Sourdough Chocolate Chip Scones

Yield: scones

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 17

Chill Time: 15

Total Time: 47

Sourdough Chocolate Chip Scones are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and packed with melty chocolate. This easy discard recipe is a must-try!

4.78 from 9 votes

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Equipment

Ingredients

250 grams all-purpose flour about 1 3/4 cups
100 grams sugar 1/2 cup
10 grams baking powder 2 1/2 teaspoons
3 grams salt 1/2 teaspoon
113 grams unsalted butter, frozen 1/2 cup
175 grams chocolate chips 1 cup
120 grams sourdough discard, cold 1/2 cup
1 egg, cold about 62 grams
8 grams vanilla extract 2 teaspoons
45 grams heavy cream, cold 3 Tablespoons, plus more for topping
coarse sugar (optional)

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together until incorporated.
250 grams all-purpose flour, 100 grams sugar, 10 grams baking powder, 3 grams salt
Grate the cold/frozen butter and add to the flour mixture. Mix with your fingers until the small pieces of butter are coated with flour.
113 grams unsalted butter, frozen
Next, sprinkle in your chocolate chips or chunks and mix until incorporated.
175 grams chocolate chips
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard, egg, heavy cream and vanilla extract until smooth.
1 egg, cold, 8 grams vanilla extract, 45 grams heavy cream, cold, 120 grams sourdough discard, cold
Pour the wet ingredients evenly on top of the butter mixture. Mix the scone dough with a rubber spatula until the cream mixture is combined. The dough will be crumbly with some bites of dry flour. Be careful not to over mix the dough, the flour will be incorporated in the next step.
Turn out the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a rectangle. Then, with a bench scraper, fold the dough in half, then press down to create the large rectangle again. Repeat this 3-4 times. Folding the dough helps to create all of those beautiful flaky layers!
With your hands, form the dough into an 8″ disc. Cut the soft dough into 8 equal wedges with a bench scraper or a large knife. Be careful not to slide the bench scraper when cutting the scones! This will close off the dough, which prevents the scones from getting the flaky layers. Simply press straight down and pull straight up.
Place the unbaked scones on a prepared baking sheet with parchment paper with space in between them. Cover and chill them in the fridge for at least 15 minutes while the oven preheats. This plastic lid fits perfectly over my baking sheets!
To long-ferment: Store the covered scones in the fridge overnight up to 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
With a pastry brush, top the scones with more heavy whipping cream and sprinkle on a layer of coarse sugar, if desired.
Bake the scones for 17-20 minutes, or until the top of the scones are lightly golden brown. Remove and place on a wire rack to cool slightly. Enjoy!

Notes

Ingredients:

Heavy cream: It’s important to use heavy cream over milk because the thick liquid brings just the right amount of liquid to these scones. If you add too much liquid or use liquid that is thinner, your scones will bake up flat and dry. Canned coconut milk is fabulous non-dairy substitution!

Sourdough discard: I prefer using sourdough discard that is no older than a few days old for sweet recipes like these scones. However, you can also use active sourdough starter as well, just make sure to measure by grams instead of volume. Using COLD discard is also another helpful trick to keep your butter cold!

How to Not End Up with Flat Scones

Use a kitchen scale:

For the most accurate measurement of your ingredients, use a kitchen scale! Add too much flour, your scones will be dry. Add too much liquid, your scones will bake up dense and flat. This is such a cheap investment and it allows you to properly measure your ingredients.

Use cold/frozen butter:

To get the most light and flakey crust, you need cold butter! When the butter starts to melt while it is baking, it releases moisture. This creates those flakey layers. If you use room temperature or the butter melts before baking, the scones will be flat and dry.

Use cold ingredients:

Furthermore, to help keep the butter cool, use as many cold ingredients as possible, like cold eggs, cold heavy cream, cold sourdough discard, etc.

Work quickly:

As stated above, you don’t want your butter to melt into the dough, so you must work quickly.

Chill the dough before baking:

Chilling the scones before popping them into the oven allows the butter to stay cold, which gives you the best chance for flakey scones.

Variations:

If you are craving a little bit more sweetness and crunch to your scones, try substituting half of the chocolate chips for butterscotch chips, cinnamon chips or caramel chips, and add some chopped pecans or walnuts!

Nutrition

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