Keen on mastering the art of scone baking like a champ? Look no further than Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood for the ultimate tips to perfect your pastries.
Hailing from Merseyside and launched into stardom through GBBO after starting his career in his family’s bakery, Paul is now sharing his expert guidance with aspiring bakers via TikTok and YouTube.
Paul recently unveiled his fail-safe approach to scones on TikTok, promising bakers the secrets to flawless treats.
His key tips stress the importance of a smooth dough, precise egg wash application, and adhering to an exact 15-minute bake time, reports the Express.
He advises against acceptance of any lumpiness in the mixture: “Lumps are bad in a scone because you don’t want a big lump of butter in there, you will end up with butter just pouring all over your tray, which is what you don’t want.”
Spotlighting a typical egg wash blunder, he explains: “Now, egg wash the top, try not to egg wash the sides, if it goes down the sides too much it creates a glue and prevents it from rising up.”
And Paul is unequivocal about the bake duration, affirming: “Use the 15-minute scone in an oven as a good rule. And 15 minutes bang on is 99% of the time going to be spot on.”
By sticking to these guidelines, you might just become the top baker in your home.
When whipping up his version of scones, Paul opts for a blend that includes 500g strong white flour, 50g of butter without salt, a modest 80g of caster sugar, 5 teaspoons of baking powder, a pair of medium-sized eggs, and 250ml of full-fat milk.
He prefers to have all his ingredients prepared and an oven pre-warmed to 220C or gas mark 7.
He starts by blending the flour and butter, rubbing them together until they take on a breadcrumb-like texture. He then incorporates the sugar and baking powder into the mix.
Next, he adds the two eggs and gives it a gentle stir before pouring in the milk until it forms a soft dough. On a dusted surface, he folds the dough together.
Paul then rolls out his dough and dusts his dough cutter with flour before carving out the scones. He then applies an egg wash and adheres to the 15-minute rule for baking.
This method should produce 12 flawless scones. For Paul’s comprehensive recipe and step-by-step video, check out his YouTube tutorial.