Your final guide to the perfect English tea scone – all common mistakes corrected

Ingredients

WET INGREDIENT:
• 1 large egg
• 3 tbsp (45 grams) plain yogurt
• 3 tbsp (44 grams) heavy cream
DRY INGREDIENT:
• 2 cups (240 grams) AP flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3 tbsp (40 grams) light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 5 tbsp (70 grams) unsalted butter, diced

Instructions

1. Crack the egg into a cup and beat until smooth. Transfer 1 tbsp of the beaten egg into another cup and leave aside as egg wash (do not add water). Then whisk the plain yogurt and heavy cream with the remaining egg until even. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, light brown sugar and fine sea salt. Add the unsalted butter, then use your hands to rub the butter evenly into the flour until NO SMALL LUMPS OF BUTTER ARE LEFT, and the flour resembles yellow cornmeal. Add all the wet ingredients into the flour-mixture. First use a spatula to fold and mix everything together until no loose flour are left in the bowl, then use your hands to knead the dough a few times until everything comes into a ball. Transfer the dough onto the counter without dusting more flour, and continue to knead the dough a few more times until it is on the CUSP OF FORMING TINY BIT OF RESISTANCE WHEN YOU PUSH IT DOWN. If the dough sticks to the counter, use a pastry cutter to scrape it off. The dough should look even but not as smooth as a bread dough.
3. Now dust the bough with a little flour to prevent sticking, and roll it out into 1 1/8" thickness. Press the flat side of the dough scraper on top of the dough to make sure it's flat and levelled. SLOWLY press down a 2" round cutter into the dough without twisting, then gently push the dough out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet without making large dents or making the dough too lopsided. Dip the cutter into some flour and tap on the edge to get rid of excess flour, and cut again. Once you run out of space, squeeze and remaining dough back together into a ball without big cracks, roll it out, and cut again. Repeat until you run out of dough. You should have 7 scones.
4. Brush the beaten egg on the top surface of the biscuits, then leave in the fridge for 30 to 40 minutes UNCOVERED. Meanwhile, preheat the oven on 420 F/210 C. Right before baking, brush a second layer of egg wash on top of the first (semi-dried) egg wash. This double layer is going to give the cap a really shiny look.
5. Bake the middle rack of the oven for 10 minutes, then turn OFF the oven, and leave the biscuits inside for anther 5 minutes to finish cooking. Transfer onto a cooling rack and serve warm with clotted cream (must) and jam.