The Best Sourdough Scones

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If you are looking for a quick and easy sourdough recipe suitable for anything from an everyday breakfast to a fancy brunch, this recipe for sourdough scones fits the bill. It comes together in just a few minutes and is a definite crowd pleaser. 

For the Love of Scones

When I was in college, the dorm food was typical. Nothing to write home about. But, on Sunday mornings they had a brunch. And at that brunch were scones. These were the first scones that I had ever tasted, and they were amazing! I would stuff my purse with as many as I could get away with to take back to my room for the rest of the week.

Cranberry white chocolate, orange chocolate chip, or good old blueberry, they were delicious every way they came.

After those decadent dorm scones, I was bound and determined to learn how to make scones for myself. There have been many recipes tested, some better than others. But in the end, I was having a hard time landing on something with the exact taste and texture I was after. 

Until, I tried sourdough scones and that’s been our go to ever since. In fact, we just enjoyed these for our anniversary breakfast alongside a plate of crispy bacon. Yum!

Sourdough Scone Frequently Asked Questions

Should I Use Fed vs Active Sourdough Starter?

The beauty of this recipe is that you can use either fed or discarded sourdough starter. 

Fed starter is starter that has been “fed” by adding flour and water to the starter making it nice and active and bubbly.

Discarded sourdough starter is starter that is not actively fed. Usually leftover from your last batch of fed sourdough starter that went unused. While this extra, unfed starter can be discarded, there are lots of recipes out there to put this discard sourdough starter to use.

Some of our favorite ways to use discarded sourdough include these sourdough scones, pancakes, crackers, cookies, and flatbread.

What Type of Flour is Best?

Our favorite type of flour for making these scones is einkorn flour. Einkorn flour is an ancient wheat that has been used for thousands of years and has not been hybridized like other wheat flours have. We love einkorn flour because it is higher in minerals and nutrients while being easier for the body to digest. And not only is it better for you, it tastes great! We have found that it is less dense than most whole wheat flours. It has a very mild flavor and substitutes very well for all-purpose flour

If you don’t have einkorn, you can substitute any all-purpose flour or a blend of wheat and all-purpose flour in these sourdough scones.

What Mix-in’s Should I Use in Sourdough Scones?

In our recipe for sourdough scones below, I will be using our current favorite, chocolate chip orange scones. We use orange peel powder (or orange zest) to make these sweet and deliciously flavorful scones.

However, the sky is the limit in terms of mix in’s that can be used. Some great possibilities to consider are fresh or dried fruit, nuts, chocolate chips (white or dark), or coconut.

What should the Consistency of the Dough Be?

As opposed to typical bread doughs, this is not a dough we will knead. The dough will be more wet and less workable than your standard bread dough. It should be firm enough to hold together on a baking pan but too wet to knead. If you have questions about the texture of your dough, check out our video on making these scone to see exactly what the dough looks like.

Is it Necessary to Freeze the Dough Before Slicing?

In order to make wedges that can be easily sliced, I would say YES, freezing the dough before slicing makes a big difference. You can certainly try to slice and separate your scones without freezing if you are in a pinch and need to save time. But, in our experience, attempting this is extremely frustrating. The dough is quite wet and sticky and the wedges do not separate easily. That leads to a less pretty, misshapen scone.

Putting the dough in the freezer for a quick 15-30 minutes firms up the dough. This makes it such a better experience to slice and separate them and results in a more lovely end product.

Can I Use a Food Processor Instead of By Hand?

Yes. While I prefer to mix my dough by hand, I know a lot of people prefer using a food processor. To mix in the butter a few pulses in a food processor works great.

If you run into any more questions while you are making these sourdough scones, let us know in the comments below. Now, on with the recipe…

Chocolate Orange Sourdough Scones Recipe

Ingredients:

2 Cups AP Flour (Our favorite is Einkorn Flour)
3 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
1 Tbsp Baking Powder (aluminum free)
½ Tsp Salt
5 Tbsp COLD Butter
1 Cup Sourdough Starter (Fed or Discard)
½ Cup Cream
1.5 Tbsp Orange Peel Powder (or orange zest)
½ Cup Chocolate Chips (or mix-ins of choice)

Directions:

• Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in mixing bowl.
• With a fork, work in butter, mixing in until crumbly and the butter is in small pebble sized pieces.
• Add starter and cream until a wet dough comes together.
• Mix in orange peel powder (or zest) and chocolate chips (or other mix-ins).
• Transfer dough to baking sheet lined with a silicone liner or parchment paper.
• Shape dough into a circle.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Freeze for 15-20 minutes until the dough is firm but still easily sliceable.
• Remove from freezer and cut into 8 wedges. Separate the wedges on the pan.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

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For another one of our all-time sourdough favorites, check out our recipe for Chicago style Deep Dish Sourdough Pizza. 

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