Mary Berry says scones will be deliciously moist if you do 1 thing after baking

A fresh scone loaded with a giant dollop of jam and cream is the ultimate British indulgence and while it's easy to nip to the shops to pick up a packet, scones undeniably taste better when they're homemade. Luckily, the timeless classic is surprisingly easy to make and only requires a few simple ingredients that are all combined together in one bowl. Of course, when it comes to baking there are things that can easily go wrong along the way, but if you avoid handling the dough too much and use cold butter in your mixture, then generally your scones should turn out just fine.

But what’s the trick to keeping scones moist? Well, baking legend Mary Berry says there is a very simple way to lock in that much-needed moisture and this all-important step comes right at the end. According to the former Great British Bake Off judge, wrapping scones in a clean tea towel once they come out of the oven is the trick to keeping them lovely and moist.

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By wrapping them up, the tea towel prevents the crust from becoming too hard as the scones cool down and it also traps in the steam, which will keep the centre nice and moist.

In her recipe for Devonshire scones, Mary explains: “Arrange the scones on the prepared baking trays and brush the tops with the reserved beaten egg/milk mixture to glaze. Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the scones are well risen and golden.

“Cool on a wire rack, covered with a clean tea towel to keep them moist. Serve as fresh as possible, cut in half and spread generously with strawberry jam and top with a good spoonful of clotted cream or whipped double cream.”

Mary also recommends brushing the tops of the scones with milk or egg before they go in the oven to give them a nice, soft top, or you could just opt for the tea towel alone after baking.

The tea towel method is best used when serving scones warm as it helps them to maintain their soft texture until they are ready to be eaten.

Any scones that aren’t being eaten should be stored in an airtight container once they have fully cooled to maintain their freshness and texture.

Wrapping them in paper towels or waxed paper before putting them in the container can also help prevent them from turning soggy.

If kept at room temperature they should last for one to two days, but if you need to store them longer you can refrigerate them inside an airtight container or freeze them.