Flakey Sourdough Discard Scones With Chocolate Chips
These heavenly chocolate chip sourdough discard scones will be the best scones you will ever eat. They are flaky, moist, and buttery on the inside while also being crumbly and golden brown on the outside.
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I love scones. What’s better than a scone is a sourdough scone. The tanginess of the sourdough pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the chocolate chips. Best of all, the moist and buttery interior will keep you taking bite after bite!
There are many sourdough recipes I’ve tried over the years. If I could only pick one recipe to make for the rest of my life, this would be it. I might come off as crazy when it comes to sourdough. However, you’ll understand why I feel this way once you try this recipe for yourself.
Why You’ll Love This Delicious Sourdough Scones Recipe
- They’re the BEST scones you’ll ever eat. Trust me.
- Very easy to make
- Unbelievably moist and buttery scones
- Crumbly edges on the outside
- No mixer or food processor is required
- Can be frozen ahead of time
- Great way to use your sourdough discard
What Are Sourdough Scones?
A sourdough scone is a scone that uses sourdough starter instead of buttermilk. The starter (or sourdough discard) adds a tanginess to the scones.
There are two types of popular scones: American Scones and British Scones. A British Scone is more like a biscuit.
These are American Scones. American scones are sweeter than their British counterparts. They come in a variety of shapes and flavors. Today, we are making sweet chocolate chip scones with sourdough discard.
Tips For Making Flakey Sourdough Discard Scones
I bake sourdough scones for the household weekly. I have learned so many helpful tips on how to perfect them. Here are my best tips:
Don’t Overmix The Batter
This is key to making a tender scone. In fact, it is better to undermix the scone dough than it is to overmix. The batter or dough should be shaggy the entire time. If you overmix the batter, then your scones will be more like muffins. They’ll still be delicious. However, you won’t get the flakiness. Moreover, this is a scones recipe and NOT a muffin recipe.
Cold Ingredients and Cold Frozen Butter
The ingredients NEED to be cold! The butter should not melt! If they are warm, then you risk making more of a muffin top instead of a scone. You won’t get the signature flakiness.
If you notice that your ingredients are warm or the butter is melting, simply put them into the fridge or freezer for a couple of minutes in-between steps.
For example, my kitchen stays at a hot 80°F. After each step in this recipe, I place the mixing bowl full of ingredients into the fridge for a couple of minutes.
Refrigerate Or Freeze Before Baking
Remember that the ingredients should be cold during the entire process. This also applies right before it’s time to bake the dough. The colder the scone dough, the better. This will help prevent the scones from spreading.
Use Heavy Cream Instead of Whole Milk
Although you can substitute milk for heavy cream, I highly suggest you stick with heavy cream. There were times I used milk for this recipe. However, the scones weren’t as flavorful.
Key Ingredients For Chocolate Chip Sourdough Scones
- Sourdough: You can use sourdough discard or an active starter. Either will work for scone recipes. You can learn how to make your own starter in my foolproof guide.
- Flour: This recipe calls for All Purpose Flour
- Sugar: This sourdough scones recipe calls for granulated white sugar. The amount of sugar used is minimal. If you would like a sweeter scone, simply add 1/4th cup of sugar to the original recipe.
- Baking Powder: Used as a leavening agent.
- Salt: A flavor enhancer. It will elevate the sweetness and should be used in most baking recipes.
- Cold Butter: Make sure the butter is COLD!!!! You can freeze the cold butter for 15-20 minutes after you have cubed it.
- Chocolate Chips and Mix-ins: The chocolate chips pair well with the tanginess of the sourdough. However, use any type of mixins that your heart desires.
- Heavy Cream: I suggest using heavy cream with this recipe. The extra fat from the cream gives you a better scone.
- Egg: Adds lift and structure.
- Vanilla Extract: Optional. Enhances the sweetness.
- Coarse Sugar: Completely optional. You can top your scones with coarse sugar. If you do not have coarse sugar, you can use granulated white sugar.
Step By Step Photos of Chocolate Chip Sourdough Discard Scones
Cube the cold butter and place it in the freezer for ten minutes. This ensures that the butter does not melt. You do NOT want the butter to melt!!!
You can use a cheese grater instead of cubing the butter. However, I have found that cubing the cold butter gives me more control in later steps.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. This is your flour mixture. Whisk together so that all the dry ingredients are combined.
Make sure to use a large mixing bowl in this step as you will need it. A medium bowl won’t have enough room to mix in future steps.
Put the cold cubed butter into the dry ingredients and cut with a bench scraper, pastry cutter, or fork. The goal is to coat the butter with the flour mixture. Moreover, you also want to have different-sized pieces of cold butter in the flour (small pieces and medium pieces).
Keep in mind that cold butter is the key to tender scones. If the butter is melting or soft, place the bowl back into the freezer for 5-10 minutes, and then continue to cut the butter in the flour until you have the right consistency.
Stir in the chocolate chips. You can use other mix-ins if you’d like.
In a separate small bowl, combine heavy cream or milk, sourdough discard, egg, and vanilla extract.
Slowly add half of the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and toss with a bench scraper or spatula. You want to toss it like a salad.
Add in the other half of the wet ingredients and keep tossing. Do NOT over-mix!!! You want the dough to be shaggy. In fact, it is better to undermix sourdough scones dough than it is to overmix it.
Shaping the Sourdough Scones
On a lightly floured surface, place the scone dough onto it. Shape the dough into a 1.5-inch thick disk. The disk will be roughly 7 to 8 inches in diameter.
Cut scones with a knife or bench scraper into 8 equal triangles.
Then cover the unbaked scones and place them into the freezer. You want the scones to be COLD before they go into the oven.
Baking The Sourdough Discard Scones
Once ready to bake, preheat your oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On the prepared baking sheet, place the 8 cold scones triangles two inches apart.
On top of the scones, brush each tender scone with heavy cream. Sprinkle the top of the scones with coarse sugar or granulated sugar if desired.
You can even place additional mix-ins on top of the scone. In my case, I chose chocolate chips and I placed a couple on top of each scone.
Bake for 18-22 minutes until the scones are lightly golden. Cool on a wire rack until you’re ready to eat! Enjoy!
How To Store Baked Sourdough Scones
First, let the scones cool down to room temperature. Then, place in an airtight container. These will keep at room temperature for three days.
Freezing Sourdough Scones
You can make this sourdough scone recipe ahead of time and freeze either before baking or after baking.
To Freeze Before Baking: Simply shape the scones into triangles. Cover and place in the freezer. Once they are frozen, you can place them in a ziplock bag or freezer-safe container. They will keep in the freezer for up to three months.
To Freeze After Baking: Let the scones cool to room temperature. Afterwards, place them in an airtight container. When you’re ready to eat, simply let thaw in the refrigerator. They are good for up to three months.
I prefer to freeze the scones before baking. To be honest, I never have leftover scones after baking. They are usually gone in the same day!
Other Amazing Sourdough Discard Recipes
Best Sourdough Apple Fritters with Sourdough Discard
Simple Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Applesauce
Easy Sourdough Crepes with Nutella and Fresh Berries
Recipe
Flakey Sourdough Discard Scones with Chocolate Chips
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Butter 113g or half a stick
- 2 cups Flour 250g
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar 50g
- 2.5 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Mix-ins chocolate chips, dried fruit, fresh fruit, nuts, etc
- 1/2 cup Sourdough Discard 150g
- 1 Egg
- 1/3 cup Heavy Cream or Milk 75g
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract Optional
- 2 Tbsp Coarse Sugar Optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- Cube butter and place in freezer for ten minutes. This ensures that the butter does not melt.
- Meanwhile in a large mixing bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Place the cubed butter into the bowl and cut with a fork or pastry cutter. Stir in the mix-ins of your choice and toss.
- In a separate small bowl, combine heavy cream or milk, sourdough discard, egg, and vanilla. Slowly add the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and toss until it forms a shaggy dough.NOTE: Check my blog post to see pictures of the correct consistency of the dough.
- Lightly flour your work surface and place shaggy dough onto it. Shape dough into a one-and-a-half inch thick disk. Cut with a knife into eight equal triangles.
- Line a baking sheet and place the eight triangles two inches apart.
- Freeze unbaked scones for at least 15 minutes. Make sure they are firm.You can freeze them for 24+ hours and bake them the next day if you'd like.
- Brush each scone with heavy cream. Sprinkle coarse sugar on the top of each scone. You can sprinkle granulated sugar instead if you do not have coarse sugar.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes until the scones are puffed and lightly golden. Cool for 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Check my blog for detailed step my step pictures. You will see the correct dough consistency for the perfect flakey sourdough scones.
- You can add any type of mix-in that you desire instead of chocolate chips. This recipe is versatile and the ONLY sourdough scones recipe you will ever need.
- If you live in a humid or hot environment like I do, you might need to add LESS liquid ingredients to the recipe. Your dough might be too wet. Slowly add the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients until it is the right consistency.
- Make sure your butter DOES NOT MELT. The butter needs to be cold in order to make scones. In fact, all the ingredients need to be cold. If they are warm, then you risk making more of a muffin top instead of a scone. If your kitchen is warm, simply put your ingredients into the fridge or freezer for a couple of minutes in between steps.
- Do NOT overmix the batter. I cannot stress this enough. The batter or dough should be shaggy the entire time. This is key to make a flaky scone.
- Flour your work surface. The dough can be sticky to work with. Make sure to flour your work surface to prevent the dough from sticking.
- My Post Has Step By Step instructional photos. Make sure to scroll up to see them.
- Love this recipe? Check out my other sourdough recipes such as:
I love making this recipe but don’t have any heavy cream. I can use either milk or half and half. Which would be a better option ?
Hello, Kris. Both options work but I would choose half and half since it has a higher fat content. I hope this helps!
This is a really great recipe! Thank you!! I have made blueberry scones twice and they are great!
Hi, Pam! I am so glad you love my sourdough scones recipe! And blueberry scones are so so yummy. Thanks for leaving a comment, I REALLY appreciate it!!!