James Martin Cheese Scone Recipes

JAMES MARTIN SCONE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan, and line the tray with baking paper.
• Mix the flour, baking powder and sugar in a big bowl.
• Add the cubed butter, and with your fingers, rub it into the flour until you have a fine bread-crumb consistency.
• Pour ⅔ (a little more than half) of the milk into the flour mix and gently start combining. Keep adding the rest of the milk in individual steps not to make the dough too wet.Note: Different flour absorbs different amounts of liquid. I usually don't need to use all the recommended milk.
• Tip the dough onto a floured surface, dust some flour over the top, and give it a few more gentle folds. Don't work with the dough too much; it makes the scones' tougher.
• Roll the dough into a 2 cm thick roundish shape.Tip: You can use your hands to pat the dough to the desired thickness.
• Cut out the scones with a round cutter approx 7 cm in diameter, and place them onto a baking tray.
• Give each scone an egg wash (just the top, not the sides).Optional: You can rest the scones for around 15 minutes in the fridge before baking to encourage a better even rise.
• Bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until the scones have risen and their top is golden brown.
• Scones taste the best freshly baked and served with strawberry jam and clotted cream.

CHEDDAR & SAGE SCONES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Mix the flour, mustard powder, ½ tsp salt and a grinding of black pepper in a large bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in half of the cheese and the sage. Mix together the egg and buttermilk in a separate bowl.
• Make a well in the centre of the flour mix and pour in all but ½ tbsp of the buttermilk mix. Working quickly, stir until the mixture forms a soft, spongy dough. Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth. Roll out to a 3cm-thick square. Cut into quarters, then half each quarter diagonally, so you have 8 triangles. Place the scones on a floured baking tray, brush with the remaining buttermilk, sprinkle over the remaining cheese and top each with a sage leaf. Bake for 12-14 mins until they are well risen, golden and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Eat while still warm, spread with butter.

CLASSIC CHEESE SCONES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 with a large baking tray inside. Sift the flour, salt, cayenne pepper and baking powder into a bowl, then sift again to make sure the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
• Add the butter to the bowl and combine with your fingertips to make breadcrumbs. Sprinkle 100g of the cheese into the breadcrumb mixture and rub together until evenly distributed. Try not to mix too much as the heat from your hands may start to melt the butter.
• Make a well in the centre of the mixture and pour in enough milk to give a fairly soft but firm dough. Do not pour in all the milk at once as you may not need it all to get the right consistency.
• Lightly flour a surface and roll out the dough to approximately 2cm thick. Cut out the scones with a medium (about 8cm) cutter, then put on a sheet of baking parchment, glaze with a little milk and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Slide onto the hot oven tray.
• Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins or until golden brown and cooked through.