Every bite of these cheddar bacon sourdough scones is packed with flavor. The salty bacon, savory sharp cheddar, and fresh green onions create a symphony of flavor. The texture is tender but not dry. The toasted cheese on top not only is visually appealing but adds to the intensity of flavor. The dough can be made ahead of time and frozen so they can easily be baked at a moment’s notice. They are so fast and easy to make which is perfect for a breakfast, brunch, or midday snack.
Sourdough
There are very few things I do not add sourdough starter to these days. Scones are one of my favorites, but I also love muffins, donuts, and quick breads. Not only is the subtle tang and extra layer of flavor, but starter can make baked goods gut healthy as well. The wild yeasts that are in sourdough starter ‘eat’ or break down the flour when a recipe is long fermented. So by the time we go to eat it, it is broken down enough that it is much easier for us to digest.
This recipe calls for sourdough discard, so it is not wasted and ‘discarded’. Flour is expensive and I hate wasting it so whenever I can add extra sourdough discard to a recipe, I do it! If you have no idea what discard is, check out my e-book “The Art of Sourdough”!
Tools
Chefs knife – This makes chopping the bacon, cheese, and onions a breeze.
Frying pan – If using precooked bacon, this will not be needed.
Cutting board
Mixing bowls
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups
Liquid measuring cup – A kitchen scale can also be used
Bench scraper – This makes cutting the scones so easy since there are inch measurements on it. It also makes cleaning up the counter so much easier.
Sheet tray
Parchment paper
Ingredients
Mix-ins
Bacon – I don’t love to buy precooked bacon, but that works just as well in this recipe. If using raw bacon, cook it to a little below crispy. If there is a lot of extra fat it may effect the texture of the scones. I do not recommend bacon bits.
Cheddar cheese – Sharp cheddar is what I recommend because it has so much more flavor. White cheddar is also a great option. There just won’t be the aesthetically pleasing color pops of the orange cheddar.
Green onion – This recipe will use a whole green onion, including the white part. It just gets chopped and mixed in.
Scone dough
Flour – I use all-purpose flour, and it works great. I always look for one that is unbleached and organic.
Baking powder – Since we are not relying on the yeast in the starter there is the need for some sort of chemical leavener. That is where the baking powder comes in.
Sugar – Even though these bacon cheddar sourdough scones are savory, I like to have a little bit of sugar to offset and enhance the salty flavors.
Salt – You cannot have a good recipe without salt. I love this company because of how clean their salt is and how many minerals it contains!
Pepper – This adds to the savory flavor of the scone dough. Finely ground works the best, but any black pepper will do.
Garlic powder – This is another spice that makes the dough even more delicious.
Butter – Unsalted butter works great in this recipe. I prefer a little more salt in my recipes, so salted butter is usually what I use.
Sourdough discard – The tang is such a lovely layer of flavor. I have found that I don’t enjoy the flavor of baked goods as much when they aren’t sourdough.
Heavy cream – The high fat content of the heavy whipping cream makes these so rich and decedent.
Additional ingredients and substitutions
Chives – Chives pair so well with bacon and cheddar they make a great substitute for the green onions. If choosing to use these, use 4-5 chives, or about 3 tablespoons once they are chopped.
Cheese – Any semi hard cheese can be used in this recipe. A smoked cheddar or white cheddar would change the flavor but keep the texture the same. Do not use shredded cheese though. It is smaller so it would melt into the dough more and not leave little pockets of cheese.
Spices – If there is a flavor that is appealing, like paprika, parsley, or something like that, add it! For most things I would start with 1/2 tsp or so.
Let’s make cheddar bacon sourdough scones!
Mix-in prep
Preheat the oven to 400F degrees.
Cook up the bacon until almost crispy. This can be done in a pan or the oven. Once cool, chop it up into small pieces and set aside.
Chop up the cheese into cubes about 1/3 -1/2 inch. Set aside.
Wash and dry the green onion or fresh chives. Slice it into thin slices and rough chop it a few times to break up the rings. If using chives thinly slice those in the same way. Set aside.
Making the dough
In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Slice the butter into the dry ingredients and break it up by hand until it is the size of marbles. There are many ways to do this but doing it by hand will yield the best result. The butter pieces get too small when using a pastry whisk, food processor, or cheese grater. To quickly break in the butter without softening it make the ‘money, money, money’ motion. Then place a chunk of butter between thumb and fingers and continue that motion with all the butter chunks.
Pour in the sourdough discard and gently mix it in until it is evenly distributed.
Add the prepared mix-ins, the bacon, cheese, and onions, and mix to coat in the flour mixture.
Slowly pour in the heavy cream and mix just until the dough comes together. It should be soft, but not sticky or stiff.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a log.
Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a disk that is 6 inches across.
Using a bench scraper, divide the disks into 8 equal pieces.
Place all the scones onto a parchment lined sheet tray and sprinkle the top of the scones with a little bit of freshly grated cheddar cheese.
Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 6-8 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the tips are lightly golden brown.
Store covered at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Enjoy!
Storing
Store cooled scones covered or in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature.
Freezing
To freeze the dough, simply prepare it as directed above. Divide it into the 16 scones and wrap each disk in plastic wrap and place into a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 6 months.
When ready to bake place the frozen scone dough directly onto a parchment lined baking sheet and top with shredded cheese. Place immediately into a preheated oven. Do not let the dough thaw before baking. Bake for 10 minutes then rotate the pan. Bake for another 8-10 minutes or until the tops of the scones are lightly golden brown. The additional time will vary depending on the temperature of the scones.
Long ferment sourdough scones
To long ferment these scones and get the gut healthy benefits from them, they will need to be prepped in advance. Make the dough as directed above. Wrap the unbaked scone dough in plastic wrap or a beeswax wrap and place into the fridge overnight or up to 48 hours. When ready to bake place the scones onto a parchment lined sheet tray. Do not let the scones come to room temperature before baking. Bake for 10 minutes then rotate the pan. Bake for another 7-9 minutes or until the tops of the scones are lightly golden brown.
Tips for success
Mix- ins: These should be room temperature to cold. If they are warm, then it will be more likely to melt the butter and that will interfere with the texture of the scone. There should also be minimal extra fat on the bacon if possible because the extra fat will melt and could throw off the fat to flour ratio.
Keep them cold: The little pockets of butter allow for fluffy and tender scones. If the butter is soft when added or broken too small, it will cause the butter to become part of the dough which will yield a tougher textured scone.
Don’t overwork the dough: The large butter chunks are ideal and working the dough for too long once adding the cream will also develop gluten. This will also keep them from being soft.
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do. It is always such a delight hearing about how much you enjoyed a recipe so thank you for leaving comments! Don’t forget to share with friends and family so they too can enjoy making cheddar bacon sourdough scones. Thank you!
Bacon Cheddar Sourdough Scones
These savory scones are such a wonderful addition to a breakfast bar or for a gathering of friends. They are fast, easy, and can be in the oven in 25 minutes or less!
Ingredients
- 8 strips Bacon
- 4 oz Cheddar cheese (Plus more for garnish)
- 1 Green onion (or 3 Tbsp. Chives)
- 1 1/2 cup Flour
- 1 Tbsp. Baking powder
- 2 tsp. Sugar
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Garlic
- 5 Tbsp. Butter (cold)
- 3/4 cup Sourdough discard
- 4 oz. Heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F degrees.
- Cook up the bacon until almost crispy. Once cool, chop it up into small pieces and set aside.
- Chop up the cheese into cubes about 1/3 -1/2 inches on each side. Set aside.
- Wash and dry the green onion. Slice it into thin slices and rough chop it a few times to break up the rings. If using chives thinly slice those in the same way. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Slice in the butter and break it up by hand until it is the size of marbles.
- Pour in the sourdough discard and gently mix it in until it is evenly distributed.
- Add the prepared mix ins, the bacon, cheese, and onions, and mix to coat in the flour mixture.
- Slowly pour in the cream and mix just until the dough comes together. It should be soft, but not sticky or stiff.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a log.
- Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a disk that is 6 inches across.
- Using a bench scraper dived the disks into 8 equal pieces.
- Place all the scones onto a parchment lined sheet tray and top each with a little bit of freshly grated cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 6-8 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the tips are lightly golden brown.
- Store covered at room tmperature for up to 5 days.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Long Ferment Scones
Getting gut healthy scones is very simple. Make the dough as directed above, divinding it and portioning it the same way. Wrap the cut disks in beeswax wrap, or plastic wrap and place them into the fridge overnight or up to 48 hours.
When ready to bake, place them into a parchment lined sheet tray. Do not allow them to come to room temperature before baking. Bake for ten minutes. Rotate the tray and bake for an additional 7-9 minutes or until the tips are golden brown.
This recipe for cheddar bacon sourdough scones contains affiliate links. To learn more about how we use them, click here.
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