NOTE: Please ensure you use Self Raising Flour for this recipe and not All Purpose / Plain Flour. I cannot say if making your own mix of Self-raising will work. The best scones need to rise properly and not taste of soda or baking powder, and so the above ingredients are what I can advise for best results.
In a mixing bowl, add the sifted flour, salt and baking powder, and combine. Add the butter and rub in with your fingers until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.
Using a flat bladed knife, stir in the sugar. Then add the dried fruit if using.
Put the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for about 30 secs until warm, but not hot. Add the vanilla and lemon juice, then set aside for 2 minutes.
Make a well in the dry mix. then add the liquid and combine it quickly with a flat bladed knife. Once combined, place it on a well-dusted work surface.
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When it starts coming together, I use my hand to gently gather the dough around the side of the bowl so it’s nice and smooth. It will be quite a wet dough at first. Dust some flour on the work surface and place the dough on the surface. Shake some more flour on the dough and your hands, then fold the dough over 2-3 times until it’s a little smoother. Pat into a round about 4 cm (1 1/2 inches) deep. **** Please, the thickness is VERY IMPORTANT so measure if you are not sure!
When you turn the dough out on to the work surface, it will be sticky and a little wet at first. Don’t worry about this as you need to dust your hands and dough. Try to handle the dough as little as possible, and not be heavy-handed. This will cause the scones to be heavy and tough.
Take a 5cm (2 inch) cutter -( Plain cutters cut more cleanly and give a better rise than patterned edge cutters ) and dip it into some flour. Plunge in a single movement into the dough, then repeat until you have four scones. *** See tip below for cutting. By this point, you’ll probably need to press what’s left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four. Try not to overwork the dough, be light with your hands when reshaping. To ensure your scones rise vertically in the oven, when you use your cutter, be sure to cut the scone in one vertical action straight down through the dough. When removing the cutter, DO NOT do a twisting action, but remove the cutter straight up. If you twist the cutter, this will destroy the structure of the dough and you will not get the scones to rise properly with the classic break apart in the middle look.
Preheat oven to 220C/ 425 F / Gas 7. Also, preheat your baking tray. Brush the tops with beaten egg, then carefully place onto the hot baking tray. Bake for 15 mins until risen and golden on the top. These scones will freeze very well once cooked in an airtight bag, just defrost and reheat if you want them warmed through. Serve with whipped cream and jam,