- Makes 8 large (7cm diameter), 10 or 11 medium scones (6cm diameter) ***my favourite size***) or 22 bite-size (5cm diameter) fruit scones - Ready in 45 min -
If you are in a rush when making these scones, they will probably turn out to be the best you ever make. Scone dough is very prone to being 'overworked' so do as little as you possibly can to them.
Gather together…
420g self-raising flour (NOT sieved) - plus a little extra flour for dusting surfaces.
2 tsp baking powder (sieved).
Pinch of salt (sieved).
110g cold butter (in 0.5cm x 0.5cm x 0.5cm cubes).
60g sultanas (two big handfuls).
50g white caster sugar or white granulated sugar (sieved).
200ml milk (cold from the fridge) - plus a little extra milk to glaze with - oat milk works well in scone recipes.
Serve with...
Butter and strawberry jam.
Clotted cream and strawberry jam, with fresh strawberry slices.
Quark (fat free soft cheese) and strawberry jam, with fresh strawberry slices - pictured above on a 7cm diameter medium/large scone.
Get cooking…
1. Pre-heat the oven to 220 C (200 C fan) or Gas 7.
2. Sprinkle 1 tsp of flour onto a medium-large oven tray, or use a reusable silicone liner (such as an Eco Living reusable silicone baking sheet).
3. Put the 420g of SR flour in a large bowl (no need to sieve it).
4. Sieve in the 2 tsp of baking powder (so it doesn’t stay in unpleasant-tasting lumps) and sieve in the pinch of salt, mix well.
5. Add the 110g of COLD butter cubes and rub them in (partially) with clean finger-tips, for about 30 seconds. Then use a handheld stick blender (or a food processor) for about 30 seconds to turn the mix to breadcrumb-like consistency.
6. Add the 60g (2 handfuls) of sultanas and stir slightly to dust them in flour - this floury coating will help to stop the sultanas sinking to the bottom of the dough.
7. Sieve in the 50g of white sugar. Stir a couple of times.
8. Add the 200ml of cold milk. Stir well with a metal spoon for 30 seconds until the mixture is combined and there are no dry, floury patches.
9. With clean hands, gather together the mixture into a ball, still in the bowl.
10. Use 3 tbsp of flour to dust a clean worksurface. Knead the ball of dough VERY minimally, i.e. fold the dough in half, turn it 90 degrees and repeat, do this only 4 times in total i.e. just one complete circle of kneading.
11. Flatten out the dough gently (using your finger tips) until it is 2 ½ cm thick - no need for a rolling pin. Lift the edges of the flattened-out dough up slightly, then lay them down again, to ‘relax’ the dough
12. Dip a circular metal cutter into some flour - I use a fluted cutter for a more traditional look. You could use a drinking glass if you don't have a cutter. Punch the cutter straight down through the dough to cut out as many rounds as you can.
13. Re-gather the dough, give it one very quick knead so the previously-discarded bits stick together and cut out more scone circles. Repeat one last time to use up the last of the dough. You must try and handle the dough as little as possible, or your scones will be tough due to overworked gluten.
14. Place the thick dough circles onto the flour-dusted / silicone lined tray, with 1-2 cm gaps between them.
15. Sparingly brush the tops of the scones with milk - 2 tbsp in total should be more than enough milk for all of them. Don't let the milk drip down the sides of the scones or else they will rise unevenly, resulting in still-delicious-but 'leaning' scones.
16. Bake bite-size 5cm diameter scones for 12 minutes. Bake medium 6cm diameter scones for 15 -17 minutes and large 7cm diameter scones for 20 minutes. Regardless of size, bake the scones until they are well-risen and golden brown. DON'T over-bake them or else they will be dry and too crumbly to properly enjoy.
17. Immediately remove the scones from the baking tray and cool them on a wire rack (or else they will become soggy).
18. Cool them completely before storing in an airtight container (or they will 'sweat').
19. These scones really do need to be eaten on the day of baking - they are rather dry if eaten the next day (or if they are defrosted after being frozen), but if this is unavoidable then they can be perked up by gently microwaving them immediately before serving.
Adapted from a Mary Berry Scone Masterclass on an early episode of The Great British Bake-Off.