Pull Apart Jam Scone Loaf

Pull Apart Jam Scone Loaf recipe

We are a family of scone eaters; at a moments notice I’ll whip up a batch whilst running up to the shops for a pot of clotted cream. George has been known to request them as his birthday cake, although I never really need an excuse to make scones. This Pull Apart Jam Scone Loaf is the product of my over active imagination and a surfeit of jam, and I’m really rather pleased with it.

I have plenty of scone recipes to hand, but the base of this loaf comes courtesy of the lovely Food 52. They elaborated theirs with some sort of streusel, but in a very British turn of events, I’ve just slathered mine in jam. You can use your food processor for this recipe, or go in with your hands if you’d rather. The key is to not over rub in the butter, larger pieces here is good for a flakier scone. The double cream in these make them rich, not too sweet and absolutely bloody addictive.

The 50 minute cooking time is the only downside to this recipe, and waiting for it to cool in the tin is almost agony. But once your scone loaf’s ready, pull it apart to your hearts content.

The jam skulking at the back of this line up is a hoofing great big jar of raspberry bought in error; Clyde is a member of the jam police and will only eat strawberry, so finding an outlet for this bloody great big jar was a delicious win.

Make a start by buttering or oiling your loaf tin really well, you don’t want to miss out by having half your loaf stuck on the bottom. Pre heat the oven to 170℃ fan assisted.

In the bowl of your food processor or in a large bowl mix the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder.

Add the chopped butter, and if you’re using your processor, just pulse it 8 to 10 times, to mix it in, but still leaving some pea size pieces. If you’re mixing by hand, gently rub in, you don’t want the butter to totally disappear.

In a small jug whisk together the double cream, egg and vanilla extract.

Pour this into the flour and butter mixture then pulse or mix again until it’s just starting to come together.

Tip the dough onto a well floured surface and gently form it into a small rectangle. Then roll the scone out into a 15cm x 35cm rectangle.

Look at those lovely pieces of butter still showing through the dough.

Now cut the dough into 12 equal-ish pieces.

Generously dawb jam onto 6 of them then sandwich the jam and non jam pieces together.

Stack the jam scone sandwiches side by side, cut side up, into the buttered loaf tin. Don’t panic if they don’t fill it, they will once baked.

Brush the tops with a splash more double cream, then scatter over some caster sugar.

Pop into the pre heated oven for 50 minutes. To stop the bake burning, I set a timer for 30 minutes and loosely covered the top in foil for the final 20 minutes. The scone loaf is cooked to perfection when it’s golden, firm and smelling just stunning.

Wait for an agonising half an hour or so while the loaf cools in the tin on a wire rack, then carefully remove from the tin.

The Jam Scone loaf is now ready to pull apart at your leisure. Clotted cream entirely optional but comes highly recommended.

I was tempted to call this a tear and share loaf, but having devoured nearly half of this all by myself, I really wouldn’t recommend the sharing part.

Lucy x

Pull Apart Jam Scone Loaf recipe

Serves anywhere from 1 to 6 people, greed dependent

You will need a well buttered/oiled 1kg loaf tin

320g plain flour

60g caster sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

100g butter, chopped

250ml double cream

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 tablespoons jam of your choosing

A splash more double cream and a sprinkling of caster sugar, to glaze your loaf

Clotted or whipped cream, to serve

Pre heat your oven to 170℃ fan assisted and generously butter or oil your loaf tin.

In a large bowl or the bowl of your food processor, measure in the flour, caster sugar, baking powder, salt and chopped butter. If you’re processing, pulse 8 to 10 times until the butter is just mixed in, if you’re making by hand, rub in until you still have some large pieces of butter and some small. Don’t overwork the mixture.

In a small jug whisk together the cream, egg and vanilla, then pour this into the flour and butter mixture. Process or mix until the scone dough just comes together.

Tip out onto a well floured surface and gently bring the dough together into a rough rectangle. Roll this out into 15cm x 35cm rectangle. Cut into 12 equal pieces and spread half of them with a generous tablespoon of jam. Sandwich the pieces together, then stack them side by side, cut side up, in the tin.

Brush the top with a splash more double cream, then scatter with caster sugar. Bake for 50 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch. I set a buzzer for 30 minutes then covered the top with foil for the final 20 minutes.

Leave to cool in the tin then remove and pull apart, serving with clotted or whipped cream for the full afternoon tea effect.

The loaf will keep, well wrapped, for 2 to 3 days.