Scones have a reputation as only being made by members of the CWA or your grandmother. Despite popular belief, it is possible to make scones that are not rocks but soft and delicious with a tender crumb and decidedly decadent with a dollop of jam and cream.
The trick with making scones is to gently mix the dough like you are giving the dough a massage, not beating a cake batter. It is totally fine to have a little flour left in the bowl after you have kneaded it, just be gentle and use a fork or a wooden spoon to bring the dough together.
The dough is quite sticky so make sure your bench is floured well and sprinkle a little extra flour on the top before cutting your shapes. A dough scraper similar to this one is really handy for removing the excess dough from your bench. Or you can take a leaf from my mum’s book and spread some cling wrap on a wet bench before adding a bit of flour. That way you can just wrap your flour and scraps and place everything straight in the bin. If a small tip like that encourages you to make a mess and make scones, I’m glad! As an aside, which goes first on a scone, jam or cream?
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 4 tbs vegetable oil
- 2 cups of milk (or 1.5 cups of milk and 1/2 cup sour cream or cream)
- 4 cups self raising flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbs sugar
Method
- Preheat a fan forced oven to 220 degrees C.
- Combine the egg, oil and milk together in a bowl or jug.
- Sift the flour into large bowl and add the salt and sugar.
- Add the liquids to the flour and knead gently in the bowl until the dough just comes together.
- Turn the dough onto a floured bench and pat into shape until it is about 3/4-1 inch high.
- Cut into shapes and place onto a greased tray. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Makes about 12 depending on the size of your cutter and the height of your dough.
