From the 1950s divider · Off the ration
Proper Buttermilk Scones
Tall, crumbly and best eaten warm with jam and clotted cream. Whichever goes first is your business.
- Prep15 mins
- Cook12 mins
- Serves10
- DifficultyEasy
Photo: rawpixel, CC0 1.0 · Photo: avlxyz, CC BY-SA 2.0
From the tin
Scones were the fastest way to put something warm on the table when visitors knocked. Buttermilk was often what was left after churning, and it gives a softer, taller scone than milk. Whether jam or cream goes on first is a long-running quarrel between Devon and Cornwall, and every granny had a firm opinion on it.
Proper Buttermilk SconesServes 10 · 1950s
You'll need
Method
- Heat the oven to 220°C / 200°C fan / gas 7 and put a baking tray in to warm.
- Rub the butter into the flour, baking powder and salt until it looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.
- Warm the buttermilk and vanilla for 20 seconds, then pour into the flour and mix quickly with a knife to a soft dough.
- Tip onto a floured surface, pat to 4cm thick and stamp out rounds with a 5cm cutter. Do not twist the cutter.
- Brush the tops with egg, place on the hot tray and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until risen and golden.
