DEVONSHIRE SPLITS

iNGREDIENTS:

mETHOD:

1 lb. Plain flour

¼ oz dried yeast or ½ oz of fresh

½ oz caster sugar

2 oz butter.

½ pint tepid milk

Pinch of salt

Cream the yeast and sugar, together if using fresh yeast and then add the milk. Or if using dried yeast, sprinkle the yeast and sugar on to a little of the warm milk and leave until the surface is covered with bubbles.

Sift the flour and salt into a warm basin and make a well in the centre. Melt the butter gently and then add the risen yeast, the rest of the milk and the melted butter and mix all to a smooth dough. Cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place, as for Saffron Cake, until the dough has doubled in size. Turn out on a lightly floured board and knead for 5 minutes, then divide the dough into 15 portions, form into balls and put them, well apart, on a greased baking sheet. Leave until the buns have risen again and are almost touching each other, then bake in a pre-heated oven, Gas mark 6, 400 F 205 C, for 20 minutes.

To eat, either split them while they are hot and spread with butter and jam or let them get cold, then split them and spread with scalded cream and jam.

When the splits are spread with cream and treacle they are known as Thunder and Lightning'.