The Mast-Head: Trying for Scones

Had I known that scones were relatively easy to make, I would have begun baking them years ago. I like to cook and consider myself pretty good in the kitchen, but that said, like almost any simple art, scones take work to get right. I’m not there yet.

One of the problems for me in particular is that I don’t eat dairy products, thanks to a longstanding food allergy. That means no butter in my scones. Instead of animal fat, I’ve tried several dairy-free margarines and refined coconut oil. Neither seem just right.

As to flour, an all-white, unbleached flour produces a boring scone, though an expert whom I respect, the estimable Ina Garten, has a recipe using just that in one of her cookbooks.

To my taste, the most satisfying scones around here, and vegan ones at that, can be had in Montauk at Naturally Good, a health food bakery and cafe recently moved around to a prime location on Montauk Highway. While the fruit and berries in amidst the dough change from day to day, the scones are reliably light, just sweet enough, and satisfying. It has become part of my weekend morning routine, particularly after an early surfing session, to stop in for one or two.

Puzzled and a little frustrated with my string of relative failures, I called Naturally Good this week and spoke to two people there, including its baker, about what they do differently. The answer was not much; the shortening is canola or coconut oil, the flour a mix of white and whole wheat, all organic, of course. They only mix their ingredients just enough to combine and no longer, but that’s about it. No real secret.

Baking, I suppose, is a bit like fishing. The more you do it, the more you realize you don’t know. A hot oven is not quite a stand-in for the unfathomable deep, but it has its mysteries nonetheless. One day, I’ll crack this scone thing. Or not. And that is perfectly okay.