Heat the oven to 220°C, or 200°C fan and grease a baking tray with baking parchment.
Combine the dry ingredients. Add the self-raising flour and baking powder to a large bowl and stir together.
Rub in the butter. Add the cold cubed butter and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add the sugar and stir it through the flour mixture.
Add the milk. Make a well in the centre and pour in most of the milk. Gently bring everything together, adding the remaining milk as needed, until you have a soft dough. Try not to overwork it.
Shape the scones. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat it out rather than heavily rolling it. Aim for roughly 2.5–3cm thick.
Cut out smaller rounds with a scone cutter. Press the cutter straight down rather than twisting it, which helps the scones rise more evenly. Gently bring the scraps back together and continue cutting.
Bake. Place the scones onto the prepared tray and, if you like, brush the tops with a little milk. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until risen and golden.
Leave them on the tray for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack, although these are particularly good served while they are still warm.
