- 30 mins
- 45 mins
Ingredients
- - 1.5 tsp baking powder
- - 2.5 cups flour (you can substitute self raising flour for the flour and baking powder)
- - 60g butter, cold or 2 ounces
- - 3/4 cup milk
- - 1/4 cup cold water (substitute soda water if you have it)
- - 1 Tablespoon fine white sugar
Preparation
Step 1
Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees F or 225 degrees C. The oven must be searing hot to make scones – the hotter it is, the puffier they will be.
Sift the flour and baking powder together into a large basin, stir in the sugar.
Grate the cold butter into the flour.
Rub the butter in with your fingertips until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs. Keep your movements light and rub the butter in from up high so that you incorporate as much air into the mix as possible.
Add the milk and cut it in with a knife. Don’t use a spoon if you can avoid it. Add half the water and mix with your hands until you have a shaggy mess that is slowly starting to form a uniform mass, add more water if it’s not holding together. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until it is just smooth, no more than a minute.
Flatten into a disc that is 2cm or 3/4 inch thick and cut rounds with a sharp cookie cutter. This step is important as the sharp edge slices the dough and keeps the layers in place – a blunt cutter (like a cup) will seal the edges down and make the scones rise unevenly.
Arrange the scones in rows, with the edges touching, on a oiled baking tray. Brush the tops with milk and bake for 15 minutes, or until puffed and golden on the top.
Serve with Devonshire double cream or jam.