Scones work perfectly as a morning or afternoon treat, and can be made in countless sweet and savory flavors to appeal to everyone. One pitfall of this otherwise simple baked good is that they can turn out too tough and hard or wet and mushy, and this tricky conundrum can be avoided if you add liquid to the dough in the right way.

To make buttermilk scones with the perfect flaky texture, start by adding only half of the amount of buttermilk required by the recipe and carefully incorporate it into your batter, only adding the rest of the buttermilk if needed. You want to use just enough buttermilk to bring the dough together, since too much can make scones tough.

You can also use milk or half-and-half, and King Arthur Baking recommends using ½ to ⅔ of a cup of milk for 2 ¾ cups of flour. Flour's absorptive properties depend on the humidity of your kitchen, meaning the dough may need more or less liquid, so it's best to start with half of the amount of liquid and only add more until it looks right.