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Mary Berry Plain Scones Recipe

Mary Berry Plain Scones Recipe

Mary Berry's plain scones are light, well-risen, and perfectly tender — the simplest and most reliable scone recipe.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 12 Scones
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Calories: 215
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 450 g self-raising flour sifted
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp fine salt
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • 100 g unsalted butter cold and cubed
  • 280 ml whole milk cold
  • Extra milk for brushing
  • To Serve:
  • Clotted cream
  • Good quality strawberry or raspberry jam

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 220°C / 200°C fan / Gas 7. Line a large tray with parchment.
  2. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add sugar. Rub in cold butter quickly with fingertips until fine breadcrumbs with a few pea-sized pieces remaining.
  3. Make a well. Pour in almost all the milk. Mix quickly with a round-bladed knife until a soft, slightly sticky dough just comes together. Add remaining milk only if dry.
  4. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Pat gently to exactly 3cm thickness — do not roll. Cut straight down with a 6cm cutter — never twist. Gather once and cut again.
  5. Place on tray. Brush tops only with a little milk.
  6. Bake 12–15 minutes until well risen, golden, and firm. Transfer to wire rack. Serve warm within 30 minutes of baking.

Notes

Keep everything cold — cold butter and cold milk are essential.
Pat to exactly 3cm thickness — never thinner.
Press cutter straight down — never twist.
Brush tops only with milk — not the sides.
Best eaten within 30 minutes of baking.
Freeze raw cut scones for fresh-baked scones any time — bake from frozen.
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