Does anyone have a really good plain scone recipe ?

[emb123]

Just got to musing on another thread about scones (for those that have had the pleasure - I think that ASDA plain scones are the best scones that money can buy at any price - they have a beautiful texture that's not too doughy, they don't fall apart when you bite into them and a wonderful buttery flavour.

Does anyone have a really superb buttery plain scone recipe they would kindly pass on ?
(Preferably without rice flour or eggs in (because I haven't usually got any)).

On a related note my favourite filling has to be Lidl Strawberry Jam (I've not found a better strawberry jam) and sweetened greek style yoghurt (or clotted cream if I'm really indulging in luxury) Yummm!

[Kenn]

Here's my traditional recipe for Cornish scones, served with strawberry jam and clotted cream.
2ozs lard
1lb white flour
1tsp salt
1oz yeast
1tsp caster sugar
1/2 pint of milk
Warm the milk, cream the sugar and yeast together and mix with the milk.
Sieve together the flour and salt, gently rub in or fork in the lard then add to the yeast mixture to form a soft dough.
Knead thoroughly,leave in a warm place to rise then knead again and cut or shape into rounds about 2/3" across.
Lightly flour a baking tray place the pieces on it and leave to prove once more.
Bake in oven at temp.400F for about 15mins.
Serve hot or cold.
(Sorry it's all in imperial ..but my mother wrote this out.)

[emb123]

Here's my traditional recipe for Cornish scones, served with strawberry jam and clotted cream.
2ozs lard
1lb white flour
1tsp salt
1oz yeast
1tsp caster sugar
1/2 pint of milk
Warm the milk, cream the sugar and yeast together and mix with the milk.
Sieve together the flour and salt, gently rub in or fork in the lard then add to the yeast mixture to form a soft dough.
Knead thoroughly,leave in a warm place to rise then knead again and cut or shape into rounds about 2/3" across.
Lightly flour a baking tray place the pieces on it and leave to prove once more.
Bake in oven at temp.400F for about 15mins.
Serve hot or cold.
(Sorry it's all in imperial ..but my mother wrote this out.)

Thanks Lizz - will definitely give this a go - although I wonder about that yeast - do you mean a tsp ?

Seems a lot for such a small amount of flour.

I'd probably be looking to substitute the lard for butter or do you think that would be too rich ? (mainly because I have butter but I don't usually have lard)

[Piglet]

Ingredients
225g/8oz self raising flour
pinch of salt
55g/2oz butter
25g/1oz caster sugar
150ml/5fl oz milk


Method
1. Heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Mix together the flour and salt and rub in the butter.
3. Stir in the sugar and then the milk to get a soft dough.
4. Turn on to a floured work surface and knead very lightly. Pat out to a round 2cm/¾in thick. Use a 5cm/2in cutter to stamp out rounds and place on a baking sheet. Lightly knead together the rest of the dough and stamp out more scones to use it all up.
5. Brush the tops of the scones with a little milk. Bake for 12-15 minutes until well risen and golden.
6. Cool on a wire rack and serve with butter and good jam and maybe some clotted cream.

[emb123]

Thanks Piglet! - will be trying that out very soon I expect!

Looks like my kind of recipe! I've always felt that scones are such a simple recipe that you shouldn't need to go to too much bother - and that's a nice quick and easy recipe.

Do you think it would double ok (I'm a pig when it comes to scones!) ? I suppose I'd just need to watch the amount of liquid when doubling it.

[Kenn]

With regard to the first recipe definetly 1 oz yeast, always use fresh baker's yeast myself as the dry never seems to work so well.

Here's another quick basic recipe youy might like if you don't want to be waiting for things to prove.

8 oz white flour.
2 ozs butter
1/2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
1/4 pint of milk
1 tsp cream of tartar

Sieve all the ingredients together appart from the butter.
Gently rub in or fork in the butter.
Make a well in the centre of the mix and gently add the milk until you have a spongey dry dough.
Knead lightly.
Place on a well floured surface and roll to aprox. 3/4 inch thick.
Cut into rounds.
Arrange on a floured tray and bake 450F for about 10 mins.
If liked you can 2ozs currants.

[Piglet]

Do you think it would double ok (I'm a pig when it comes to scones!) ? I suppose I'd just need to watch the amount of liquid when doubling it.

Ther shouldn't be a problem by doubling it. Enjoy

[emb123]

Thanks again Lizz and Piglet - I shall be busy baking scones soon

Lizz that would explain it - never used the fresh yeast as I mainly cheat with my breadmaking and use the breadmaker, or otherwise I do quick soda breads, Irish style. (I don't bake them in a bastible over a peat fire though!)

Restocked my strawberry jam supply today specially!

[Angela]

I've never been much good at scones or pastry - is it true you need cold hands & a cold surface to roll the dough out on?

[mrs n]

I've never been much good at scones or pastry - is it true you need cold hands & a cold surface to roll the dough out on?

yes for pastry but not so much for scones though the less you handle them the better, just a light rolling out, dont twist the cutters as you are pressing down as this can seal the sides making it more difficult for the scone to rise and dont roll them out to thin

[canuck]

A fair number of Scotland's best bakers seem to have made it to Canada. This recipe is the one a great lady from Ayr uses for the scones for our church events. She makes them one recipe at a time, so I wouldn't try doubling it.

2 cups flour (all-purpose)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1/4 pound) butter
1 cup yogurt
1 Jar Double devon cream
1 teaspoon sugar, powdered

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir well.
Cut in cold butter until mixture is crumbly.
Add yogurt and stir until just holds together.
Form into ball, pat onto floured surface 1 inch thick or cut with round biscuit cutters.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake.
Oven at 425F for about 15 minutes.

Serve with devon cream and jam.
Mix cream with icing sugar before serving.
Variations, add currants or blueberries.

[mrs n]

sounds like a good recipe, any idea how much two cups of flour are?

[canuck]

sounds like a good recipe, any idea how much two cups of flour are?

1 cup is 250 mls or 8 oz., so 2 cups would be 500 mls or 16 oz. Now as to weight, I have never worked in the weight system in the kitchen and my chemistry days are so far behind me I don't begin to remember. Sorry. Rheghead we probably need your help here.

[mrs n]

thanks for that, will give them a go

[rockchick]

When you are measuring flour by volume, like a cup, you should sift the flour first before measuring. I must admit to preferring measuring by weight, as it's more precise.

And a cup is 284 mls, not 250. I think that 2 cups is the same as 1 pint.