Directions

1. Tip the flour into a bowl, add the butter and rub it in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the salt, sugar and dried yeast and then add the warm milk and mix to bind the ingredients into a soft dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 5-7 minutes until it’s smooth and elastic.
   Divide the dough into 12 and shape each into a round ball with a smooth surface then flatten them slightly. Place the balls on a buttered and floured baking sheet in three rows of four with about 2cm (½in) between them so that when they rise they will touch each other. Cover the baking tray with an oiled freezer bag or with a clean dry tea towel. Leave the splits in a warm place for 30-40 minutes or until they have doubled in size.
   Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7. Bake the splits in the centre of the oven for about 15 minutes or until they are a light golden colour and sound hollow when tapped underneath. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve the splits warm or cold, filled with jam or syrup and clotted cream and dusted with a little sifted icing sugar.