I have made a lot of scones and shared them with friends and family while doing this summer scone series. But none have received the level of excitement and interest as these. Multiple friends have told me that these are their favorite flavor that I have made thus far and I understand why. These chocolate orange sourdough scones are bursting with a vibrant orange flavor, paired with chunks of dark chocolate. Without the glaze they taste like chocolate covered orange peels in scone form. With the glaze they are a lightly sweet, chocolate citrus treat that is not overpowering. They are tender, easy to make, and when they are baking? Oh, the house smells divine!
As soon as I opened the oven to take these out, I was reminded of my late grandmother. She loved dark chocolate covered orange peels and would enjoy them at Christmas time or if we brought her some when visiting. The aroma escaping the open oven door immediately transported me back to those memories that I had not thought about for years.
Sourdough
There are very few things that I do not add sourdough to. The active sourdough starter is great for replacing commercial yeast in bread, cinnamon roll, and donut recipes. The longer fermentation times forcing me to slow down and enjoy the process. The discard gets added to muffins, scones, cookies, and just about everything else. The subtle tang that comes from the discard while also not wasting it? Sounds like a win-win to me!
If you have a sourdough starter that is too tangy then check out my e-book the “The Art of Sourdough“. I walk you through starting your own starter, caring for it, converting recipes, and how to dilute your starter so it is more mildly flavored.
Tools
Mixing bowls
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups
Liquid measuring cup – A kitchen scale can also be used
Bench scraper
Sheet tray
Parchment paper
Ingredients
Scones
Sugar: I use organic cane sugar in just about all of my recipes, this one is no exception.
Orange zest: Fresh zest provides so much flavor to these scones without adding extra liquid. This was about the zest from one medium sized orange.
Flour: All-purpose flour is perfect for this recipe. Bread flour has a protein content that is too high meaning they will be tough. Cake flour is just unnecessary and my not provide enough structure.
Baking powder: We rely on this chemical leavener to give the scones rise. Because we do not want the yeasts to cause this to rise like bread, we won’t use the sourdough for this.
Salt: A good recipe always has at least a little salt to enhance and balance the flavors. I love this sea salt.
Butter: Salted butter or unsalted butter work in this recipe. It just depends on personal preference.
Sourdough discard: Recipes like this are a great way to use up leftover sourdough discard so it does not go to waste.
Chocolate chunks: I really like using dark chocolate chunks. The taste is fantastic and slightly bitter and it pairs so nicely with the sweet acidity from the oranges.
Vanilla extract: This adds just an extra layer of flavor to the dough making these the best scones.
Orange juice: This lends a bit of sweetness and acidity while intensifying the fresh orange flavor.
Heavy whipping cream: Because of the high fat content of heavy cream, these turn out as such rich and delicious scones.
Glaze:
Powdered sugar: A great base for any glaze.
Orange juice: To pack in as much fresh flavor as possible, use fresh squeezed orange juice.
Additional ingredients and substitutions
Fresh orange juice: This can be made with bottled orange juice. Personally, I think the flavor is a lot better when it is fresh squeezed, but good oranges are not always available.
Orange extract: Extract can be used in place of orange zest if needed. Add a 1/2 tsp to the dough when adding in the cream. The flavor might not be as bright or strong if not using zest.
Chocolate chips: If dark chocolate is not for you, semi-sweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate may be used. And there is nothing wrong with chocolate chips verses chunks. I personally really like the aesthetic that the chunks provide.
Let’s make chocolate orange sourdough scones!
Making the dough
Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees.
Wash an orange and using a microplane or citrus zester, remove the zest from the orange. Set the zest aside.
Slice the orange in half and juice it into a bowl or cup. Set the juice aside.
Place the sugar into a large bowl and add the freshly grated orange zest. Mix it until the two are fully combined. This releases the oils in the zest and intensifies the flavor.
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt into the orange sugar. Mix until combined.
Slice the butter into the dry ingredients and break it into chunks the size of marbles by hand. Work quickly so the butter does not soften. This can be done in many ways: using a pastry cutter, pastry blender, food processor, or frozen butter and a cheese grater. However, I do think that the beset results come from doing it by hand. This ensures that the chunks of butter are not getting too small. Since the sourdough also gets incorporated, the butter will often get smaller by the time the dough is fully finished.
Pour in the sourdough and gently mix it until it is evenly distributed in a shaggy dough.
Mix in the chocolate chunks.
Combine the vanilla extract, orange juice, and cream, then add it into the flour mixture. Gently mix until combined. Do not over mix the dough or the scones will be tough.
Shaping and baking
Turn the scone dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough in half.
Shape each piece of dough into a disk that is 6 inches across.
Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut each disk into 8 equal parts then transfer all the scones onto a parchment lined sheet tray.
Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake for another 5-7, or until the tips of the scones are turning lightly golden brown.
Glazing
While the scones are baking, make the glaze. Add the orange juice and powdered sugar into a bowl and whisk until smooth.
Allow the scones to fully cool before icing them. a wire rack may be used if desired.
To ice the scones, use a spoon, fork, or piping bag and drizzle the glaze back and forth over each one creating small lines.
Enjoy!
Storing
To store any leftover scones, keep them covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freezing
These chocolate orange sourdough scones freeze well so they can be baked off at a moment’s notice for a quick treat. Simply make the dough as directed above and shape the dough. Take the cut disks and wrap them in plastic wrap and place them into a freezer bag. Keep them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
When ready to bake, place the frozen scones onto a parchment lined baking sheet and then directly into a preheated oven. Do not allow them to come to room temperature or thaw at all before baking. Bake for ten minutes, rotate the pan, and bake for an additional 7-10 minutes. Or until the tips of the scones are lightly golden brown.
Make the glaze fresh and drizzle over the scones once they are cooled.
Long ferment sourdough scones
To long ferment these scones and get the gut healthy benefits from them, the dough will have to be made in advance. Once the dough is mixed, turned into two disks, and divided into the scones, wrap the disks in plastic, parchment, or beeswax wraps. Place these wrapped disks into the fridge overnight or up to 48 hours.
When ready to bake them, do not allow them to come to room temperature. Place the unbaked scones on a prepared sheet tray and directly into the oven. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until the top of the scones are just starting to turn a light golden brown.
Tips for success
Fresh ingredients: As stated above, bottled orange juice and orange extract can be used in this recipe. However, they just cannot compare with scones that are made with fresh zest and juice. The bold fresh flavors are incredible, and the zest adds such an intense aroma to these scones.
Cold butter: The colder the butter, the less likely it is to melt into the dough during the mixing process. If this does happen, the scones are a bit less soft and tender. Keep the butter in the fridge until ready to add it to the recipe. Work quickly when breaking in the butter so it does not melt from the heat of your hands.
Do not overwork them: If they are mixed too much not only does the butter get too small, but they also can have the gluten strands strengthened and that yields a tough scone. For the best results, just mix until ingredients are just combined.
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 chocolate orange sourdough scones. And be sure to check out the other sourdough recipes I have like my chocolate chip sourdough scones! Thank you!
Chocolate Orange Sourdough Scones
These scones are so flavorful. They are bursting with a sweet orange flavor which pairs beautifully with the dark chocolate chunks. Without the glaze they taste like chocolate covered oranges, but in scones form.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. Fresh orange zest
- 3 Tbsp. Sugar
- 1 1/2 cup Flour
- 1 Tbsp. Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 5 Tbsp. Butter (Cold)
- 1/2 cup Sourdough discard
- 1 cup Dark chocolate chunks
- 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp. Fresh orange juice
- 3 oz. Heavy cream
Glaze
- 1 1/3 cup Powdered sugar
- 2 1/2 Tbsp. Orange juice
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees.
- Place the sugar into a large mixing bowl and add the freshly grated orange zest. Mix it until the two are fully combined. This releases the oils in the zest and intensifies the flavor.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt into the orange sugar. Mix until combined.
- Slice the butter into the dry ingredients and break it into chunks the size of marbles by hand. Work quickly so the butter does not soften.
- Pour in the sourdough and gently mix it until it is evenly distributed.
- Mix in the chocolate chips.
- Combine the vanilla extract, orange juice, and cream, then add it into the flour mixture. Gently mix until combined. Do not over mix the dough or the scones will be tough.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and divide the dough in half.
- Shape each piece of dough into a disk that is 6 inches across.
- Using a bench scraper, cut each disk into 8 equal parts then transfer all the scones onto a parchment lined sheet tray.
- Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake for another 5-7, or until the tips of the scones are turning lightly golden brown.
- While the scones are baking, make the glaze. Add the orange juice and powdered sugar into a bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Allow the scones to fully cool before icing them.
- To ice the scones, using a spoon, fork, or piping bag, drizzle the glaze back and forth over each one creating small lines.
- Store the scones covered at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Long Ferment Scones
To get the gut healthy benefits of sourdough, this recipe can be made in advance. Prepare the dough as directed above. Then wrap the cut disks in plastic or beeswax wraps and place them into the fridge overnight or up to 48 hours.
When ready to bake place them onto a parchment lined sheet tray and directly into the oven. Do not allow them to come to room temperature first. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake for another 6-8 minutes.
This recipe for chocolate orange sourdough scones contains affiliate links. To learn more about how we use them, click here.
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