Lots of people like scones, but they’re not always easy to make. Thanks to Great British Bake Off’s Paul Hollywood, your baking should be about to go a lot more smoothly
It seems us Brits just can’t get enough of our scones but, let’s be honest, they can be a bit tricky to nail.
You’re aiming for that perfect balance – a scone which is soft, buttery and crumbly but also solid enough to hold together. It’s not the simplest of tasks unless you’ve spent hours refining your technique.
But don’t fret, as Great British Bake Off’s own Paul Hollywood has stepped up with some words of wisdom. He’s pinpointed the usual slip-up that’s making our beloved scones shrink.
In one of his latest TikTok clips, the silver fox shares his ultimate baking secret which promises to elevate your scone game, and it’s just about one key move. Sometimes it’s the smallest change that can make all the difference, and Paul has shown exactly what to do in an easy-to-follow video.
The star baker said: “I’m relaxing it all the time, so it keeps its shape. By keeping plenty of flour underneath it, it prevents it from shrinking. So if I cut that, it stays in that shape and, if I stretch it out and cut it it’ll go, because it’s trying to contract again.”
As you’d expect, the video has been super popular, racking up over 2,000 views on TikTok alone. People were queuing up in the comments to thank the celebrity baker.
One user enthused: “Great recipe. I sell basic scones. It’s not easy, even basic baking.” Another simply declared: “Gorgeous.” While a third expressed their gratitude, adding: “Thank you Paul.”
Meanwhile, a fourth also commented: “I made them gluten free, they were lovely. Thank you Paul.”
Previously, Paul has let slip other areas where home bakers typically trip up in their quest for scone perfection, identifying three major blunders. He explained what people need to do to perfect their bakes.
The famous baker previously advised: “Egg wash the top, try not to egg wash the sides. If it goes down the sides too much, it creates a glue, and prevents it from rising up.
“Lumps are bad in a scone because you don’t want a big lump of butter in there. You’ll end up with just butter pouring all over your tray, which is what you don’t want.
“Use the 15 minutes of a scone in the oven as a good rule. 15 minutes bang on is 99% of the time going to be spot on.”
For those eager to try their hand at Paul Hollywood’s recipe for classic scones, here’s how to pull it off.
Ingredients
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500g strong white bread flour, plus extra to dust
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25g baking powder
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80g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
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2 medium eggs
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250ml milk
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80g caster sugar
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1 large egg, beaten with a pinch of salt
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Icing sugar, to dust
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Jam
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Clotted cream
Recipe
- Take some baking paper, and line two baking trays. In a large bowl, mix the flour and baking powder together. Then add the butter and use your fingers to rub it together for a few minutes until it forms a breadcrumb-like texture.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the milk and sugar. Add this to the flour mixture, and stir together until it all binds together and forms a ball.
- Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and fold it a couple of times to add some air, but make sure you don’t knead it. You want to be left with a loose, soft dough.
- Use a rolling pin to gently roll it out to a 3cm thickness, and ensure there’s plenty of flour underneath so the dough doesn’t stick.
- Grab a scone cutter, and press firmly to cut out rounds and then pop onto the lined baking trays, while making sure to leave space in between.
- Brush the tops of the scones with a little beaten egg, and put them into the fridge for 20 minutes. This enables them to rest. Use this time to heat your oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7.
- Remove the scones from the fridge and brush them again with a little egg. Bake for 15 minutes until the scones rise and form a golden brown colour.
- Allow the scones to cool on a wire rack and, once cooled, dust lightly with icing sugar and serve as you wish.
