1 litre high-quality double
cream (40%-48%)
100 ml sour cream, crème
fraîche or yoghurt with live
cultures (this is the starter)
20 gm rock salt (or to taste)
1 In a large and spotlessly clean
bowl, mix together your cream
and starter (sour cream, crème
fraîche or yoghurt), stirring well
to make sure the starter is fully
incorporated. Cover the bowl
with muslin and leave at room
temperature (about 25ºC) for
20 hours.
2 When the time is up replace
the muslin with plastic wrap and
refrigerate for a further 20 hours.
3 Remove cultured cream from
the fridge and leave it at room
temperature until it has warmed
to around 8-14ºC (30 minutes to
1 hour). This encourages the
bacteria to develop and the
cream to ferment.
4 Now we’re ready to churn.
Using an electric mixer
or hand-held beaters on
medium-high speed (or even
whisking by hand if you’ve
got arms like an ox) begin to
whisk your cultured cream.
It’s important to have your
bowl no more than half full,
as the cream will expand
before it splits.
5 When the cream completely
splits to form yellow globules
(called popcorn butter) and
liquid (buttermilk), strain
through a sieve, reserving
both the popcorn butter and
the buttermilk. This cultured
buttermilk will keep for 12 days
in the fridge (use it in dressings
or for baking).
6 Quickly knead the popcorn
butter on a cold, clean surface
by working it with the heels of
your hands, squeezing out any
remaining buttermilk until all the
moisture has been removed.
Season with salt to taste, then
knead the butter again to
release any remaining excess
moisture. Wrap in baking paper
and foil and store in the fridge.
Cultured butter will keep
refrigerated for 3 weeks and
will continue to mature and
develop over that time.Cultured butter
MAKES ABOUT 500GM BUTTER AND AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF CULTURED BUTTERMILK
Start this recipe 2 days ahead.
250 gm (1⅔ cups) self-raising
flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp baking powder
50 gm caster sugar
Pinch of salt
60 gm cold butter, diced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
50 ml buttermilk
Milk, to glaze
Butter, jam and clotted
cream (see note), to serve1 Preheat the oven to 180°C
and line a large oven tray with
baking paper.
2 Combine the flour, baking
powder, sugar and a pinch of
salt in a large bowl. Add butter
and rub it into the flour using
your thumbs and fingertips,
trying not to get it on the palms
of your hands. (If the mixture
gets too warm, it will become
tough, so the idea is to use theButtermilk scones
MAKES 6 LARGE, OR 10 SMALL“My grandma on my dad’s side taught me how to pickle cabbage,
onions and tend to the allotment,” says Grant Harrington. “My
grandma on my mum’s side – I’m sure like many of the best
grandmas – taught me how to bake. My other grandma... just
kidding! My mum’s mum is still baking in her 90th year and
is the best baker in all the land; her sponge cakes, trifles and
mousses are irresistible, but my main go-to is always the scone.
When freshly baked these are so tempting, either generously
buttered or smothered in cream and homemade jam.”coolest parts of your hands.)
When the mixture resembles
breadcrumbs, add the egg and
buttermilk, mix to combine, then
gather into a ball and turn out
onto a lightly floured surface.
3 Knead the dough quickly and
gently to bring it together, then
pat the dough out to 2.5cm thick
and cut into circles with a 5cm
cookie cutter (use a glass
if you don’t have a cutter).
4 Transfer the scones to the
oven tray, 4-5cm apart, brush
the tops with milk, then bake
for 10-15 minutes until well-risen
and light golden. Cool briefly
before serving warm with
butter or jam and cream –
and a good strong cup of tea.
Note Clotted cream is available
at select delicatessens and
supermarkets. If it’s unavailable,
substitute double cream. ➤