Mary Berry is known for her baking prowess – and now the former Great British Bake Off star has shared her secrets to making perfect scones in just 10 minutes flat
Baking queen Mary Berry has revealed her two top tips for whipping up the perfect scones in just 10 minutes.
Scones are a staple of British tradition and the star attraction of the much-loved cream tea. Whether you prefer them sweet, with jam and cream, or savoury with a bit of cheese, the base of the scone is what really matters. Instead of settling for a subpar supermarket version, you can bake your own with confidence using the iconic Dame Mary Berry’s recipe from her Fast Cakes book.
She’s been schooling the nation on cooking since the 60s when she was named cooking editor of Housewife magazine and has graced our TV screens ever since. So if anyone knows the secret to the perfect scone, it’s Mary.
She advises not to let the mixture get too dry and to avoid overworking the dough. Her method can be prepped in 12-15 minutes and baked in 10.
Here are the ingredients you need:
- 225g (8 oz) self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 50g (2 oz) butter
- 25g (1 oz) caster sugar
- 1 large egg
- Milk
Here’s how to make the perfect scone:
Preheat the oven to 220C/Fan 200C/Gas 7 and lightly grease a baking sheet. Add the flour and baking powder into a bowl with the butter and rub in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, then stir in the sugar.
Next, crack the egg into a measuring jug and lightly beat. Make up to 125ml (4 fl oz) by adding the milk. Stir most of the egg and milk into the flour, keeping 1 tablespoon in the jug to glaze the scones before baking and mix to a soft dough.
Lightly flour a surface and place the dough on it, kneading lightly. Then roll it out to 1.25cm (½ in) thickness. Cut into 10 rounds with a fluted 8cm (3 in) cutter.
Space out the scones on the baking sheet and brush the tops with a little milk. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, or until a pale golden brown. Remove from the baking sheet and leave to cool on a wire rack.
If you want a golden scone version, Mary advises using light muscovado sugar instead of caster and adding 1 tablespoon of golden syrup to the milk and egg mixture. Beat this thoroughly to blend before adding to the flour mixture.