Sophie Grigson's buttermilk scones

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF/gas mark 6).
2. Sift the flour with the bicarbonate of soda and the salt then rub in the butter. Make a well in the centre and add the syrup or sugar and enough buttermilk to make a soft but not sticky dough.
3. Pat or roll out, on a floured surface, to a thickness of 1.5cm thick. Use a 5cm biscuit cutter to stamp out rounds. Lay on a floured baking sheet, and brush the tops with a little milk.
4. Bake for about 10 mins until well risen and lightly browned. Serve warm, with clotted cream (or butter) and jam.

Cook's tip: When buying a rolling pin, go for the widest, heaviest one you can find - they make rolling pastry out much much easier. The new silicone coated ones are particularly useful when working with a really rich short crust pastry. The UK's leading home baking company Dr. Oetker is supporting Breast Cancer Care's Strawberry Tea event through its exciting new initiative, Bakemap.co.uk. The interactive microsite will invite the nation to upload their much-loved recipes and create a virtual cake map of the UK and Ireland, as well as encouraging visitors to use their baking skills and create fantastic dishes for their Strawberry Tea event. Get Britain Baking for Breast Cancer Care.