Anna Polyviou’s Butter My Scones Recipe

Butter My Scones recipe from Anna Polyviou.

“These scones are a winner, people come to the hotel before 11am waiting for them, or double their order to take them away. I always give each scone a pat as I place it on the tray: I believe the extra TLC helps them rise better. High heat is a must, as you want them to cook quickly; slightly undercook them, as they continue cooking once out of the oven.” Anna Polyviou

Ingredients:

• 400 g (14 oz/22⁄3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
• 50 g (13⁄4 oz) caster (superfine) sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 120 g (41⁄4 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 160 ml (51⁄4 fl oz) buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 1 egg yolk, whisked
• Earl grey tea sultanas
• 3 teaspoons loose leaf Earl Grey tea 100 g (31⁄2 oz) sultanas (golden raisins)

Method:

In a small saucepan, bring 250ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) of water to the boil over high heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the tea leaves.

Stir while infusing for 3 minutes. Strain the tea through a fine sieve, reserving the liquid and discarding the tea leaves.

Put the sultanas in a heatproof bowl. Pour the tea over the sultanas, cool and store in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap until needed. You can keep the sultanas soaking in the tea for up to 1 week.

To make the scones, put the dry ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add a pinch of salt and the butter, then beat on low speed for 5 minutes until the mixture is crumbly.

Whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla bean paste. Gradually add this mixture to the flour mixture. Mix on high speed for 2–3 minutes, until the dough comes together and there are no crumbs in the bottom of the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into two halves. Gently knead one portion of dough into a rectangle shape and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes.

Lightly knead the sultanas into the remaining dough portion, form into a rectangle shape and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Lightly spray two baking trays with baking spray.

Roll out each dough portion to a thickness of 2 cm (3⁄4 inch). Use a 5.5 cm (21⁄4 inch) circle cutter to cut out discs. Try not to touch the dough, as this makes it shrink: just hold the side of the cutter ring and push down.

Arrange the scones, flat-side up, on the prepared baking trays. Brush the tops of the sultana scones with the egg yolk and lightly dust the tops of the plain scones with the extra plain flour. Set aside for 1 hour to allow the gluten to relax.

Bake the scones for 15 minutes, until just golden.

Wait a couple of minutes, then eat them straight away, served with clotted cream and your favourite jam.

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