the perfect scone? maybe not, but that depends on your definition of perfect and scone. But this recipe is just so quick and easy, that I have used for years. For a brief history of the humble scone - http://www.dawlish.com/article/details/93
the ingredients, amounts and ratios are VERY easy to remember, but more than the ingredients its the method and the tips I will give, that helps make the mixture produce almost perfect scones. Most recipes require butter or eggs or both plus milk, I find simply substituting them for plain yoghurt (preferably full fat) eliminates the need for these extra ingredients like butter, milk or buttermilk and is cheaper
But more to the point it makes production a lot easier, perfect for those lacking culinary skills, and/or to get the kids to make and I think produces a jolly nice 'scone'. Not your classic crumbly or flaky texture that some people prefer, granted, but nice anyway. Whats more the recipe is easily adjusted to make sweet or savoury scone
add the yoghurt and combine the mixture as much as possible with a standard kitchen knife (this helps prevent overworking the mixture, which can lead to a tough texture
turn mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and quickly gently knead to combine the dough, a little more flour may be needed if excessively sticky
roll out (or pat out with the hands) until the dough is approx 2cm thick
cut with a 6cm round cutter, (see chef notes below) gently recombining mixture and re-roll if needed to cut out further scones - the amounts stated above should make a dozen scones
allow the scones to sit and rest for 15 to 30 minutes prior to baking
gently lift and place onto the pre-heated tray
bake for approx. 20 minutes until golden brown
chef notes
the science behind good scone production is closely following the above amounts and method
sieving the flour and baking powder together has nothing to do with removing lumps, but instead is about aerating the flour. I always sieve mine three times
initially mixing with a knife helps to prevent overworking and warming the mixture (which develops the gluten strands and toughens the scones)
when cutting the scones out push the cutter quickly down and vertically, do not twist. Twisting will seal the edges, preventing the scones from rising nicely
resting the scones prior to baking does two things
it allows the mixture to rest and the gluten strands to relax, preventing tough scones
it commences the rising process prior to baking, making the scones lighter
the pre-heating of the tray encourages the scones to commence rising immediately. Again aiding the scones to become lighter
variations
the recipe can easily be added to, to produce sweet or savoury scones and generall simply by adding the extra ingredients and not having to adjust the amount of flour or yoghurt eg
