(Photography: Tim Roberts, Styling: Michele Cranston)
A classic scone mix is one of baking’s most useful building blocks, coming together quickly with just a few pantry staples. Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can transform this clever dough into many different treats, from fruit-filled scrolls to cheesy savoury scones. Just remember, they’re always best eaten the day you’ve baked them!
Ingredients
Method
Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Dust a baking tray with extra flour. Sift flour into a large mixing bowl. Add butter. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Make a well in the centre. Add 1 cup of the milk. Mix with a flat-blade knife until the mixture forms a soft dough, adding remaining milk if required. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth. Don’t over-knead or the scones will be tough.
Gently form dough into a 2cm-thick round. Cut 12 rounds with a lightly floured 5cm scone cutter. Place on oven tray about 2cm apart. Brush tops with a little extra milk.
Bake for 12 minutes or until golden and the scones sound hollow when tapped. Serve with jam and whipped cream.
Sarah’s tips:
- Grating chilled butter is the secret to flaky scones. The small flakes easily rub into the flour without overworking it.
- Unlike other doughs, scones don’t react well to heavy kneading. Gently patting the dough into shape, rather than heavy rolling, will help your scones stay perfectly fluffy.
- When using your scone cutter, don’t be tempted to twist it through the dough. One motion, straight down, gives the clean edges needed to rise evenly.
- No self-raising flour? Make your own by combining 1 cup plain flour with 2 teaspoons baking powder.
