Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat.

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and use a fork to blend them together. Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the maple syrup and half of the buttermilk. Use the fork to begin blending the dry ingredients into the buttermilk. When the puddle has been mixed in add half of the remaining buttermilk and continue mixing. Add the remaining buttermilk slowly until a soft dough has formed, use your hands if needed. It should be moist but not too sticky to pick up with your hands.

Turn the dough on to a floured surface and shape into a disc about 10 inches across and 1 inch thick. Use a 2 inch round biscuit cutter to cut the scones. Begin at the edge and draw the dough toward the center as you cut to get all 12 formed without reshaping the dough. If needed reshape the dough into a disc to finish cutting the scones. - To form the scones without a biscuit cutter shape the dough into three small discs and cut each disc into 4 wedges.

Place scones on the prepared cookie sheet leaving a few inches on all sides to give them room to expand. Optional: Use a pastry brush to the tops of each scone with a thin layer of buttermilk and sprinkle a pinch of sugar over the tops.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes until the tops are a deep golden color.