Paul Hollywood, judge on The Great British Bake Off, has shared what he calls a 'golden rule' for making the perfect scone: the '15 minute rule'. The celebrity baker says that baking scones for exactly 15 minutes will give them a rich, golden brown colour and a light, fluffy texture almost every time.
Scones are a classic British treat, and making them at home can be more satisfying than buying them. They are simple to prepare, using an 'all in one' method with just a few ingredients in a single bowl. However, baking can be unpredictable, and several steps need to be done correctly to get a good result.
The key to perfect scones
Hollywood, who returned to TV screens for season 17 of the Channel 4 show last week, says the key to a perfect scone is simply a matter of timing. Following the '15 minute rule' will ensure they always come out of the oven beautifully baked.
Before the scones go into the oven, there are two other important steps. The first is to avoid overworking the dough, or the scones will not be light and fluffy. The second is to avoid twisting the cutter when lifting it from the dough, or the scones may not rise properly.
Paul's 15 minute rule explained
In a video on his YouTube channel, Hollywood explained: “The oven's nice and hot. Grab your tray. 15 minutes. Go and have a cup of tea while you’re doing it. Pop it in.
“Use the 15 minutes of a scone in an oven as a good rule. Now I’ve been making scones for 30 odd years and 15 minutes bang on is 99% of the time going to be spot on. So you can forget about them.
“Look at the colour of these. That’s the colour you’re looking for – that rich, golden brown. See it literally just falls apart in your hand. That’s what you’re looking for in a good scone.”
The recipe and method
For his recipe, Hollywood uses 500g strong white bread flour, 25g baking powder, 80g unsalted butter, 250ml milk, 80g caster sugar and two medium eggs. A large beaten egg with a pinch of salt is needed to glaze the scones before baking, which helps give them their golden brown colour.
Start by mixing the flour and baking powder in a bowl, then rub in the butter using your fingers until the mixture has a breadcrumb-like texture. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the milk and sugar, then add this to the flour mixture, stirring until it combines and forms a ball.
Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and fold it over a few times to add air, before rolling it out to a 3cm thickness. Use a scone cutter and press firmly down – without twisting – to cut out around 11 scones. Place these on a lined baking tray and brush the tops with beaten egg, then put the tray in the fridge for 20 minutes to rest.
Hollywood added: “Meanwhile, heat your oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7. Take the scones out of the fridge and brush them again with the egg glaze. Bake for 15 minutes until risen and golden brown.
“Transfer the scones to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Dust lightly with icing sugar and serve with a generous helping of jam and clotted cream.”
