Musste doch eigentlich "self-rising flour" heißen - zumindest in den USA :-) https://www.google.de/search?q=self-rising+fl...

Edit: Here's a link on how to make your own http://www.myrecipes.com/how-to/cooking-quest...

In Britain/Ireland it's called self-raising flour, and as you say, has the standard proportion of baking powder already mixed in. And no, you won't get it in Germany or Austria. Nor do you need it.

However: scones need double the normal amount of baking powder, that's why your recipe says both self-raising flour AND baking powder. If your scones didn't rise enough even then, maybe you tried to bake them without egg (1 egg per 200g flour is essential). Another tip: yoghurt or buttermilk are better than ordinary milk. And don't preheat the oven.

Amazon.uk has offers for self-raising flour...wouldn't know which brand to recommend, because they're different than those in the US.

Das stimmt, mit Buttermilch geht der Teig viel besser.

Ich habe ein oder zwei englische Rezepte, die ich häufiger mal backe, und die "self-raising flour" wünschen. Jeweils so zwischen 175 und 250 Gramm.
Ich bin bei beiden gut damit gefahren, ein ganzes Tütchen Backpulver in die Schüssel zu tun und dann auf die für Mehl angegebene Gesamtmenge aufzufüllen. Ist sich immer gut ausgegangen im Endergebnis.

I believe that I have indeed seen self-rising flour here in Berlin -- perhaps at a shop that carried quite a few items from India. In any case, it's not necessary to buy it because it can easily be made from standard baking ingredients.

OT 1: In the US, it's use varies from region to region. It's quite popular in the South, but used only rarely in the Midwest.

OT 2: If the recipe came from Ireland, the type of flour used could also possibly make a difference. I've no idea as to how Ireland categorizes flour or what would typically be used in scones. I know that Austria uses a different system for designating its flour that Germany does, but I work with the German system now, so that's what I know.

Type 405 is roughly cake flour in the USA -- lower in gluten
Type 550 is roughly all-purpose (AP) flour in the USA
Types 812 and 1050 are like bread flours in the USA (Frankly, I've never seen 812 in the grocery store -- I had a recipe that called for it, and I found out that I could mix 1050 with 405/550 to approximate it.)

http://www.germanfoodguide.com/flours.cfm

A German packet of baking powder is for 500g of flour - if you read the packet carefully you'll find that written on it.

Then you need to add the extra baking powder. But watch out with that: if a recipe says 1 tbsp of extra baking powder, you need to add 2 tbsp of German baking powder, as the British/Irish version is "double-acting", i.e. you need half as much.

Don't preheat the oven, escoville? Das ist mir ganz neu.

Ich heiz' den Ofen immer vor, und das Ergebnis kann sich eigentlich sehen lassen, aber an die scones aus meinem Lieblings-Teegarten kommen sie trotzdem nicht dran. Muss ich direkt mal ausprobieren, danke!

Wenn man keine Buttermilch im Haus hat, kann man auch ohne weiteres die Vollmilch vor dem Hinzugeben mit etwas Zitronensaft säuern - der bessere Triebeffekt kommt durch die chemische Reaktion des basischen Backpulvers mit der Säure in der Buttermilch/gesäuerten Milch zustande.

I've found that all yeast products rise better if they heat up slowly to the baking temperature, that's all.

but I don't put yeast in my scones ... and I put them into a hot oven. 225 g plain flour, 1/2 level tsp salt, 1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda, 2 level tsp cream of tartar* ... "The secret of soft light scones is to dust the tin and the scones with flour before baking." (Katie Stewart)

*or 4 level tsp UK baking powder instead of the bicarb and cream of tartar.

I have never seen a recipe for scones that uses yeast. Haven't made them for years (probably more than a decade, come to think of it) but I can't recall putting eggs in either. Marianne's recipe sounds more like it.

I have just checked my "Good Housekeeping Children's Cookbook", and the recipe there calls for 200g flour, plain or self raising, 1/4 level tsp. salt, 3 level tsp. baking power (leave out if using self raising flour) , 25 g butter and 125 ml milk. And of course the oven is preheated. No yeast, no eggs.

@ Dragon
Sorry, the rest of my recipe is: 40 g butter, 20 g castor sugar, 1 egg made up to 1.5 dl with milk
So no yeast, but an egg :-)

I also checked my National Trust Teatime Baking Book. Various recipes for scones, some with plain flour, some self-raising, some with egg, some without. But none with yeast.

Backpulver fängt sofort an zu treiben, wenn es mit Feuchtigkeit in Berührung kommt. Wenn man dann noch lange rührt, hat es schon ausgesprudelt, wenn der Teig in den Ofen kommt.
Deshalb das Backpulver erst am Ende zusetzen und nicht mehr lange rühren, sondern so schnell wie möglich in den Ofen.

Re #14 and #7: While it's true that baking powder starts to leaven as soon as it is mixed with liquid, it is precisely here where "double-acting" baking powder comes into play. The initial formation of CO2 happens upon first contact with liquid, but more is generated in a second reaction that is triggered with heat. I don't recall seeing the equivalent of "double acting" on German packages, but the German baking powder I have has the same chemical makeup as the "double-acting" version from the US. (Contrary to what is said in #7, "double-acting" doesn't mean that it is twice as strong.) Still, whether using double-acting baking powder or baking soda plus an acid (such as buttermilk, lemon juice, a bit of vinegar, etc.), it is a good idea to get your dough/batter into the oven soon after mixing.

Sorry re #9. Of course scones don't use yeast. I meant any product that has to rise.

Incidentally I disagree with hbberlin's last sentence.

A baking-powder product will start to rise (as has been said) as soon as moisture is added. However, if you put them into a hot oven, there is a danger the scones will be baked before they have fully risen. After all, they only take about 5-10 minutes to bake if put into a hot oven (depending on size). I would mix the dough, cut out the scones, leave for 10 minutes, put in a cold oven and turn the heat on. And watch carefully, scones scorch easily.

#14 von "Rühren" kann bei Scones eh nicht die Rede sein - da bringt man den Teig nur ganz vorsichtig mit wenigen Bewegungen zusammen, damit sich keine Glutenstränge bilden. Sonst werden das unfreiwillige rock cakes.

Wow, jetzt bin ich ein ganzes Stück klüger. Ich hatte normale Milch genommen und den Ofen vorgeheizt - oh-oh...
Ich werde eure Vorschläge so bald wie möglich ausprobieren :)

Thanks a lot @everybody!