Classic scones with jam and cream
The ultimate tea time treat

Scones are as quintessentially British as the Queen, Coronation Street, tutting, and the Hollywood Handshake. Whether you slather yours in clotted cream or dollop strawberry jam on first, this baked treat is divisive, delicious, and easy to make.
We've made ours with sultanas because they're superior in our opinion, but leave them out if you're not a fan. You can also swap out for something else like dried cranberries!
If you've never made scones before? Here are some top tips to get started.
Cold butter is essential
Your butter must be cold. If it's not, you might end up turning that flour mixture into a doughy paste instead. We always cube ours. This makes it much easier to rub into the flour to get that breadcrumb-like mixture you require.
Buttermilk is better than regular milk
Using regular milk to make scones is absolutely fine, but if you want to add next-level flavour, try buttermilk instead. Buttermilk adds a lovely tanginess to scones.
Don't overwork the dough
It's super easy to overwork dough, but doing so can over-develop the gluten which will make the finished scone incredibly heavy and not very nice to eat. Keep the amount of mixing and handwork to a minimum.
Be speedy
Once your dough is made, it's time to get your circular scones stamped and into the oven pronto. Why? Well, the raising process pretty much begins once the ingredients are combined, and you want them to rising nicely in the oven. Basically, don't leave your dough sitting on the side.
Get the right thickness
The optimum size of your stamped-out dough is 1" in thickness. When looking at your thumb, this is equivalent to the length of your top knuckle to the tip of your thumb.
Ingredients
- 450 g
self-raising flour
- 100 g
butter, cubed
- 100 g
caster sugar
- 100 g
sultanas (you can leave these out if you prefer)
- 100 ml
buttermilk
- 2
eggs, beaten and separated into two separate bowls
Clotted cream and strawberry jam, to serve
Directions
- Step 1Pre-heat oven to 200ºC (180ºC Fan). Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add butter and rub with your fingertips until butter dissolves into the mixture, and the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Step 2Stir in the sugar and sultanas and mix to combine.
- Step 3In a jug, mix together one egg and buttermilk. Pour into the flour mixture and lightly mix together until combined. You might want to use your hands to bring the mixture together as it hardens up.
- Step 4Lightly sprinkle a worktop with flour and gently knead the dough until smooth and soft. Roll to about 2.5cm (1in) thick. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out your scones – if you want you can use the rim of a floured wine glass – if you don’t have a cookie cutter.
- Step 5Stamp out scones two at a time, re-rolling the mixture gently each time. Continue stamping until you have 8 scones. Arrange on a baking sheet and brush with the second beaten egg.
- Step 6Bake for about 12-15 minutes until risen and lightly golden. Serve with clotted cream and strawberry jam.

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