scottish potato scones

A traditional part of a full Scottish breakfast. Mostly made with mashed potatoes, these scones are a potato lover's dream come true.

Scottish Potato Scones and British Breakfasts: a Tutorial

+ 1 tbsp (70 g) flour, sifted

butter

tsp Kosher or sea salt

First, peel the boiled potatoes. If you absolutely...

First, peel the boiled potatoes. If you absolutely refuse to peel boiled potatoes, you can peel them before boiling. If you have a ricer, use it to rice the potatoes, if not, just mash them, but what makes better potato scones is light, dry potatoes, and ricing them gives them more air.

Add the butter and salt. Taste the potatoes...

Add the butter and salt. Taste the potatoes at this point, add more salt if needed, then very lightly mix in the sifted flour. It will come together into a dough very quickly and easily. Turn out onto a floured workspace and gently fold over until smooth.

Divide into 4 or 5 equal portions and...

Divide into 4 or 5 equal portions and form each into a ball. Roll one ball out to about 1/4″ thick, then prick with a fork and cut into quarters or sixths, whichever you prefer, with a large knife. Repeat with the rest of the balls of dough.

Heat a pan or griddle to (almost) high...

Heat a pan or griddle to (almost) high heat (between med. high and high.) When the pan is hot, cook the scones until brown on each side. Place on a clean dish towel, then cover with the other half to cool.

These are fully cooked and may be eaten...

These are fully cooked and may be eaten as is, but traditionally, they are fried in the same pan as the bacon was fried in, for a Scottish breakfast. If you are going to freeze these, place them on a floured tray in the freezer until frozen, then place in a freezer bag, this way they won’t stick to each other. Alternately, you can put them in a container with pieces of wax paper in between them.

These homemade Scottish Tattie Scones are much better than the bought variety! 

Use this quick and easy traditional recipe to make your own potato scones and enjoy them for breakfast or as a snack.

Traditional Scottish Tattie Scones Recipe

Potatoes

Butter

Plain Flour (1 cup)

Peel and boil potatoes, or boil with skins...

Peel and boil potatoes, or boil with skins on and remove after. Use similar sized potatoes or cut to the smallest size.

Drain potatoes and allow them to air dry...

Drain potatoes and allow them to air dry for a few minutes

Add in room temperature butter and mash into...

Add in room temperature butter and mash into the potato. If you have a potato ricer you can use this instead and then mix the butter in.

Add the flour a few tablespoons at a...

Add the flour a few tablespoons at a time until it forms a stiff dough. You may not need to use all of it.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface...

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and separate into 3 balls. If the potatoes are still hot or very warm then allow to cool slightly before moving on to the next step.

Take each ball and pat it out into...

Take each ball and pat it out into a flat circle, constantly turning and lightly flouring each side so that it doesn't stick. Once it's big enough you can use a small plate on top to cut the rough edges into a perfect circle. Remember to keep turning and flouring.

Prick all over with a fork and then...

Prick all over with a fork and then either cut into four or score but don't cut right through. If your dough is holding together well you can fry it as one large round and then cut after, or if you find it easier fry the tattie scones separately.

Heat a large, flat-bottomed pan on the stove...

Heat a large, flat-bottomed pan on the stove until hot, then turn down to a medium-low heat. Do not grease the pan as the butter will end up burning. If your scone is lightly dusted in flour it won't stick.

Use a spatula/fish slice to move the scone/s...

Use a spatula/fish slice to move the scone/s into the pan and fry on each side for 3-4 minutes. Keep an eye on the colour and if it's browning too quickly then turn the heat down. You can flip more than once.

Remove and allow to cool before eating with...

Remove and allow to cool before eating with butter and jam if you like, or return to the pan with some butter to fry. The scones can be kept in an airtight container and fried later or warmed in the toaster. They can also be frozen.

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