Scones are such an easy and comforting treat to make. They pair well with tea, coffee, or breakfast foods, and can easily be taken on a picnic, or can be enjoyed as dessert. These sourdough chocolate chip scones are no exception. They are soft and tender with the subtle taste of vanilla. Each and every bite is filled with mini chocolate chips. Like a chocolate chip cookie, but less sweet and a little more satisfying.
One of my favorite things, especially in the summer, is to bring baskets of baked goods to friends and family. Scones are a go-to because they are so easy to put together and can be in the oven in less than 20 minutes. Freshly baked treats bring so much joy and comfort. A little thrifted basket filled with delicious treats, like scones or muffins, left on a doorstep. Perfect for someone who just lost a loved one, welcomed a new addition into the family, or who is dealing with a stressful season of life.
Sourdough
I love adding my sourdough discard to everything! It adds that subtle tanginess and layer of flavor I just cannot get any other way. I add it to everything from muffins to cake doughnuts, and quick breads. The active starter is used multiple times a week as well in place of yeast. However, because the cost of flour just keeps going up, I don’t like wasting my discard if I can help it. If you are a bit overwhelmed by sourdough, check out my e-book “The Art of Sourdough”.
Be sure to check out the blog for more sourdough discard recipes! These sourdough chocolate chip scones are part of a summer sourdough scone series with so many other wonderful flavor combinations. Flavors such as bacon cheddar, lemon poppy, white chocolate pecan, blackberry coconut, and vanilla bean!
Tools
Mixing bowls
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups
Liquid measuring cup – A kitchen scale can also be used
Bench scraper
Sheet tray
Parchment paper
Ingredients
Flour: All-purpose flour works perfectly in this recipe. Try to find unbleached and organic if you can.
Baking powder: This is what gives the scones their rise. We are not fermenting these or letting them rise on the counter like we do with a loaf of bread, so something else is needed to keep them soft and fluffy.
Sugar: Organic cane sugar is my favorite because of its neutral flavor.
Salt: No recipe is complete without a pinch of salt to balance and tie together the flavors.
Butter: Salted butter, or unsalted butter works for this recipe. Personally, I like to use salted.
Sourdough discard: Since we do not need the yeast to be active, sourdough discard works just fine for this recipe.
Vanilla extract: This adds a bit of flavor to the scone dough and enhances the flavors of the chocolate.
Mini Chocolate chips: I really like how cute the mini chips look in the scones.
Heavy cream: This is what hydrates and pulls the dough together. The high fat content in heavy whipping cream makes these so rich and flavorful.
Additional ingredients and substitutions
Chocolate chips: If you do not like the look of the mini chips or just want to use big ones, that works just as well. Other kinds of chocolate can also be used in place of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips. Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or white chocolate are all lovely in these!
Cream: I do not recommend using something other than heavy cream. It totally can be done if needed but the cream makes these sourdough chocolate chip scones so rich. If something is used instead of cream, it might be a thinner texture. A little bit less may be needed to pull the dough together, so start with less.
Sourdough starter: Active sourdough starter can totally be used in this recipe. Starter tends to be thicker than discard. When pulling the dough together, have a little extra cream on hand so the dough does not turn out to stiff.
Let’s make sourdough chocolate chip scones!
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl add flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine.
Slice the butter into the dry ingredients and break it into chunks by hand. To do this, make the ‘money, money, money’ motion. Place a piece of butter between your thumb and fingers and make the motion again. Continue to do this with the flour and butter. Stop when the butter pieces are the size of marbles.
There are many ways to add the butter into the flour mixture. Using frozen butter and grating it in using a cheese grater is an option. So is using a food processor, pastry cutter, or a pastry whisk. However, I think these tend to break the butter into pieces that are too small. Since we are adding sourdough discard and also mixing that in, the butter can get broken up too much which yields a scone that isn’t as soft or tender.
Add the sourdough discard and mix that in gently by hand until it is evenly distributed.
Pour in the chocolate chips into the sourdough mixture and mix to coat them.
Add the vanilla and the cream. Mix until the dough just comes together. Do not over work the dough so it doesn’t get tough. It should be soft but not sticky. Add a little bit more flour or cream if needed.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter.
Divide the dough into two equal parts then shape each half into a disk that is 6 inches across.
Using a bench scraper or a sharp knife, cut the disks into 8 equal pieces and place them onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake for another 5-7, or until the top of the scones are just starting to turn golden brown. Cool them on a wire rack if desired.
Enjoy!
Storing
To store any leftover scones, simply cover them or keep them in an air-tight container at room temperature. Keep them for up to 5 days.
Freezing
Make the dough as directed above. Cut and portion the dough into the 16 triangles. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and place into a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 6 months.
When ready to bake, place the frozen scones onto a parchment lined sheet tray. Do not allow them to thaw before baking for the best results. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, rotate the tray, and bake for an additional 7-10 minutes or until the tops of the scones are lightly golden brown. The additional time will depend on how cold the freezer gets the dough.
Long ferment sourdough scones
To achieve gut healthy sourdough scones, these must be made in advance. Prepare the dough as directed above. Once the disks are shaped and cut, wrap them in plastic wrap or beeswax wrap and place them into the fridge overnight or up to 48 hours.
Once ready to bake, place the unbaked scones all onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Do not allow them to come to room temperature before baking (the texture will be better if kept cold). Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the tray, and bake for an additional 6-8 minutes.
Tips for success
Cold: Keep the butter cold until ready to use it. If the butter gets too warm it will soften and mix into the dough. You want little chunks of butter because it is one of the secrets to getting tender scones.
Work quickly: To keep the butter cold as much as possible while still mixing the dough by hand, it is best to work quickly. This does not mean you need to race through in a blind panic. However, don’t keep hands in the dough longer than needed or it won’t have that tender crumb.
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 sourdough chocolate chip scones. Thank you!
Chocolate Chip Sourdough Scones
Soft, tender, and bursting with mini chocolate chips these scones are the prefect treat. Not as sweet as cookies, but still enough to satisfy that sweet tooth.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup Flour
- 1 Tbsp. Baking powder
- 2 Tbsp. Sugar
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 5.5 Tbsp. Butter (cold)
- 1/2 cup Sourdough discard
- 1 cup Mini chocolate chips
- 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 4 oz. Heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a mixing bowl add flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Slice the butter in and break it into chunks by hand. Stop when the butter pieces are the size of marbles.
- Add the sourdough discard and mix that in gently by hand until it is evenly distributed.
- Pour in the chocolate chips and mix to coat them in the flour mixture.
- Add the vanilla and the cream. Mix until the dough just comes together. Do not over work the dough. It should be soft but not sticky. Add a little bit more flour or cream if needed.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter.
- Divide the dough into two equal parts then shape each half into a disk that is 6 inches across.
- Using a bench scraper cut the disks into 8 equal pieces and place them onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake for another 5-7, or until the tips of the scones are turning golden brown.
- Store covered at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Long Ferment Scones
Make the dough as directed above. Take the cut disks and wrap them in beeswax wrap or plastic wrap and place into the fridge. They can stay in there overnight or up to 48 hours.
When ready to bake take them from the fridge and place them onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Do not let the scones come to room temperature first. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake for an additional 6-8 minutes.
Freezing
This dough can easily be frozen as well. Just make the dough, shape and divide them, and wrap each disk. Place the wrapped disks into a freezer bag and into the freezer for up to 6 months.
Bake as directed for the long ferment scones. They will need an additional 3-5 minutes. Do not let them thaw before baking.
This recipe for sourdough chocolate chip scones contains affiliate links. To learn more about how we use them, click here.
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