These scones are ridiculous. Each bite is packed with three types of chocolate. The texture is soft and tender, and dough flavored with a hint of vanilla. They are so easy to make, meaning they can be in the oven in 20 minutes or less. They also freeze really well so the treat is always on hand when the need arises. And if you want a gut healthy version? Simply make the dough ahead of time and tuck it into the fridge for a few hours (or days). My favorite part about these triple chocolate sourdough scones is that there is as much chocolate in this recipe as there is flour.
Sourdough
The addition of sourdough makes any recipe just that much better. The subtle tang and savory flavor that is added transforms every baked good. Since sourdough is just a culture of wild yeasts, active sourdough starter makes a great replacement for commercial yeast in baked goods such as bread, bagels, and cinnamon rolls.
While using discard in a recipe is a great way to use it up so it does not go to waste. It also can make things easier to digest if left to long ferment because the yeasts can still work their magic and break down the flour. People I know who are sensitive to wheat were able to eat long fermented sourdough recipes. (This does not include people who suffer from celiac). Some other long ferment sourdough discard recipes we love are muffins, cookies, pumpkin bread, and tortillas.
If you are still unsure of what differentiates active sourdough starter from sourdough discard, check out my e-book. In “The Art of Sourdough” I make the sourdough process as simple as possible. I was very overwhelmed by it all when I first started and I wanted to create an easy-to-follow resource for others just getting started on their sourdough journey!
Tools
Bowls – I have used this glass set for years and really appreciate all the different sizes, especially for a recipe like this.
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Liquid measuring cup – A kitchen scale can also be used.
Bench scraper – This is one of my favorite and most used kitchen tools!
Sheet tray
Parchment paper
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
Flour: All-purpose flour works perfectly in this recipe. I get unbleached and organic whenever I can. Buying it in bulk from Azure standard saves us money every time.
Baking powder: No matter if they are quick baked or long fermented, these scones are not left to rise at room temperature. So, they still do need a chemical leavener. Thats where the baking powder comes in; to provide that oven spring so these become the best scones.
Sugar: Adding a little sugar to the scone dough helps to tie it all together.
Salt: I do not think any recipe is truly complete without the addition of a sprinkle of salt. This simple spice enhances all the other flavors.
Butter: Personally, I use salted butter in all my recipes, but unsalted butter will work just as well.
Mix-ins
White chocolate chips: These are the sweetest of all the varieties of chocolate. I like to find one that uses actual cocoa butter because the flavor is so much better.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips: These are sweet but add that rich chocolate flavor we all know and love.
Dark chocolate chips: You cannot have triple chocolate sourdough scones without three types of chocolate, so here we are. Dark chocolate helps to balance out the sweetness of the white chocolate with its bitterness.
Wet ingredients
Sourdough discard: Without this you would just have triple chocolate scones. How boring. This recipe is also a great way to keep the discard from going to waste and add a layer of flavor to the dough.
Vanilla extract: Even just a little bit of vanilla flavors the scone dough itself so it doesn’t taste like a sourdough biscuit.
Heavy whipping cream: There are some scone recipes that call for milk. However, because of the high fat content in heavy cream, these scones turn out much richer than if milk was added in its place.
Additional ingredients and substitutions
Milk chocolate chips: These can easily be used in place of any of the other chocolate chips. If you want the scones to be sweeter, use these in place of the dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate.
Active sourdough starter: A scone craving can hit at any time, even when we don’t have discard on hand. Active will work just fine, but because it is usually a bit thicker than the discard, a little more cream might be needed to pull the dough together.
Chocolate chunks: These can absolutely be used in the place of chocolate chips for any or all of the chocolates. The chunks are bigger than chips and a chopped-up chocolate bar also works well.
Let’s make sourdough scones!
Making the dough
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl add flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine.
Slice the butter into the dry ingredients. Break it in by hand until the chunks are the size of marbles. Work quickly so the butter does not soften, and the chunks do not get too small. The easiest way to do this is to make the “money, money, money” motion with your fingers and repeat this motion over and over again with chunks of floured butter in between thumb and fingers until they are broken up.
There are other ways to add in the butter, but I find they all get the chunks of butter too small which effects the texture of the overall scone. Some of these options are using a pastry cutter, pastry blender, food processor, and even grating frozen butter in using a cheese grater. However, I do recommend working by hand and just moving quickly. Once the sourdough is added and the dough is all mixed, the butter will be smaller. Thats why we do not want to get those chunks too small right away.
Add in the sourdough discard and mix until fully combined.
Add all three types of chocolate and mix until fully coated in the flour mixture.
In a separate bowl add the vanilla extract into the cream. Mix until no streaks remain.
Add the cream mixture into the flour and gently mix to combine. Stop as soon as the flour is incorporated. Do not over mix.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
Shaping and baking
Shape the dough into a log and divide in half.
Shape each half into a disk that is about 6 inches across.
Using a bench scraper or a sharp knife, divide each disk into 8 equal pieces.
Transfer the scones onto a parchment lined sheet tray.
Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake for an additional 4-6 minutes, or until the tips of the scones are just starting to turn golden brown.
Enjoy!
Storing
Store any leftover scones covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freezing
This dough freezes so well which means in a matter of minutes these can be in the oven, and you are only a few minutes away from enjoying fresh out of the oven triple chocolate sourdough scones! Simply prepare the dough as directed above. Shape and divide the disks then wrap them in plastic wrap. Transfer the 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 parchment lined sheet tray. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes, rotate the tray, and bake for another 7-10 minutes or until the tops of the scones are just starting to turn golden. An additional few minutes may be needed but keep an eye on them, so they do not get too dry. For the best results, do not allow the scones to thaw at all before baking.
Long ferment sourdough scones
How incredible is it that a sweet treat can become easier to digest by just leaving it to ferment for a little while. To allow this fermentation to take place, make the dough as directed above. Shape and divide the dough and wrap it in plastic wrap, parchment paper, or a beeswax wrap. Keep the unbaked scones in the fridge overnight, or up to 48 hours.
When ready to bake transfer the scones onto a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the tray, and bake for another 6-8 minutes. Do not let the dough come to room temperature first before baking.
Tips for success
Cold butter: Little butter chunks being scattered in the dough when baking is one of the keys to having these be fluffy scones. If the butter gets warm or the pieces are broken up too small, then the texture of the dough will be different. Keep the butter cold and in the fridge until ready to add it into the recipe.
Work quickly: If you want tender scones, working quickly during mixing is going to help a lot. Over mixing can cause two things to happen. First, it can break up the butter too small or mush it into the dough. Second, it can cause gluten to form, which we want in bread, but not in scones. That cause the scones to end up tough instead of soft.
Toss the chocolate: It might seem a bit strange but fully tossing or coating the chocolate in the flour mixture makes mixing much easier. Trying to fold chocolate chips into dough that is already made and not over working it is a bit difficult. Making sure all the mix-ins are incorporated before adding the wet ingredients makes the mixing process a lot smoother.
Thank you
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 or what you think could be improved. So, thank you for leaving a comment! Don’t forget to share with friends and family so they too can enjoy making triple chocolate sourdough scones. Check out the double chocolate and chocolate chip scone recipes as well. Thank you!
Triple chocolate sourdough scones
These scones are so rich, every bite filled with different kinds of chocolate and the texture is soft. They are so easy to make so they can be in the oven in 20 minutes or less. There is also a long ferment option to make them gut healthy.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup Flour
- 1 Tbsp. Baking powder
- 2 Tbsp. Sugar
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 5 Tbsp. Butter (cold)
- 1/2 cup White chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup Dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup Sourdough discard
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
- 4 oz. Heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl add flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. stir to combine.
- Slice the butter into the dry ingredients. Break it in by hand until the chunks are the size of marbles. Work quickly so the butter does not soften, and the chunks do not get too small.
- Add the sourdough into the flour and mix until fully incorporated.
- Add all three types of chocolate and mix until coated in the flour mixture.
- In a separate bowl add the vanilla into the cream. Mix until no streaks remain.
- Add the cream mixture into the flour and gently mix to combine. Stop as soon as the flour is incorporated. Do not over mix.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Shape the dough into a log and divide in half.
- Shape each half into a disk that is about 6 inches across.
- using a bench scraper or a sharp knife, divide each disk into 8 equal pieces.
- Transfer the scones onto a parchment lined sheet tray.
- Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake for an additional 4-6 minutes, or until the tips of the scones are just starting to turn golden brown.
- Store and leftover scones covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Long ferment scones
To get the gut healthy benefits from these scones, the natural yeasts need time to work their magic and breakdown the flour. Which means these need some time to ferment before baking. make the dough as directed above. Shape and divide the disks, then wrap them in plastic, parchment, or a beeswax wrap. Store in the fridge overnight or up to 48 hours.
When ready to bake place them onto a prepared baking sheet. For best results, do not allow them to come to room temperature before baking. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the tray, and bake for another 5-7 minutes, or until the tips of the scones are just starting to turn golden brown.
This recipe for triple chocolate sourdough scones contains affiliate links. To learn more about how we use them, click here.
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