Here’s my family recipe for the perfect rustic english scone which go excellently with sweet or savory things like clotted cream and jam or parmesan and spinach…yum… This recipe makes 6 ish
Step One
225g self raising flour (8oz) 55g Butter (2oz) 30g Caster sugar (1oz) 150ml Milk (1/4 pint) 1 egg (maybe...depends on later steps..) 1/2 teaspoon salt First off, preheat the oven to 220 deg C 425 deg f. Speed is of the essence so you can't be hanging around waiting for the oven to heat up or you'll get flat, hard scones. Then, sift all the flour and salt into a large bowl.
Step Two
Cut up the butter into smallish chunks (2-3cm cubes) and rub into the flour with your fingertips until its loose and breadcrumby. Don't do this in a blender or food processor as the texture will become to fine and the scones will go flat and hard again.
Step Three
Grab the dough out of the bowl and slap it on a floured surface. Kneed it into a square(ish) about 2.5cm (an inch) thick and the stamp out circles with a cookie cutter. If you twist the cookie cutter while cutting you'll end up with wonky scones like mine, but I think that makes them look more rustic and cool. Lay the circles out on a baking tray lined with grease proof paper, giving each one 2cm of room to grow...
Step Four
To finish the scones before the oven we now have 3 options.... 1)Brush with a beaten egg to produce a glossy glaze. 2)Dust with flour for a soft finish 3)Brush with milk for a light gloss AND soft crust as soon as they're glazed, slam them in the oven near the top for 20 to 25 minutes. Don't get curious and open the oven door, you'll just spoil them, let them do their thang.....