Perfect Scones

There’s nothing like a proper Devonshire Cream Tea and of course, served the Devon way, creamfirst as it was invented! Delicious freshly baked scones, lashings of clotted cream, topped with strawberry jam.

But how to get the perfect scone? Don’t overwork it. This is a common mistake. Overworking the batter when combining the ingredients or kneading too much before rolling out can lead to activating the gluten in the flour, leaving you with a tough and flat scone. Work the mix with your fingertips only, with cold hands, rubbing together the fat and the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Bring it together lightly and quickly, cover it and leave it for a bit. Even ten minutes will make a difference, allowing any overworked gluten to relax, making sure your scones will be crumbly and light.

Ingredients

• 350g self-raising flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 85g butter, cut into cubes
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 175ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• squeeze lemon juice (see tips below)
• beaten egg, to glaze
• jam and clotted cream, to serve

Method

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tip the self-raising flour into a large bowl with ¼ tsp salt and the baking powder, then mix.
• Add the butter, rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the caster sugar.
• Put the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for about 30 secs until warm. Add the vanilla extract and a squeeze of lemon juice, then set aside for at least 10 minutes.
• Put a baking tray in the oven. Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and combine it quickly with a cutlery knife – it will seem pretty wet at first.
• Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then fold the dough over 2-3 times until it’s a little smoother. Pat into a round about 4cm deep. Take a 5cm cutter (smooth-edged cutters tend to cut more cleanly, giving a better rise) and dip it into some flour. Plunge into the dough, then repeat until you have four scones. You may need to press what’s left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four.
• Brusht the tops with a beaten egg, then carefully arrange on the hot baking tray. Bake for 10 mins until risen and golden on the top. Eat just warm or cold on the day of baking, generously topped with jam and clotted cream. If freezing, freeze once cool. Defrost, then put in a low oven (about 160C/140C fan/gas 3) for a few minutes to refresh.