Chocolate Chip Sourdough Discard Scones

Chocolate Chip Sourdough Discard Scones Recipe By: Cece Kirkwood. This post may contain affiliate links.

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These Chocolate Chip Sourdough Discard Scones are the perfect combination of crumbly and buttery and will pair wonderfully with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning. The addition of sourdough discard adds a light tangy flavor without the need of buttermilk and is the perfect recipe to use that discard! For these scones, it is important to note that the Sourdough Discard in this recipe is “fresh” discard, meaning that it is not a discard that has been stored in the fridge and solidified over time – I use a discard that was recently fed.

Scone texture fits somewhere between a cake and a cookie. It should have enough binding that it holds its shape, but the minute you bite into the delicate pastry, it will begin to crumble and melt in your mouth. True perfection, if you ask me. 

These Chocolate Chip Sourdough Scones were inspired by my husband’s taste buds. I have a few scone recipes that are all adapted from my base vanilla scone recipe. They are sweet, light and you can even go the extra mile and add my optional fresh squeezed orange glaze to bring the whole scone flavor together. 

Because who doesn’t love orange and chocolate? Or at least that’s what my husband says.

The Process 

First things first, prepare the baking space by preheating the oven to 350º F and measure out all ingredients in separate bowls. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. You can sift these ingredients together or whisk, but make sure there are no large clumps in the dry ingredients. 

Next, add in the cold butter and using a pastry cutter or your hands, rub the butter into pea sized amounts in the flour mixture. Place this mixture in the fridge to chill.

In a separate medium sized bowl, combine 100g of sourdough discard, 1 egg, vanilla bean paste, vanilla extract and 2 tbsp of heavy cream. Remove the flour mixture from the fridge and create a well in the center of the mixture to add in the sourdough mixture. 

Begin combining with a fork, starting from the inside, slowly incorporating the dry ingredients into the wet center. About half way through, add in the chocolate chips and continue to combine using your hands.

Add in more flour or the extra tbsp of heavy cream as needed until you create a soft shaggy dough. Be careful not to overwork the dough here. 

Next, turn the dough onto a floured surface and push everything together into a circular mound. Using a bench scraper or a sharp knife, divide the dough into 8 equal triangles. 

Place the sourdough discard scones on a parchment lined baking sheet and place sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the scone dough from the freezer and place directly into the oven for 20-22 minutes.

Once baked, remove the scones from the oven and cool on a rack for 10 minutes.

If you are making the glaze, while the scones cool, combine the glaze ingredients in a separate bowl.You may need to add more sugar or orange juice depending on how much of a punch you want the orange to bring. Make sure your glaze is easy to drizzle, but not runny.

Once cooled, spoon the glaze over each of the sourdough discard scones and let the glaze set for 5 minutes.

Finally, it is time to dig in and enjoy! 

The Tips 

A few notes on the temperature of this dough…

In order to help the sourdough discard scones keep their shape, you cannot skip the chilling before the bake. The butter must stay in a very cold state until they are placed into the oven. 

Make sure your butter is cold! I like to prep my butter by cutting it into cubes and then placing it back into the fridge or even freezer while I prep the rest of my ingredients. 

How active should the sourdough be for this recipe?

For these scones, it is important to note that the Sourdough Discard in this recipe is “fresh” discard, meaning that it is not a discard that has been stored in the fridge and solidified over time – I use a discard that was recently fed.

Can I prep these scones ahead of time?

Definitely! Assemble the dough the night before and shape into the scones and then place into the freezer overnight! The next morning, pop the scones straight from the freezer into the oven and voila! Breakfast is ready.

You can also bake these a few days in advance. They will stay well in an airtight container for 2-3 days or you can tightly wrap the scones, once they are cooled, and store in the freezer for up to a week. The best way to defrost the scones is to leave them on the counter to defrost at room temperature. 

Can I substitute the sourdough starter for anything?

No sourdough? No problem! This recipe works great with a 1:1 replacement of buttermilk. So replace the 100g of sourdough with 100g of buttermilk and you will be on your way to a delicious scone.

Why is this recipe in grams? 

Baking is a science and in science you want things to be exact and precise. The best way to do this is by weighing out your ingredients using a simple scale. Ever baked a cookie using the same recipe, yet somehow it turns out slightly different each time? That is because when measuring by volume, you can’t be as precise. It is vital that your ingredient ratios are accurate for a reliable bake every time. 

The Chocolate Chip Sourdough Discard Scones Recipe

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