Are you looking for the perfect thing to surprise your valentine with? Do you need a treat to bring to a girl’s night or get together? Need a quick, easy, and delicious breakfast? Or are you just looking for something to do with your extra sourdough starter? No matter your reason, you have come to the right place. These sourdough scones check all the boxes.

Why Sourdough Scones?

I’ll be honest with you, when I first started using sourdough, I thought it was only for bread and anything that used yeast. I thought the idea of putting this sour mess into any pastry would be a disaster. Well, I can happily tell you that after over a year of playing and experimenting with sourdough that pretty much anything that has flour can certainly have sourdough start tossed in somewhere.

The starter doesn’t give it a sour taste at all, only a depth of flavor that adds to the richness of this pastry. Additionally, sourdough is actually good for you. The fermented grains increase the nutritional value, and it is much easier for us to digest.

If you don’t have time for a long ferment, you can just add your starter in and bake them right off. Or if you mix them up in advance you can let them ferment in the fridge for 24-72 hours.

Since the baking powder is what gives these scones their height you can use either active starter or discard for a very similar outcome.

Keys For Success

~ Use cold ingredients. You want to measure out your cream and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to use it so it is as cold as possible. Do the same with your butter! You do not want softened or melting butter at all.

~ If you forget to chill your ingredients don’t panic. Just put your shaped scones into the fridge for 10-15 minutes rather than just baking. This will help prevent them from spreading.

~ Use frozen raspberries. It can be tempting to use freshly ripe raspberries. I did this and it will cause them to spread out like pancakes due to all the moisture. They will still taste great, but aesthetically? They are a mess.

~ Use your hands to mix in the butter because this ensures they don’t get over mixed. The size of the butter chunks plays a large role in the texture. You want to break it apart, not pack it together. Rub your thumb across your fingers like you are saying “money, money, money”. That is the motion you are going to use to mix the butter into the flour.

Ingredients:

Flour~ I used all purpose white flour but you can substitute in freshly milled wheat flour, just decrease the amount to 1 1/4 cups. You will want to set a little bit aside for the counter and your rolling pin.

Sugar~ I used regular organic cane sugar for these but maple sugar is also a family favorite.

Baking Powder~ This is actually what gives the scone its lift, not the sourdough.

Salt~ This adds depth of flavor and brings out the key notes of the other ingredients.

Vanilla~ This is what takes these to the next level by adding that extra layer of flavor to the dough itself.

Butter~ The texture of the butter determines the flakiness, fluffiness, and overall texture of the scones. Cold butter that has been broken into pea sized chunks is ideal.

Cream~ I have tried this before with both milk and buttermilk. Nothing makes quite as rich and wonderful a scone as the heavy cream. It results in a moist, flavorful, puffy pastry.

White Chocolate~ I like to use a high-quality white chocolate that melts well so it can be drizzled over the top once they are baked. It really makes them look like they came straight from the shelves of a high tier bakery!

Raspberries~ Make sure to use frozen berries. Do not let them thaw at all before you add them.

Lets Get Baking!

~ Measure out your cream and put it into the fridge to keep cold. Cut your butter into slices and put that back into the fridge as well.

~ Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together.

~ Add in the butter and use your hands to break it until you have pea sized chunks.

~ Add in your raspberries and chocolate. Mix until they are well coated with flour. This will help prevent the raspberries from turning your whole scone pink.

~ Add in your sourdough starter into your cream and vanilla being particularly careful to not over mix your dough.

~ Divide into two equal sized discs that are six inches or so in diameter. (If you want large scones only make one disc that is ten inches across.)

~ Cut each disc into eight equal slices.

~ Transfer to a baking sheet and brush with heavy cream.

~ Bake for 10 minutes then rotate your sheet and bake for an additional 8 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden brown.

~ Allow them to cool and drizzle with melted white chocolate.

~ Enjoy!

Long Ferment Scones

You will make the dough exactly the same as the quick bake option. Once you add the cream transfer it to a covered bowl in the fridge for 24-72 hours. When it is fermented to your liking shape and cut them and transfer them to the fridge for 30 minutes to solidify. This will keep them from spreading and help them to hold their shape. Bake and enjoy!