Ingredients
225g self-raising flour plus extra for dusting 
¼ tsp salt 
½ tsp baking powder 
50g cold butter, cut in small pieces 
25g caster sugar 
150ml buttermilk   
Beaten egg to glaze

Equipment 
5½cm round or fluted cutter 
Baking tray

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C. 

Put a baking tray into the oven. Put the flour into a bowl with the salt and baking powder. Add the butter and rub together with your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Add the sugar to make a reasonably fine crumbed mixture, lifting to aerate the mixture as you go. Try not to overrub, as the mixture will be lighter if it’s a little bit flaky. Now stir in the sugar. 

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the three quarters of the milk mixture and quickly stir with a cutlery knife until it forms a dough.  With your hand grab the mixture and push down with the heel of your hand firmly a couple of times only trying to gather all of the flour from the sides. Push into a ball and if it looks a little dry just knead a couple of times.  With your hands flatten the dough to 2cm.   

Dip the cutter into flour and then push into the dough around the edge.  Repeat until you cannot get any more scones.  Gather the trimmings and gently knead as little as possible to gather again so you can cut out a few more scones. 

Brush the tops of each scones with beaten egg and place on to the baking tray and cook for around 20 minutes until risen and golden.