Polenta and strawberry scones

Name: Polenta and strawberry scones
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 8
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 300g self-raising flour; 2 tbsp polenta, plus extra to dust; 1 tbsp caster sugar; ½ tsp fine salt; 120g cold, diced butter; 200g cold buttermilk; 8 tsp strawberry jam; about 4-6 strawberries; 2 tbsp cream or milk for brushing; ½ tbsp demerara sugar; clotted or double cream, to serve

Danielle Alvarez

October 18, 2024

These double-decker scones are best enjoyed with clotted or double cream. William Meppem

easyTime:30 mins - 1 hourMakes:8

These delicious little scones come together and bake up quickly. Pre-filled with strawberry jam and topped with a few fresh strawberry slices, they’re a celebration of the start of spring and strawberry season. Polenta adds a lovely, crunchy texture, which is a wonderful contrast to the delicate scone. Enjoy with clotted or double cream for afternoon tea or as a freshly baked breakfast treat.

Ingredients

300g self-raising flour
2 tbsp polenta, plus extra to dust
1 tbsp caster sugar
½ tsp fine salt
120g cold, diced butter
200g cold buttermilk
8 tsp strawberry jam
about 4-6 strawberries
2 tbsp cream or milk for brushing
½ tbsp demerara sugar
clotted or double cream, to serve

Method

Step 1
Preheat oven to 220C conventional (200C fan-forced). In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, the 2 tablespoons of polenta, the sugar and the salt. Toss the cold butter into the dry ingredients and use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to make a dough (the butter should be reduced to almond-sized pieces and smaller). Do this quickly so the butter stays cold. Add the buttermilk and use a spoon or spatula to mix it all together.
Step 2
Dump the dough, which will look crumbly, onto a floured bench and press until it all sticks together without over-kneading, which can toughen the dough. A bench-scraper will help you move it around so everything stays together.
Step 3
Roll to about 1cm-1.5cm thick and then cut into rounds using a 5.5cm-round cutter. Press any scraps together, re-roll and cut a few more. Try to finish with 16 rounds. Use flour where needed to keep these from sticking to the bench.
Step 4
Dust a baking sheet with about half a tablespoon of polenta and place it near you.
Step 5
Use a 3cm-round cutter to cut out the centre of half of the scones. Place 8 full rounds on the baking sheet (spread them out so they aren’t touching) and then top them with the 8 rounds that have the centres cut out (total height is about 3cm). Scoop about a teaspoon of jam into the middle of each scone until it just fills the space without spilling over. Slice the strawberries into thin rounds and top the jam with 2–3 slices of strawberry.
Step 6
Brush the top edge of the dough with cream or milk and sprinkle the scones with the demerara sugar.
Step 7
Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 20–25 minutes or until golden-brown. Allow to cool slightly and serve warm with the clotted cream.