Scones got their start as a Scottish quick bread. Originally made with oats and griddle-baked, today’s version is more often made with flour and baked in the oven.
The origin of the name ‘scone’ is unclear, with sources suggesting it may link to the Stone (Scone) of Destiny where Kings of Scotland were crowned. Others believe the name is derived from the Dutch word “schoonbrood” (“schoon” meaning clean and “brood” meaning bread), or from the German word “schonbrot” meaning ‘fine or beautiful bread’. According to Webster’s Dictionary, scones originated in Scotland in the early 1500s.
Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford (1788–1861) is credited with making scones a fashionable ritual. It was in 1840 she felt a ‘sinking feeling’ around mid-afternoon, so she ordered the servants to bring some tea and sweet bread including scones.
She was so delighted by this, that she ordered it every afternoon and what now has become an English tradition is the “Afternoon Tea Time” (precisely at 4:00 p.m.). They are still served daily with the traditional clotted cream topping in Britain.
Times have changed. They are no longer just a biscuit that the English serve with afternoon tea. Scones can be found in coffeeshops and bakeries all over the world.
With the invention of baking powder scones became the well leavened oven-baked product that they are today, quite different to the older griddle-cooked scones.
History of Scones
