These scones are sweetened with just honey and drizzled with a light powdered sugar glaze. There are bits of almonds in every bite giving them a nice crunch. They are tender with subtle flavors that make them a true delight. They can be made in about 15 minutes, then long fermented or frozen if desired. Make a batch of almond honey sourdough scones and enjoy them with a hot cup of coffee or tea!
Sourdough
There are so many reasons to use sourdough. Commercial yeast is so fast compared to the slow process of sourdough. It forces you to slow down and enjoy the process. That time also allows the wild yeasts to break down and ferment the flour which makes it easier to digest. Gut healthy bread? Sign me up! The flavor that I get from sourdough is just something I have not been able to get any other way. It is subtle but so complex.
Even adding discard (not active sourdough starter) is wonderful because it gives the recipe that incredible flavor and uses up some of the discard so it is not wasted. If there is a recipe that I can add it to, I will. Muffins, scones, donuts, tortillas, bagels, you name it! It is also a great way to keep the discard from being wasted. If you like this recipe, check out some of my other scone recipes too!
If you want to know more about using sourdough or want a starter that is a bit less tart, check out my sourdough e-book “The Art of Sourdough“.
Tools
Mixing bowls
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups
Liquid measuring cup – A kitchen scale can also be used
Whisk – I like stainless steel because anytime I can avoid the toxins in plastics, I do!
Bench scraper – By far my favorite kitchen tool.
Sheet tray – Its funny, I grew up calling these cookie sheets, then had friends call them baking sheets. Then when I was in culinary school, we called them sheet trays, and it stuck.
Parchment paper
Ingredients
Flour: If I am buying flour in bulk I get it from Azure standard. I think the community that is created just from ordering good food is incredible. If not, I pick up some of the unbleached, organic, all-purpose flour from Costco.
Baking powder: Even if these scones are long fermented, we are not using the starter to make the scones rise. We rely on baking powder for that.
Salt: A little bit of salt enhances the flavors of each ingredient.
Butter: I personally like to use salted butter, but unsalted butter seems to work a little better in this recipe.
Sourdough discard: How else can you get almond honey sourdough scones if you don’t add sourdough?
Sliced almonds: The crunch that almonds provide make these the best scones.
Vanilla extract: I like to add a little bit of vanilla to add some extra flavor to the dough.
Almond extract: The almonds themselves do not impart enough flavor in my opinion. There are chunks of them, but they do not have a strong almond flavor without the extract. It can be excluded, but I do think that little bit really puts these over the top.
Honey: The only sweetener in this recipe, the honey is also imparting a lovely flavor.
Heavy whipping cream: The high fat content of heavy cream makes these so rich and tender.
Additional ingredients and substitutions
Slivered or whole almonds – I personally like the texture that comes from the sliced almonds the best. However, if you want larger pieces of nuts in each bite, use slivered almonds. Or, with a sharp knife, chop some whole almonds in small pieces.
Crystalized or whipped honey – The texture is going to be a bit thicker than normal honey, but it will not affect the flavor. Add an extra teaspoon or so of cream when mixing up the wet ingredients.
Active sourdough starter – If you do not have discard on hand, then active will work just fine. I would add a splash of cream to make sure they are the proper texture since the starter is thicker than the discard.
Let’s make almond honey sourdough scones!
Making the dough
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
Slice the cold butter into the dry ingredients and break it in by hand until the chunks are the size of marbles. I have found that doing this by hand not only yields the best texture scones, but it also minimizes dishes. If desired, it can also be added in by using a pastry cutter, pastry blender, food processor, or frozen butter can be grated into the flour with a cheese grater. If doing it by hand, make the “money, money, money” motion with your hands and place chunks of flour coated butter between fingers and thumb while continuing that motion.
Add the sourdough discard into the flour mixture and mix until evenly distributed.
Pour in the almonds and toss or mix until coated in flour.
In a separate bowl, combine the vanilla, almond extract, honey, and cream. A whisk works well for this.
Add the cream mixture into the flour and gently stir until a dough forms. It will be a little bit sticky because of the honey. Do not over flour the dough because that will cause it to be too stiff.
Shaping and baking
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a thick log.
Divide the log in half and shape both pieces into a disk that is 6 inches across.
Using a bench scraper, divide each disk into 8 equal pieces.
Transfer the unbaked scones onto a parchment lined sheet tray.
Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the sheet pan, and bake for another 2-5 minutes or until the scones are just starting to turn very lightly brown. Be careful to not overbake them or they will be dry.
Allow to fully cool before glazing. A wire rack may be used while cooling if desired.
Glazing
To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, extract of choice, and water (or milk) in a small bowl until smooth
Drizzle each scone with the glaze in a back-and-forth motion. If the you glaze warm scones the glaze can melt into the scone and drip off. They are less aesthetically pleasing when this happens.
Enjoy your delicious scones!
Storing
Store any leftover scones covered, or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freezing
Almond honey sourdough scones can be made ahead of time and frozen. That way the dough can be pulled and baked fresh whenever the need arises. To do so, make the scone dough as directed above. Shape and divide the disks, then wrap both in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped disks into a freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
When ready to bake, place the frozen scones onto a prepared baking sheet. Do not thaw them before baking. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the tray, then bake for an additional 4-6 minutes, or until the top of the scones are just starting to turn golden brown. Glaze once fully cooled.
Long ferment sourdough scones
To get the gut healthy benefits from these scones, the dough needs to be made in advance. Make the scone dough as directed, then cut and wrap the disks in plastic wrap, parchment paper, or a beeswax wrap. Keep the dough in the fridge overnight or up to 48 hours.
When ready to bake, place the unbaked scones onto a parchment lined sheet tray. For best results keep the scones cold instead of letting them come to room temperature. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the tray, and bake for 3-5 minutes or until the tips of the scones are turning lightly golden brown. Make the glaze fresh and glaze them once cool.
Tips for success
Keep the butter cold – The butter being in chunks yields a tender scone. When the butter is softened or broken up too much the texture will change. To help with this, keep the butter in the fridge until ready to add it into the recipe. Also, when mixing the dough, do not break the chunks too small, and mix quickly so the heat of your hands does not soften the butter.
Do not over work – Mixing too much once the dough comes together can lengthen the gluten strands and further work in the butter. When the cream is added, mix until just combined and the flour at the bottom of the bowl is incorporated. Do not mix or knead the dough after this point.
Overbaking – These scones tend to be a bit on the drier side. The honey makes the dough sticky so not as much cream can be added. Keeping the bake time shorter ensures that they stay soft and tender instead of dry. It is better to check them after 10 minutes and check every minute for any additional time that they are in the oven.
I hope you love this sourdough scone 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 almond honey sourdough scones. Thank you!
Honey Almond Sourdough Scones
These scones are sweetened only with honey and each bite has a subtle crunch from the almonds. They are the perfect lightly sweet treat to serve with a cup of tea!
Ingredients
Scones
- 1 1/2 cup Flour
- 1 Tbsp. Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 5 Tbsp. Butter (cold)
- 1/2 cup Sourdough discard
- 1 cup Sliced almonds
- 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 1/4 - 1/2 Almond extract *
- 5 Tbsp. Honey
- 1 1/2 oz Heavy cream
Glaze
- 1 cup Powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp. Vanilla or almond extract**
- 2 1/2 tsp. Water or milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Slice the butter into the dry ingredients and break it in by hand until the chunks are the size of marbles.
- Add the sourdough discard and mix until evenly distributed.
- Pour in the almonds and toss or mix until coated in flour.
- In a separate bowl, combine the vanilla, almond extract, honey, and cream. A whisk works well for this.
- Add the cream mixture into the flour and gently stir until a dough forms. It will be a little bit on the stiff side. If it is sticky, add a little more flour.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a thick log.
- Divide the log in half and shape both pieces into a disk that is 6 inches across.
- Using a bench scraper, divide each disk into 8 equal pieces.
- Transfer the unbaked scones onto a parchment lined sheet tray.
- Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the tray, and bake for another 2-5 minutes or until the scones are just starting to turn lightly brown.
- Allow to fully cool before glazing. A wire rack may be used while cooling if desired.
- To make the glaze whisk together the powdered sugar, extract of choice, and water (or milk) until smooth.
- Drizzle each scone with the glaze in a back-and-forth motion.
- Store any leftover scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Enjoy!
Notes
* If you want a more intense almond flavor, add 1/2 tsp of extract. For a milder flavor, add 1/4 tsp. If you only want the flavor to come from the almonds themselves, leave the almond extract out of the glaze and dough entirely.
** The vanilla extract in the glaze is lovely so the almond is not too overpowering. If adding almond to the glaze, I do not recommend adding too much to the dough because it is a very strong flavor.
Long ferment scones
To get the gut healthy benefits from sourdough these must be long fermented. To do so, make the dough as prepared above. Divide and slice the disks, then wrap both disks in plastic wrap or beeswax wrap and place into the fridge. Allow them to ferment overnight or up to 48 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven. Then transfer the scones onto a parchment lined sheet tray and place directly into the oven. Do not allow them to come to room temperature before baking. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the tray, and bake for another 3-5 minutes. Make the glaze fresh and glaze once cool.
This recipe for almond honey sourdough scones contains affiliate links. To learn more about how we use them, click here.
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