Put rack across the middle of the oven and turn on to 425F
Shake a handful of flour over a biscuit tray, or roasting tin.
Mix dry ingredients:
Sift together, 1 lb of plain flour, 4 level teaspoons of baking powder, 1 level teasp salt.
Rub in: 4 oz of packet marg like Stork, or butter. Rub in till fine crumb texture.
Stir in 2 oz of caster sugar.
Liquids: in your measuring jug, mix together: 5 fl oz natural yogurt and 5 floz cold water.(ie quarter pint of each)
Whisk lightly to mix.
Beat an egg in a cup and add most of it to the jug of liquid. (leave a little behind for glazing)
When the oven has reached temperature and tins ready (and not before!)---
Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix quickly but thoroughly with a fork: knead very briefly to amalgamate dough. Handle lightly.
With floury hand, press out on floured tray, about 1/4 to a /1/2 inch thick. Slash into squares, no need to separate them unless you want to.
Glaze the squares with the last bit of egg to which you might add a drop of milk .
Pop quickly into oven and bake for about 15 mins.
You can of course cut with a cutter into the classic rounds and bake them fairly close together. But do not let too much time elapse between adding the liquid to the dry, and baking.
The rise comes from the interaction of the acid yogurt with the baking powder: if left too long it loses its fizz!
You can halve quantities if wished.
A rich full-fat yogurt gives richest result.
Currants can be added, or sugar omitted, etc.
Eat same day (won't be a problem!) as scones stale quickly.
*****************************************************
Postscript: ingredients list;
Plain flour, 1 lb
Baking powder, 4 level teaspoons
salt, 1 level teaspoon
Hard margarine or butter 4 oz
Egg, 1.
Caster sugar, about 2 oz.
Natural yogurt 5 fl oz
Water 5 fl oz.
