James Martin Plain Scone Food

JAMES MARTIN SCONE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan, and line the tray with baking paper.
• Mix the flour, baking powder and sugar in a big bowl.
• Add the cubed butter, and with your fingers, rub it into the flour until you have a fine bread-crumb consistency.
• Pour ⅔ (a little more than half) of the milk into the flour mix and gently start combining. Keep adding the rest of the milk in individual steps not to make the dough too wet.Note: Different flour absorbs different amounts of liquid. I usually don't need to use all the recommended milk.
• Tip the dough onto a floured surface, dust some flour over the top, and give it a few more gentle folds. Don't work with the dough too much; it makes the scones' tougher.
• Roll the dough into a 2 cm thick roundish shape.Tip: You can use your hands to pat the dough to the desired thickness.
• Cut out the scones with a round cutter approx 7 cm in diameter, and place them onto a baking tray.
• Give each scone an egg wash (just the top, not the sides).Optional: You can rest the scones for around 15 minutes in the fridge before baking to encourage a better even rise.
• Bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until the scones have risen and their top is golden brown.
• Scones taste the best freshly baked and served with strawberry jam and clotted cream.

CLASSIC SCONES WITH JAM & CLOTTED CREAM

Steps:

• 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, then 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, but not hot. Add the vanilla extract and a squeeze of lemon juice, then set aside for a moment.
• 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.
• Brush 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.

BUTTERMILK SCONES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Put the flour, salt and butter into a food processor and pulse until you can't feel any lumps of butter (or rub in butter with fingers). Pulse in the sugar.
• Gently warm the buttermilk (don't throw away the pot) and vanilla in a microwave or pan. Using your largest bowl, quickly tip in some of the flour mix, followed by some of the buttermilk mix, repeating until everything is in the bowl. Use a knife to quickly mix together to form a dough - don't over-mix it.
• Tip onto a floured surface and lightly bring together with your hands a couple of times. Press out gently to about 4cm thick and stamp out rounds with a 6cm or 7cm cutter. Re-shape trimmings, until all the dough is used. Spread out on a lightly floured baking sheet or two. Add a splash of milk into the buttermilk pot, then use to glaze the top of each scone. Bake for 10-12 mins until golden and well risen.