Fruit and Plain Scones

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan-assisted)/425F/Gas 7.
• Lightly grease a baking tray with butter and line it with baking or silicone paper (not greaseproof).
• Place just 450g/15½oz of the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the cold butter cut into small cubes.
• Rub the flour and butter together using your thumbs and the tips of your fingers to create a breadcrumb-like mixture.
• Add the sugar, eggs and baking powder(and the sultanas if you are making fruit scones) and fold the ingredients together with a wooden spoon, making sure all the ingredients are combined from the bottom of the bowl.
• Add half of the milk and keep folding the mixture gently with the spoon to combine. Add the remaining milk just a little at a time to form a very soft, wet dough. (You may not need to use all of the milk.)
• This is where the remaining flour comes into play, sprinkle half of it onto a clean work surface. Using a plastic scraper, scrape the dough around from the edges of the bowl and tip it out onto the work surface and sprinkle the rest of the flour on top.
• The mixture will be wet and sticky.
• Using your hands push the dough gently out lengthways and fold it in half, then turn the dough halfway around and repeat.
• Repeat this procedure a few time to incorporate the last of the flour plus you are adding air to the dough until you get a nice round smooth dough.
• You can always add a little extra flour to your hands if the dough is to sticky.
• Do not work the dough too much, try and get to this point as quickly and gently as possible.
• Leave the dough on the work surface, cover with a dry cloth and let it stand for 10 minutes.
• Now the dough is ready to be rolled out.
• Sprinkle some flour onto the work surface and the top of the dough, and using a rolling pin, place the pin in the middle of the dough and roll upwards, then from the middle roll down. If you need more flour under the dough then sprinkle some more, you don’t want to stretch the dough by it sticking to the work surface.
• Turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat the rolling sequence until it’s about 2.5cm/1in thick. As you turn the dough try lifting the edges and “Flapping” it as you turn, this will help to relax the dough.
• Using a pastry cutter, (the size of your choice) and dip it in flour before you stamp out rounds from the dough and place them onto the baking tray. Whatever you do DO NOT TWIST THE CUTTER, just press firmly, then lift it up and push the dough out.
• When you have cut as many scones as you can from the rolled dough you can bring the rest of the dough together very gently and re-work it.
• Repeat the cutting procedure until you have used all the dough, it’s fair to point out that these remaining scones may not rise as much as the first batch.
• Once you have all the scones cut and on the baking tray, leave them to rest for 10 minutes.
• While your waiting prepare the egg wash by beating the egg together with a splash of milk and a pinch of salt.
• With a pastry brush carefully glaze the tops of the scones, do not overdo this, the scones just need to be damp with the egg wash not wet.
• Avoid letting the wash run down the sides of the scones as this will hamper an even rise.
• Place the tray in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes, or until the scones have risen and golden-brown, you can test them by tapping the bottom of the scone, you should get a hollow sound, or using a cocktail stick and piecing through the top of the scone, the stick should come out clean.
• Leave the scones to cool.
• Serve with butter and jam, or for an extra delight add some clotted cream and enjoy.