Can you please share your tips for great scones?

[BridgettRousselot]

My Mum makes scones like rock cakes, I want to make scones, how do you get them soft and light?

You need to use milk that is slightly sour so leave it out overnight. Also roll out the dough so it's exactly the same depth as your cutter.

The dough will be lighter and rise better if it is wet and sticky.
At most the scones will double in size so roll the dough to approx 2.5cm thickness.

Do not twist the cutter as it seals edges and stops them rising.

If sweet scones dip top in egg and then sugar for yummy crunch.

I always use a carton if buttermilk which makes them light and also don't handle the dough too much and a hot oven 220 ' c preheated.

I don't know if I'm allowed to put links in, but here's the recipe I use. It hasn't let me down yet! The squeeze of lemon juice acts on the milk to make it like slightly soured milk, as per the poster above. Also, I flatten the dough by hand rather than with a rolling pin. www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4622/classic-scones-with-jam-and-clotted-cream

I'll also recommend the BBC recipe - consistently wonderful scones. Just don't make them too thin as scones don't rise a lot.

Right - that's it - I'm going to have to make scones now! All this talk of scones.

Nothing better than a cup of tea with a freshly baked scone (and vast quantities of butter and jam). Yum!

Don't mix too much, just kind Of compress the batter together. Certainly don't knead it.

I use a quarter fat to flour.
Don't over handle.

Cold hands and don't handle the dough too much or for too long.

Paul Hollywoods scone recipe is fab and always works.

Tsp of cream of tartar.

Nigella lawson's scone recipe in "domestic goddess" and I second the top about not twisting the cutter.

"00" flour and buttermilk...

I use semi skimmed milk, 2 tbsps melted butter per 10 scones and plain flour, caster sugar plus a pinch of baking powder and a pinch of salt. I mix the whole lot with a knife.

I don't like scones but I have had great feedback on these (in the U.K. where people know their scones!)

I got the original recipe from a Bill Grainger book which I no longer have so can't remember how.much I tweaked it! Happy baking.

Put them close together on the baking tray because "scones like company". My granny's top scone tip.

Delia's buttermilk scones are always good for me. How to Cook book two.

Buttermilk, definitely.

Also, I read a tip about baking them in a deep tray rather than a flat baking sheet, and when I tried it they definitely turned out softer. I think it was something to do with them not drying out as much round the edges.

Thank you all of you

I made a batch, they were not rock cakes they were lovely and soft.

I think the mix wasn't wet enough, lesson learned for next time.

The tip for sugar on top was a lovely result, I didn't bother with the lemon.

I used the BBC recipe, I think I will double it next time and freeze some.

Thanks for all these great tips - we've made a handy page based on them here.

I followed the advice on here and have made the best scones ever. DD had three yesterday...

Thanks everyone

Having just read the tips i would like to add- never roll them out, just press the dough out gently with your hands

Never take a rolling pin to scone dough!

Bring it together with a knife, tip it out and then press it out with fingers.

Well, that's this afternoon's activity with the toddler sorted - thanks!

These were mine using PH's recipe today.