The ultimate flaky scones

This recipe is based loosely on a cross between an English scone and the American beaten biscuit. The result is a scone that is more flaky than most; so flaky, in fact, that sometimes they puff so much they fall over when baking. The important thing is to avoid finely rubbing the butter into the flour like normal pastry – it needs to stay in bigger bits.

• makes

  8

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 270 g self-raising flour
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 80 g chilled butter, finely chopped
• 150 ml thickened cream
• 50 g natural yoghurt
• milk, to brush
• jam and lightly whipped cream, to serve

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Place flour, ½ tsp salt and sugar in a bowl. Add the butter and rub into the flour mixture until about half rubbed in. Don’t overwork mixture, as you want some bigger bits of butter, too.

Add the cream and yoghurt, then knead until the dough just comes together. Place on a floured work surface.

Using a rolling pin, hit dough a few times, then roll to form a rough 20 cm square. Fold in half, then turn it clockwise 45 degrees. Hit and roll dough again to form a rough 20 cm square. Repeat the folding, turning, hitting and rolling process twice more. Fold again, then hit and roll dough until 2 cm thick.

Using a 6.5 cm scone cutter, cut out rounds from the dough and place them on a floured baking tray, close enough together so the scones will touch gently.

Knead dough offcuts together, roll out until 2cm thick and cut out more scones. Continue re-rolling and cutting offcuts until all the dough is used up.

Brush the scones with milk and bake for 12 minutes or until starting to colour on the top and base. Set aside to cool.

Pull the scones apart with your hands and spread with your choice of jam and whipped cream to serve.

As seen in Feast magazine, Issue 10, pg33

Photography by Alan Benson.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.