Ingredients: 1 lb (450g/3¼ cups) white flour, preferably unbleached 1 level teaspoon/½ American teaspoon salt 1 level teaspoon/½ American teaspoon breadsoda Sour milk or buttermilk to mix - 12-14 fl ozs (350-412 ml) approx.

Directions: First fully preheat your oven to 230ºC/450ºF/regulo 8. Sieve the dry ingredients. Make a well in the centre. Pour most of the milk in at once. Using one hand, mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk if necessary. The dough should be softish, not too wet and sticky. When it all comes together, turn it out onto a well floured worked surface. WASH AND DRY YOUR HANDS. Knead lightly for a second, just enough to tidy it up, flip over. Flatten the dough into a round 1 inch (2.5cm) deep approx. Cut into scones. Cook for 20 minutes approx. in a hot oven (see above). Cheddar Cheese and Thyme Leaf Scones Substitute thyme leaves for mixed herbs in above recipe. Cheese Scones or Herb and Cheese Scones 4 ozs (110g/1 cup) grated mature Cheddar cheese Egg wash Make the White Soda bread or herb dough. Stamp into scones, brush the top of each one with egg wash and then dip into grated cheddar cheese, bake as for soda scones, or use to cover the top of a casserole or stew. Rosemary and Olive Scones Add 1½ tablespoons of chopped fresh rosemary and 2 tablespoons roughly chopped stoned black olives to the dry ingredients and proceed as in the master recipe. Rosemary and Sundried Tomatoes Scones Add 1-2 tablespoons (1½ - 2½ tablespoons) of chopped rosemary, 2 tablespoons (2 American tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) of chopped sundried tomatoes to the flour and continue as in the basic recipe. Form into a loaf of bread or scones. Olive Scones Make a white soda bread dough with or without herbs. Flatten into a 1 inch square. Dot the top with whole olives. Brush generously with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, cut into square scones and bake as above.