One thing about my dad is that he’s not a particularly social guy. He doesn’t do small-talk (not even with his kids–in fact, the running joke is that two minutes into any conversation, he’ll say, “I’ve got Alan Stephens [his colleague] on the other line, I’ve gotta go.”) and he was not friendly to boys I dated in high school, which was horrifically embarrassing at the time.
But.
When he throws a party, he goes all out. Even if it’s for strangers.
For as long as I can remember, every 4th of July while I was growing up, we had a neighborhood breakfast in the park and my dad cooked scones. That was his thing. This whole party was thing, which was quite a feat for a semi-grumpy pun-maker who hates holidays.
Now. Some of you may be wondering how in the world he made scones for the whole neighborhood in the park because scones are crumbly, slightly-sweet biscuits baked in an oven.
Well. In Utah (and apparently a few other select geographical regions based very loosely on some fairly inaccurate Instagram science), scones are pieces of fried bread dough served with whatever you want, but really, butter, honey (or honey butter), or raspberry jam. Or if you’re me, you spread on some honey butter and then you smoosh a small handful of raspberries down into the honey butter and it’s more delicious than just about anything you can imagine.
So basically, Utah scones are beignets. Sopapillas. Fry bread. Doughnuts. Whatever.
When I discovered these were not the scones other people were familiar with, I was embarrassed and disillusioned. Life got hard. In a my-parents-lied-to-me-about-baked-goods kind of way.
So you can really use any dough that’s been enriched with some kind of fat (butter…oil…egg yolks). We actually have a recipe for sopapillas in our first book (I think…I don’t actually have my books with my this second) and we already have a recipe for beignets here. And you could use either one of those doughs, among the zillions (not really) of other yeast doughs we have on the blog. But I wanted to experiment with something (I’m tweaking my World’s Best Dinner Roll recipe) and it was a huge success. Not that you can go wrong with fried dough slathered in honey and butter, right?
To get started, dissolve the yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in warm water.
Let stand about 10 minutes or until very bubbly and frothy.
In the bowl of a stand or heavy-duty mixture, mix 2 cups of buttermilk, some sugar, melted butter, vegetable oil,
and salt
until completely dissolved. Add baking powder and 3 cups of flour to the milk mixture and beat on low for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly.
Add yeast mixture and beat on high for 3 minutes.
Add the eggs and mix until completely combined. then stir in as much remaining flour as needed to make a soft dough. This dough should be very soft–it will be coming away from the sides of the bowl, but it will still stick to your finger when you touch it. Place the bowl in a warm place and cover with a clean towel; allow to rise 1 hour or is doubled in bulk.
When the dough has risen, lightly sprinkle a large, clean work surface with flour.
Punch down the dough and then roll it to about 1/4″ thick. Using a sharp knife or a pizza wheel, cut the dough into equal rectangles.
Separate the dough pieces so they have enough room to rise. Cover with a clean cloth.
In a large, heavy pan (I use a 7.5 quart Le Creuset), heat about 2-3 inches of peanut or other high smoke point oil over medium heat until it reaches 350-360 degrees (use a candy thermometer). When hot, add a few dough pieces and cook until golden brown on one side, then flip and cook the other side. When puffy and golden, remove from oil and drain on a paper towel. Repeat with remaining dough pieces.
Serve immediately smeared with honey butter
with a handful of raspberries pressed into the honey butter.
Makes about 24 scones.
Utah Scones
Recipe by Our Best Bites
Ingredients:
2 packages active dry yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons)–I use bread machine yeast
2/3 cup warm (105-115 degree) water
2 c. buttermilk (whole buttermilk, if you can find it)
½ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (I use peanut oil)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
8-9 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
Peanut oil for frying (other high smoke point oils also work great)
Honey Butter
Fresh Raspberries
Instructions:
Dissolve the yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes or until very bubbly and frothy.
In the bowl of a stand or heavy-duty mixture, mix the milk, sugar, melted butter, vegetable oil and salt until completely dissolved. Add baking powder and 3 cups of flour to the milk mixture and beat on low for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Add yeast mixture and beat on high for 3 minutes.
Add the eggs and mix until completely combined. then stir in as much remaining flour as needed to make a soft dough. This dough should be very soft–it will be coming away from the sides of the bowl, but it will still stick to your finger when you touch it. Place the bowl in a warm place and cover with a clean towel; allow to rise 1 hour or is doubled in bulk.
When the dough has risen, lightly sprinkle a large, clean work surface with flour. Punch down the dough and then roll it to about 1/4″ thick. Using a sharp knife or a pizza wheel, cut the dough into equal rectangles. Separate the dough pieces so they have enough room to rise. Cover with a clean cloth.
In a large, heavy pan (I use a 7.5 quart Le Creuset), heat about 2-3 inches of peanut or other high smoke point oil over medium heat until it reaches 350-360 degrees (use a candy thermometer). When hot, add a few dough pieces and cook until golden brown on one side, then flip and cook the other side. Repeat with remaining dough pieces. Serve immediately smeared with honey butter with a handful of raspberries pressed into the honey butter. Makes about 24 scones.
Questions & Reviews
I really wanted to like these, but they weren’t sweet enough for me and actually a little salty and I put less in then the recipe called for ????
They’re supposed to be on the savory side so you can load them up with sweet stuff after they cook, BUT you can always add a little more sugar to the dough if you’d like.
I grew up in Idaho with these scones. Yummy! They are best out camping with stew. When I discovered way into my adulthood that others call a biscuit type of thing… scones… I was shocked. We don’t make these deep fried scones very often, but they are delish! We used honey butter or maple syrup.
Haha. I had the same experience with the disillusion of scones vs. Fry bread and this was the first post I read about them. I do know your Dad and have eatten his scones at the park.
I have been craving a scone for so long. I was born in Utah and grew up on these things. Back then it was a mormon thing because everyone seemed to have a supply of flour. My favorite is butter with whipped honey, second choice is butter with raspberry jam. Utah scones brings back a lot of great memories.
My mom always made these from her bread dough. She was born in Utah. I was an adult before I knew of the other type of scone. I’m not sure why but I always eat one with ketchup and the second with raspberry jam. My daughters are not ketchup fans but my son in law and granddaughter both approve of my style of eating scones.
I just learned about. Utah scones, and they’re way good! I do wish y’all would call them something else though! It’s name has caused many arguments! 🙂
Your dad must have to avoid any road where the speed limit is only 15 mph or he would be stuck there forever! Love you! Love scones (these kind!).
This is a revelation to me! I have never heard of a Utah scone. I am a fan of the so called “biscuit like” scones that are served with clotted cream and jam along with a pot of tea. But I will not discriminate against any scone! These sound delicious and I am going to give them a try. Thanks for the recipe and the funny family stories!
I am 36 years old and from all over the West (California, Hawaii, Idaho, and now Utah) and today is the first day that I have–in my life–heard that there is another type of scone other than this so-called “Utah scone” … My son brought a biscuit with fruit home from preschool and said “we made scones at school” and I mockingly laughed in his sweet little face.”That’s not a scone!” I declared. “That’s some sort of biscuit thingy. Scones are wonderful deep fried clouds that you drench with honey butter. I’ll show you a picture of a scone!” Then I Googled it and found that my entire life has been a lie (at least where scones are concerned). My mind is blown. This is like the time I was living in Belgium and they asked me if I had ever tried their little “sprouts” … “Yes,” I said, “but we call them Brussel spr- ooooooh.” I have to assume that the spread of this dish to other areas (attached to the name scone) must have something to do with westward emigrating pioneers–and probably specifically Mormons. Of course that’s just based on my own experiences living in the above areas in the West that, like Utah, are also densely populated by Mormons. So interesting.
These look so good! They seem more dense than sopapillas-I can’t wait to try them!
My mother-in-law made wonderful scones but she refrigerated overnight to make Thanksgiving morning. Any ideas on if that would work for this and how? By the way, I have to laugh about the Utah/Mormon connection here – she is a die-hard Catholic and from Montana!
I want to make these for Christmas morning! Would these scones turn out the same if I made them the night before and refrigerated them?
The sopapilla recipe from your first book is dreadful. We have had wonderful success with all your other recipes and have our own favorite sopapilla recipe but love to try new things. Have you ever had this complaint before? Have you tweeked that original recipe and posted it anywhere?
I am very excited to make this recipe. But I have a few questions. Can you freeze the dough after cutting them into rectangles? I love scones but there is only 4 in my family. We can’t all eat 6… Maybe. Anyways! Also does the dough need to knead or just till it is combined and not sticking to the sides? Thanks!
Yum! Can not wait to try my hand at making these:)
Ha! My cousin married a gal from Utah. She told us she wanted to make scones for breakfast and what she served us was certainly not a scone – but it was delicious!
I felt the same way when I discovered “real cheesecake”! My mom only made the no bake, pudding, cream cheese kind. Which I love, but was so confused when I had real cheesecake! ha ha These look amazing!
I saw this recipe and knew I had to make it. They were AMAZING!!!!! I didn’t have honey butter on hand, so I just spread butter and drizzled honey and my kids devoured them. Delicious!!!
HA! My husband is from Idaho and we’ve been arguing FOREVER about what is a scone! I’ve been calling what you describe here “Idaho Scones” for 10 years. LOL
JT is going to LOVE this. He is from SoCal and they always called these scones. When he moved here to Seattle, his family was horrified to find out that our scones are the crumbly kind. (And they refuse to convert to our northern dialect.) Anyways, I have the weirdest sounding thing to add to this post… last year, on our family camping trip, my older brother made “scones” (Utah style). But you are thinking “camping? what?!”. He takes an english muffin, dips it in pancake mix, and fries it up. Now, I know they are NO WHERE near as awesome as these look. BUT if you want to impress your kids camping… they are A-maz-ING! It sounds crazy, but it is awesome. And weird.