Scones will taste ‘far better’ if you add 1 ingredient French-trained baker uses and loves

Scones will taste ‘far better’ if you add 1 ingredient French-trained baker uses and loves (Image: Getty)

Scone recipes may seem hard to get right, but if you are following one with the correct ingredients they will come out “perfect” according to Danielle Ellis, a French-trained baker and the voice behind baking blog Severn Bites.

She said: “There are so many scone recipes out there, and I hesitate to say that mine is the best.

“But it’s one that I’ve tried and tested and it always comes out well. Just bear in mind my tips to make the best scones you have ever made.”

One of the most important tips Danielle gives is to use one particular ingredient - buttermilk.

She said: “The ingredient to seek out is buttermilk. Once I started making scones with buttermilk, they got far better.”

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Buttermilk will make your scones taste better (Image: Getty)

The baker noted that it’s easy to find in many farmers' markets and most supermarkets and keeps remarkably well.

The prep time for the scones is about 15 minutes, and they cook in the oven for 12 minutes.

With this recipe, Danielle explained that you can either make the sweet or savoury version. You just need to alter the ingredients.

Ingredients (serves six)

225 grams plain flour, Type 45 flour is ideal

8g baking powder

45 grams of butter salted or unsalted

One large egg

125 millilitres of buttermill

A pinch salt

25 grams of caster sugar, for sweet version

50 grams raisins optional, for sweet version

100 grams of mature cheese, for savoury version

5g smoked paprika, optional for savoury version

Method

Start by preheating oven to 200C/Gas 6 before sprinkling flour over your baking tray and set aside.

Sprinkle flour over your baking tray and set aside (Image: Getty)

Measure the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Cut the butter into cubes and place in the flour. Rub the butter and flour through your fingers until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs

If you are making sweet scones, add the sugar and mix in. If you are making savoury scones, add 75g of cheese and smoked paprika and mix in.

Add the egg and mix the mixture with a fork. It should start to stick together. Add buttermilk a little at a time, to make a soft but not gloopy dough with no flour left in the bowl.

You might not need to add the whole quantity shown, but you just want a soft dough, and every last bit of flour has been mixed in.

The dough should be about 2.5cm deep (Image: Getty)

Turn out onto the surface and shape into a rectangle very lightly. It should be about 2.5cm deep. Do not press down.

Using a smooth 60mm cutter, press down to cut through the dough. Do not twist. Lift up and gently place the scones on the baking tray. Do not worry about any splits. Reform the dough and cut until all the mixture is used.

Beat the extra egg in a small dish and use a pastry brush to brush the top of the scone. If you are making a savoury scone, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top

Place in the oven and bake for 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Timing will depend on your oven.