These White Chocolate and Cranberry Sourdough Discard Scones are buttery, flaky, and easy to make. This is a great way to use up sourdough discard or active starter. Make them now or mix them up for a breakfast or brunch treat. There are so many different variations you can try like blueberry vanilla, chocolate chip, or lemon poppyseed scones. Sourdough scones are such a fancy treat made with basic ingredients.
What are scones?
Scones are lightly sweetened biscuit-like cakes made from flour, fat, milk, and eggs with added ingredients like fruit or chocolate chips. They have a crumbly texture and are often served with butter and jam. Scones are often enjoyed as a breakfast or brunch treat or as a delicious afternoon snack with coffee or tea. This recipe has sourdough starter discard added to lend a slight tang to the scone and get some fermented goodness into your belly.
Spice it up with different flavors
I have tried many scone recipes and a lot turn out dry and crumbly. Not this sourdough scone recipe! I use it for my basic scone recipe now and I’m always adding different ingredients to spice things up!
My favorite add-ins for Sourdough Discard Scones
Blueberry Vanilla – Omit the white chocolate chips and cranberries and add in 1 cup fresh blueberries. Add a tsp vanilla extract to the mixture as well.
Chocolate Chips – Trade the white chocolate chips for semi-sweet chocolate chips. Omit the cranberries.
Cinnamon Raisin – Add 1 cup raisins and 2 tsp cinnamon.
Lemon Poppyseed – Add 1 tbsp poppyseed, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1/2 tsp almond extract. If adding more liquids, you might need to add 2 tbsp of flour or reduce the sour cream to 2/3 cup.
Savory Breakfast Scone – Add only 1 tbsp of sugar. Add 1 cup shredded cheese, 1/2 cup chopped ham, 3 tbsp garlic chives and 1/4 tsp fresh black pepper.
Sourdough Discard Scones (Ingredients)
Flour
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Salt
Egg
Sour Cream
Sourdough Discard – use cold sourdough discard straight from the fridge
Cane Sugar
Butter- make sure the butter is very cold
White Chocolate Chips
Dried Cranberries
Step-by-step instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 with a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together the dry ingredients: unbleached all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Use a cheese grater to grate very cold butter into the bowl with the dry ingredients. (the butter must be very cold or frozen to get a light scone that doesn’t spread apart.)
Mix with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture is pebble-like.
Add in white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg. Whisk in sour cream and sourdough discard.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients until the dough forms a ball.
Divide the dough in half, making 2 dough balls.
Place the dough portions on a lightly floured surface and press it into an 8-inch round circle. (aim for 3/4 inch thick) Cut the dough into 8 wedges with a bench scraper or a sharp knife.
Arrange the wedges 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Repeat with the other dough portion.
Place the scones into the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Remove sourdough scones from the fridge and brush the top of the scones with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake until the edges turn golden. About 12-15 minutes. Let the scones cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Tips for making the best scones
Use very cold butter
Make sure your butter is very cold or frozen. This will create a light and flaky scone. It also prevents the scones from spreading out too much while baking.
Grate butter with a cheese grater
I find it easy to use a cheese grater for the cold butter and then mix with my fingers. You can also use a food processor to pulse the dry ingredients with the butter or cut in the butter with a pastry cutter. Either method will work.
Keep the scones cold
For best results, I put my scones into the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking. It keeps the scones from spreading out too much while baking.
Overnight Ferment
If you want to make the scones for breakfast, just arrange the wedges on a sheet pan and cover. Chill overnight. Bake until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
Is the dough too sticky or too dry?
Sourdough discard doesn’t always have the same amount of liquid and might be runny or quite firm still. Depending on how your discard was, the scone dough might turn out to be a bit sticky or a bit too dry and crumbly. If it’s too sticky to shape into a nice circle, add 2 tbsp of flour and work it in while you shape the dough. If the dough is too crumbly add a tbsp or two of heavy cream until the dough forms a nice ball.
Storing and Freezing leftovers
These sourdough scones can be baked from raw dough or baked first and then frozen. Both are great options but I love baking from raw dough!
After cutting the dough into wedges, place in a large freezer-safe airtight container at least 1/4 inch apart. They stay fresh for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen for 30-35 minutes at 400 F.
To reheat, let the scones defrost at room temperature and reheat in the oven at 350 for up to 10 minutes.
Making scones with Fresh Milled Flour
I love grinding my own flour using my Komo Grain Mill and using freshly milled flour in my recipes. This recipe was made using unbleached white flour but you can substitute it out for freshly milled flour. I like using kamut, soft white wheat berries, or spelt berries. If the flour has too much bran for your liking you can sift out most of the bran and then measure accordingly.
If you love baking with freshly milled flour, check out these recipes too!
More Sourdough Discard Recipes You’ll Love!
Do you have too much sourdough discard? Check out these amazing everyday recipes that you will be making over and over again. My Sourdough Cheesy Bread is my most popular sourdough discard recipe! A quick side dish to any lunch or supper!
Or try my Sourdough Flatbread! You can make it with or without sourdough discard.
Do you love seasonal baking? This Rhubarb Sourdough Muffin makes a moist and tender muffin. It is topped with an oatmeal streusel with tart rhubarb and hints of cinnamon.
Sourdough Scones – White Chocolate and Cranberry
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup cane sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter
- 3/4 cup frozen/very cold butter
Add in
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
Topping
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 3 tbsp coarse sugar
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cane sugar. Set aside.In a small bow, lightly whisk egg. Whisk in sour cream and sourdough starter. Use a cheese grater to grate the cold butter into the flour mixture. Mix with pastry cutter or use your fingers until the mixture has a pebble like consistancy. Add white chocolate chips and cranberries into the flour and butter mixture. Stir in sour cream mixtue until the dough forms a ball. Divide the dough in half. Place on dough portion on a lightly floured surface and press into an 8 inch round. Cut the dough into 8 wedges with a sharp knife. Arrange the wedges on a prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Repeat with second dough portion.Refridgerate for 30 min to 1 hour. (this is to harden the butter so the scones dont spread when you bake them)Remove from fridge and brush the top of the scones with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake at 400 for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove and serve warm.
Follow HOMEMAKER IN ME on Pinterest for more easy-to-follow sourdough recipes!
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