Mary Berry Cheese Scone Round

Mary Berry’s cheese scone round is a single large scone made with mature Cheddar, mustard powder and cayenne pepper, marked into 6 pieces before baking. It bakes at 220°C (200°C fan/Gas 7) for about 15 minutes and is served warm.

Berry’s serving note in the Ultimate Cake Book (2003) is direct: “serve warm with cold meats, soup or a cheese board, with butter, of course!” This isn’t a sweet scone with cheese added. It’s a savoury bake sharpened with mustard and lifted with cayenne.

The trick Berry uses is reserving a quarter of the Cheddar for the top. She rubs 100g into the dough and sprinkles the remaining 50g over the surface before baking. The top cheese melts and crisps into a golden crust.

Mary Berry Cheese Scone Round

Recipe by Pinch PerfectCourse: Side DishCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Calories

283

kcal

From the Ultimate Cake Book (2003) and Baking Bible (2010), a single round marked into 6 pieces rather than cut into individual scones. Berry says to eat it “as fresh as possible.”

Ingredients

• 225g (8oz) self-raising flour
  

• ½ teaspoon salt
  

• ½ teaspoon mustard powder
  

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  

• 1 teaspoon baking powder
  

• 25g (1oz) butter
  

• 150g (5oz) mature Cheddar, grated
  

• 1 egg
  

• milk

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7. Lightly grease a baking tray.
  
• Measure the flour, salt, mustard powder, cayenne and baking powder into a bowl. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in 100g (4oz) of the grated cheese.
  
• Break the egg into a measuring jug and make up to 150ml (5fl oz) with milk. Stir the egg and milk into the dry ingredients and mix to a soft but not sticky dough.
  
• Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead lightly. Roll out to a 15cm (6in) circle and mark into 6 pieces . Brush with a little milk and sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese.
  
• Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Slide onto a wire rack to cool. Eat as fresh as possible.
  

FAQs

Why does Berry make one round instead of cutting individual scones?

Cutting individual scones means rolling, cutting, re-rolling trimmings and getting uneven sizes. One round scored into pieces takes half the handling time and every piece is the same size. Berry uses the same approach for her plain scones in the Baking Bible.

Less handling also means lighter scones. Every time you re-roll scone dough, you work the gluten and the finished scone gets tougher. One roll to a 15cm circle, mark with a knife, and it goes straight onto the tray. The chicken cobbler uses this same cheese scone base, but cut into individual rounds for the topping.

What does the mustard powder do?

It sharpens the cheese flavour without making the scone taste of mustard. Half a teaspoon is a tiny amount, but it does more work than you’d expect. Berry uses the same pairing of Cheddar and mustard powder in her cheese straws.

Cayenne pepper does something different. It adds a low background heat that you feel on the back of your tongue but can’t quite name. Berry uses just a quarter teaspoon, so it never tastes spicy. Together, the mustard and cayenne make 150g of Cheddar taste like more.

Can I use a different cheese?

Berry specifies mature Cheddar because it has the strongest flavour per gram. Mild Cheddar would need more cheese to taste the same, which adds moisture and throws off the dough texture. Red Leicester melts well but has a milder, sweeter taste.

Parmesan mixed with Cheddar (half and half) gives a sharper, more savoury result. Berry uses Parmesan in several of her savoury bakes, including her cheese straws. If you use a softer cheese like Gruyère, reduce the milk by a tablespoon because the cheese releases more moisture as it melts.

Why is Berry’s scone round so quick to make?

The whole recipe takes 25 minutes: 10 to mix and shape, 15 to bake. Berry’s method has just five steps, no chilling, no resting, no blind baking. You measure, rub in, mix, shape and bake.

Speed matters because scone dough deteriorates the longer it sits. The baking powder starts reacting as soon as it hits the liquid, so the longer you wait, the less rise you get. Berry’s instruction to knead “lightly” and roll out once means the dough stays active. Her iced fairy cakes use the same principle: mix fast, bake fast, eat fast.

How do I know when the scone round is done?

Berry says “golden brown and firm to the touch.” Tap the top of the scone gently with your finger. If it feels solid and springs back slightly, it’s done. If your finger leaves a dent, give it another 2 to 3 minutes.

The colour should be even across the top, with the cheese on the surface melted and starting to turn golden at the edges. The bottom should sound hollow if you lift the round and tap it. Berry slides it straight onto a wire rack, not a plate, so the base stays crisp rather than steaming.

What should I serve with the cheese scone round?

Berry lists three pairings: cold meats, soup or a cheese board. A bowl of leek and potato soup is probably the best match because the soft, mild soup contrasts with the sharp, warm scone. Her cauliflower cheese would pair well too, though that’s two cheese dishes on one table.

For a lunch spread, split the pieces while warm and butter them generously. Berry says “with butter, of course!” as if the point barely needs making. The scone is savoury enough to stand next to chutney, pickled onions or a strong mustard without being overwhelmed.