These Chocolate Chip Sourdough Scones are crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside. The perfect homemade scones for breakfast or brunch.
I first fell in love with scones as a kid when my family lived in England.
They can be sweet or savory, plain or fancy, wedge shaped or round, big or small.
Great for eating fresh from the oven or cold at the church pot luck dinner.
I have a list a mile long of scone flavors and add-ins that I want to play with!
So many recipes…so little time…
And I’m always on the look out for new sourdough starter discard recipes.
So as far as I’m concerned, sourdough and scones are a perfect match!
Don’t have a sourdough starter yet? Learn how to make your own sourdough starter here.
I’ve already told you about the Sourdough Cherry Scones and the Sourdough Ham and Cheese Scones.
But, let’s face it. You really can’t go wrong with chocolate chips.
So this Chocolate Chip Sourdough Scones recipe was kind of a no-brainer.
I’ve made them in wedges when I’m pressed for time.
But I really prefer to use my round scalloped biscuit cutter for these.
That makes them just a little bit fancier.
And I kinda like fancy. When I’ve got time, anyway.
This chocolate chip sourdough scones recipe gives you 8 nice sized wedges.
They’re crunchy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside, and topped with a lightly sweet milk and sugar glaze.
You are, of course, welcome to skip the glaze to make them a little better for you. 🙂
Alright. Let’s go make some magic!
Chocolate Chip Sourdough Scones
Ingredients
Scones
- 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cups cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks) (If using salted butter, reduce salt by 1/8 teaspoon)
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard
- 2 teaspoons homemade vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk
Glaze
- 1 Tablespoon heavy cream or milk
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar salt, baking powder and baking soda. Give that a good whisk so it’s mixed really well.
Cut the butter in 1/2 Tablespoon pats, then cut those into 1/4s and add it to the flour mixture. Or you can use a box grater to grate the butter.
Using a pastry cutter or a fork, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is about the size of peas.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
In a large mixing bowl, pour the sourdough starter, cream or milk, and the vanilla extract.
Whisk those together until thoroughly mixed.
Now take the dry ingredients and add them to the sourdough mixture.
Use a spoon or your hands to combine the two. Make sure it’s well combined, but don’t over mix or the scones will be tough.
You could also use a food processor with the paddle attachment to combine the wet and dry ingredients. Pulse once or twice until combined.
But don’t use a stand mixer. It will mix too fast and that can cause the scones to be tough.
The will not be a sticky dough. It will be a little dry and crumbly.
So don’t worry. It’s supposed to be that way.
Press the dough in to a ball and put it on a clean counter top. It won’t need a floured surface.
Press into a circle about 8 inches around and about 1/2 inch thick.
Using your bench scraper or a sharp knife, cut the round into 8 wedges.
If you want to use biscuit cutters, press into a more rectangle shape and cut them out as close together as possible.
Then press the leftover dough back together and press it into a rectangle again. Continue until all the dough has been used.
Try to do this as efficiently as possible. Reworking the dough too much will make the scones tough.
Now grab your bench knife or a spatula to lift them off the counter if they stick a touch.
Put your chocolate chip sourdough scones on a baking stone or a greased or parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Now it’s time to mix up the glaze.
The milk adds just a little bit more moisture to the scones and the sugar gives it a lovely color and a touch of crunch.
In a little bowl or coffee mug, whisk the heavy cream or milk and the sugar together until it’s mixed. The sugar won’t be dissolved completely.
With a pastry brush, brush the glaze mixture over the tops of the scones.
Alternatively, you can brush the tops with the cream or milk and then just sprinkle the sugar over them.
Bake in your preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
If you have any glaze left over, brush it over them while they are still hot.
Put them in a pretty basket to serve right away, or place on a cooling rack for later.
If you wanted to up the flavor factor just a touch, you could add 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon to the glaze to enhance the chocolate.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sourdough Chocolate Chip Scones
These scones will keep for 3 to 5 days in an airtight container out on a kitchen counter.
Put your leftover scones in a freezer zip top bag and toss in the freezer for 4 to 5 months. To reheat, let thaw at room temperature and put into a preheated 350°F oven for about 5 minutes. You could also use a toaster oven. Or just eat them cold.
Absolutely! If you will be baking the whole batch, simply press the dough ball into an 8 inch disc and then wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Put the wrapped dough into a freezer zip top bag and freeze for up to 5 months. To cook, allow to thaw completely and then cut into 8 wedges, glaze, and bake as directed.
If you will be only baking 1 or 2 at a time, cut the dough disc in wedges and wrap each one separately and then follow the directions above.
You can sub about 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour without having to fiddle with the liquid.
More Sourdough Discard Recipes you should try:
Chocolate Chip Sourdough Scones
Ingredients
Scones
- 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cups cold unsalted butter 1 1/2 sticks (If using salted butter, reduce salt by 1/8 teaspoon)
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream or half and half
Glaze
- 1 Tablespoon heavy cream or milk
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar salt, baking powder and baking soda. Give that a good whisk so it’s mixed really well.
- Cut the butter in 1/2 Tablespoon pats and add it to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or 2 dinner knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is about the size of peas.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- In a large mixing bowl, pour the sourdough starter, cream or milk, and the vanilla extract. Whisk those together until thoroughly mixed.
- Now take the dry ingredients and add them to the sourdough mixture.
- Use a spoon or your hands to combine the two. Make sure it's well combined, but don't over mix or the scones will be tough. The will not be a sticky dough. It will be a little dry and crumbly.
- Press the dough in to a ball and put it on a clean counter top. It won't need a floured surface. Press into a circle about 8 inches around and about 1/2 inch thick.
- Using your bench scraper or a sharp knife, cut the round into 8 wedges.
- Put your chocolate chip sourdough scones on a baking stone or a greased or parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- In a little bowl or coffee mug, whisk the heavy cream or milk and the sugar together until it’s mixed. The sugar won’t be dissolved completely.
- With a pastry brush, brush the glaze mixture over the tops of the scones.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- If you have any glaze left over, brush it over them while they are still hot.