The #1 Tip to Make Your Scones Better, According to a Bakery Owner

Danielle Sepsy, author of 'The Scone Queen Bakes', shares her top scone-baking secrets.

Mar. 14, 2026 at 5:13pm

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Bakery owner and chef Danielle Sepsy is releasing a new cookbook, 'The Scone Queen Bakes', on March 24, 2026. Sepsy shares her top tip for making perfect scones at home: keep the dough cold and the oven hot. She also provides three additional tips, including prepping the dough ahead of time, ensuring the butter is super cold, and using a pastry blender. Sepsy discusses the differences between American and British scones, common scone-making mistakes, and her favorite scone flavors.

Why it matters

Scones are a versatile and elegant baked treat that can be enjoyed for breakfast, snacks, or desserts. However, they can be tricky for home bakers to master. Sepsy's cookbook and expert tips aim to help home cooks achieve bakery-level scones in their own kitchens.

The details

Sepsy's grandmother, Rosemarie, gifted her a stand mixer at age 8, sparking Sepsy's lifelong passion for baking. Sepsy started a scone business at age 13 and now manages a team of bakers at her New York-based bakery, The Hungry Gnome. Sepsy says the key differences between American and British scones are that American scones tend to be sweeter and have more mix-ins, while British scones are more plain and serve as a 'vessel' for accompaniments like clotted cream and jam. Sepsy's top tip is to keep the dough cold and the oven hot, which helps lock in the scones' shape and prevent spreading. She also recommends prepping the dough ahead of time, ensuring very cold butter and cream, and using a pastry blender to get the right butter piece size. The biggest mistake home bakers make is overworking the dough, which can result in tough, dense, or dry scones.

  • Danielle Sepsy's new cookbook, 'The Scone Queen Bakes', debuts on March 24, 2026.

The players

Danielle Sepsy

A bakery owner and chef who is releasing a new cookbook, 'The Scone Queen Bakes', on March 24, 2026. Sepsy has built a loyal following around the scones that helped launch her baking career, and the cookbook is more than just a collection of recipes.

Rosemarie

Sepsy's grandmother, who gifted her a stand mixer at age 8, sparking her lifelong passion for baking.

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What they’re saying

“I've adapted many of Grandma Rosemarie's recipes for cookies and other treats for this book—she often added her own special flair to family recipes, something that continues to inspire me to this day.”

— Danielle Sepsy, Bakery Owner and Chef (Parade)

“To now be published by the same publishing house that brought Julia to the world feels like a sign from above.”

— Danielle Sepsy, Bakery Owner and Chef (Parade)

The takeaway

Sepsy's cookbook and expert tips provide home bakers with the knowledge and techniques to achieve bakery-quality scones in their own kitchens, from maintaining the right temperature for the dough and oven to avoiding common mistakes like overworking the dough. Her family legacy and passion for scones shine through, making this an invaluable resource for scone enthusiasts.