Scones (British)
A quick British tea-time bake of flour, butter, and milk. Rubbing in cold butter and barely mixing gives the flaky lift — best served warm with jam and clotted cream.
Ingredients
- Cake flour (or all-purpose)250 g
- Baking powder2 tsp
- Salt0.25 tsp
- Cold butter · cubed, cold60 g
- Sugar40 g
- Milk · cold, save a little for glazing120 ml
- Egg · optional, for dough/glaze1
- Raisins or cranberries · optional50 g
- To serve
- Clotted cream (or whipped cream)1 to serve
- Jam (strawberry/raspberry)1 to serve
Steps
- ⏲ 2 min
Heat the oven to 200°C. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
- ⏲ 5 min
Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until it looks like fine breadcrumbs (work fast so it stays cold). Stir in the sugar and dried fruit.
- ⏲ 2 min
Add the milk (and egg) and gently 'cut' it in with a knife or spatula into a single dough (overworking makes it tough).
- ⏲ 3 min
On a floured surface, pat the dough to 2–3cm thick and stamp out rounds with a cutter (press straight down without twisting so they rise evenly).
- ⏲ 1 min
Place on a tray and brush the tops with milk or egg wash for a glaze.
- ⏲ 14 min
Bake at 200°C for 12–15 minutes until risen and golden. Cool slightly, split, and serve with jam and cream.
Tips & Variations
Variations
- Plain scones: No dried fruit, just the basic.
- Cheese & herb: Cut the sugar and add cheddar and herbs for a savory scone.
- Lemon & blueberry: Lemon zest and blueberries for a bright twist.
- Devon vs Cornwall: Cream first vs jam first — the order differs by region.
Tips
- Keep the butter and milk cold — it's what gives flaky lift.
- Barely mix the dough so the scones stay tender (less gluten).
- Press the cutter straight down, no twisting, so they rise level.
- Brush the tops with egg wash or milk for an appetizing glaze.
- They're best warm from the oven with jam and cream.
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