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    Home » Recipes » Recipes » Sourdough Discard Scones

    Sourdough Discard Scones

    Published: Apr 10, 2021 · Modified: Oct 4, 2021 by Lynn Polito · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

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    Tangy and moist, these Sourdough Discard Scones are another great way to use up some of your extra sourdough starter. You can use this base recipe to create dozens of different flavor combinations of these delicious scones!

    Sourdough Discard Scones in a basket

    What's In These Scones?

    There aren't many ingredients at all in these scones, so it's important to make sure you are using really high quality ingredients.

    Ingredients for the scones. Flour, Butter, Starter, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and sour cream

    Sourdough Discard- Discard is the extra sourdough starter that you would get rid of when you are feeding your starter. There are so many uses for it. This Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough is one of my all time favorite recipes, and these bagels are a staple in my house almost every weekend! You'll want to use the starter before you feed it in this recipe. Meaning it should not be bubbly, but rather in a state where it will lend it's flavor to the recipe, rather than it's rising capabilities.

    Butter- You'll use one stick of butter in this recipe. I like salted butter in this recipe because it lends it flavor better and brings out the tanginess of the starter. Try to find a high quality butter to use if you can.

    Sour Cream- Here's the magic in this recipe. Along with the sourdough starter, the sour cream makes these scones moist and delicious. If you don't have sour cream, you can use buttermilk as well. Make sure that you are using full fat sour cream, as the low fat or fat free versions will not give you as good of a texture and flavor. The sour cream also activates the baking soda to give these scones a good rise.

    Sourdough Discard Scones

    Let's Make Them!

    First, you'll want to make sure your butter is frozen. Grating the butter gives the best distribution of butter throughout the dough. Use a good quality box grater and be careful because they can be very sharp. Grate the butter into a bowl using the box grater.

    Add the flour and mix everything so the butter is coated with the flour. Add the sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Mix to combine.

    Grate the butter for the best distribution of butter in the dough
    A bowl of grated butter
    Mix the Flour and Butter to coat
    Add the Sugar to the dough
    Add the baking powder and baking soda

    Next, things get a little messy! Add the sourdough starter and the sour cream. I like to use my hands here, but you can use a spoon if you would like. At first the dough will feel very dry. Keep mixing gently until the dough is wetter and you are able to form it into either one large disk, or two small disks (for mini scones like I did) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

    Cut the disks into triangles, you can usually get 8 mini scones out of each disk. The dough will be pretty crumbly and you may have some leftover flour hanging out, that's totally fine!

    Brush the tops of the scones with some milk and dust with granulated sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees. Serve immediately with your favorite butter and jam!

    Add the sourdough starter to the dough
    Divide the dough into two disks for mini scones, or one disk for larger scones
    Carefully cut the dough into triangular scones.
    Lightly brush the scones with milk and sprinkle with sugar
    Sourdough Discard Scones laid out on a baking sheet

    What Else Can You Add in?

    Oh my gosh the possibilities are endless!

    • Blueberry Scones- Add in ½ cup of blueberries, fresh or frozen, to the dough.
    • Chocolate Chip Scones- Add ½ cup of chocolate chips to the dough, top with more chocolate chips for an even more chocolaty flavor.
    • Cranberry Orange Scones- Grate the zest of one orange into the dough and add ½ cup of fresh cranberries or ¼ cup of dried cranberries.
    • Lemon Poppy Seed Scones- Grate the zest of two lemons into the dough and add one tablespoon of poppy seeds.

    Let me know if you have any other ideas! The possibilities really are endless!

    Mini Sourdough Discard scones laid out in a basket

    Questions About This Recipe?

    I don't have sourdough starter, can I still make this recipe?

    Sure! If you wanted to make this recipe but do not have sourdough starter, I would double the amount of sour cream and add one egg to better bind the dough together.

    Do I have to make them mini?

    Definitely not! If you wanted to make them into one large disk instead of two small disks you could certainly do that! With kids, I find the mini are easier and they eat the whole thing, instead of wasting the extra.

    How long do these last?

    You can freeze them in Ziploc bags once they are baked and they will last for about 3 months in the freezer. On the counter, they will last in a Ziploc bag for about 5 days. It's best to bake them and eat them as soon as possible for the best possible flavor.

    Top the sourdough discard scones with your favorite jam and butter

    Other Recipes to Try!

    Did you give this recipe a try? I’d love to hear from you! Give me a shout on Instagram or Facebook and let me know (@Lynnswayoflife) !

    • Peanut Butter and Banana Oat Bars
    • Cinnamon Streusel Banana Bread
    • Pina Colada Smoothie
    • Baked Peanut Butter Donuts

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn small commission from qualifying purchases, however this is at no cost to you.

    Sourdough Discard Scones
    Mini Sourdough Discard scones laid out in a basket

    Sourdough Discard Scones

    Tangy and flakey, these Sourdough Discard Scones are a great use for any extra sourdough starter you may have leftover. They are versatile and easy to make for your next brunch or special celebration.
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    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 16 Mini Scones
    Calories: 184kcal
    Author: Lynn Polito

    Ingredients

    • ½ Cup Salted Butter Frozen
    • 2 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour
    • ½ Cup Sugar Plus more for dusting
    • 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
    • 1 Cup Sourdough Discard Not Active
    • ¼ Cup Full Fat Sour Cream
    • ¼ Cup Full Fat Milk For Brushing Before Baking

    Instructions

    • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
    • Using a box grater, grate the frozen butter into a large bowl. Add the flour and coat the butter in the flour.
    • Add the sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix to combine.
    • Using your hands or a large spoon, add the sourdough discard and sour cream. Gently mix to combine everything. The dough will be very dry at first, but keep working it. The dough is perfect when it is just holding together and most of the flour is incorporated.
    • Divide the dough into two disks if you are making mini scones, or one disk if you are making larger scones. Cut each disk into 8 triangles.
    • Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
    • Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve immediately.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 177mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 206IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @LynnsWayofLife or tag #lynnswayoflife!
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    Comments

    1. Sheryl

      December 29, 2022 at 1:21 am

      5 stars
      The best! I never made scones before but wanted something different to make with my sourdough discard. This recipe so easy that I’ve made 3 versions. Lemon Poppy is my favorite. My only change is that grating the frozen butter wasn’t working for me so I took the frozen butter and cut it up into 1/2 cup of flour using a pastry cutter. I added the rest of the flour using the pastry cutter to make sure the butter was finely broken up and evenly distributed. Worked great for me. .

      Reply
      • lynnswayoflife

        December 29, 2022 at 10:13 am

        Fantastic! I am so happy to hear that! Thanks for making my recipe!

        Reply

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    Hey there! I'm Lynn and I'm based just outside of Boston. I'm a wife and mom of two with a passion for cooking and creating homemade food for my family.

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