If you're looking for tender scones with a twist, these Sourdough Cherry Scones are just the thing. Studded with tart cherries and creamy white chocolate chips, these white chocolate cherry scones are a great sweet treat that puts extra sourdough discard to good use.
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Sourdough Discard in Scones
Using sourdough discard in scones is a great way to reduce waste while boosting flavour and texture. The acidity in cold sourdough discard gently tenderises the dough, resulting in softer, more delicate sourdough scones. It also adds a subtle tang that gives your sourdough discard scones that bakery-style edge-think coffee shop treats at home.
Plus, the good bacteria in fermented starter can slightly extend shelf life compared to other scone recipes.
For more ideas, have a look at our Sourdough Blueberry Scones, Sourdough Pumpkin Scones and Sourdough Lemon Poppy Seed Scones.
No discard? No problem! Try our White Chocolate Cherry Scones made without a sourdough starter!
Ingredients and Substitutes
Here are all the simple ingredients you'll need for this delicious sourdough scone recipe:
- plain flour (all-purpose flour): flour with lower protein content makes the best scones.
- caster sugar: or granulated sugar. We tend to use finer sugar in the dough and coarse sugar (granulated or demerara) for the tops of the scones.
- baking powder.
- salt.
- unsalted butter: use very cold butter - frozen, for best results! It stays solid while you mix, creating little pockets of steam as it melts in the oven. This helps the scones rise beautifully and gives them their signature flaky texture.
- white chocolate chips: but you can always experiment with dark chocolate - it goes well with cherries too! Have more white chocolate chips? Try our Sourdough Blondies!
- dried cherries: or glace cherries. We much prefer tart dried cherries, though. Have frozen cherries? Try our Sourdough Cherry Almond Focaccia! No cherries at all? Try our Sourdough Raspberry White Chocolate Scones made with frozen raspberries!
- sourdough discard: 100% hydration. Use discard cold in this recipe. Since the dough doesn't go through long fermentation, you can use active starter too.
- egg: large in the UK, or extra large in the US.
- vanilla bean paste: or vanilla extract.
- whole milk: or heavy cream (double cream).
Find the ingredient quantities, detailed instructions, recipe video and nutritional information in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-By-Step Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.
3. Coarsely grate the frozen butter into the dry ingredients and combine by rubbing the butter into the flour lightly; you want to keep some small pieces of butter in the dough.
4. Add the dried cherries and chocolate chips.
5. In a separate large bowl, or a jug, whisk the sourdough starter discard, egg, vanilla bean paste and milk.
6. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and mix gently to combine. Knead just enough for the dough to come together. If it's very dry, add a little milk. Be careful not to overknead, though.
7. Tip the scone dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently bring it together into a mound using your hands.
8. Press the dough out with your fingers into a rough 20 cm (8-inch) circle.
9. Use a sharp knife or dough scraper to cut the dough into eight equal wedges.
10. Transfer the scones to a prepared baking sheet, spacing them slightly apart.
11. Brush the top of the scones with cream or milk, then sprinkle over a little sugar.
12. Bake for 15-16 minutes on one of the lower racks in the oven, or until golden brown around the edges.
13. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Storage
The best way to keep your sourdough cherry scones fresh is to store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
For longer storage, freeze the scones individually wrapped and thaw as needed-they're just as delicious after a quick warm-up in the oven!
More Sourdough Discard Recipes
Likes our Sourdough Cherry Scones but looking for more ways to use up your discard? Try one of these tasty sourdough discard recipes next time you're baking!
Sourdough Cherry Scones With White Chocolate Chips
Equipment
Ingredients
- 250 g (2 cups) plain flour all -purpose flour
- 100 g (⅘ cups) caster sugar* or granulated sugar, plus extra for topping
- 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 100 g (3.5 oz) unsalted butter frozen
- 100 g (½ cups) white chocolate chips
- 80 g (⅔ cups) dried cherries or glace cherries
- 100 g (½ cups) sourdough discard 100% hydration
- 1 egg large
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste optional
- 2-3 tablespoon milk or cream plus extra for brushing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.
- Coarsely grate the frozen butter into the dry ingredients and combine by rubbing the butter into the flour lightly, you want to keep some larger bits of butter in the dough.
- Add the dried cherries and chocolate chips.
- In a separate bowl, or a jug, whisk the sourdough stater, egg, vanilla bean paste and milk.
- Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and mix gently to combine. Knead just enough for the dough to come together. If it's very dry, add a little milk. Be careful not to overknead, though.
- Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently bring it together into a mound using your hands.
- Press the dough out with your fingers into a rough 20 cm (8-inch) circle.
- Use a sharp knife or dough scraper to cut the dough into eight equal wedges.
- Transfer the scones to a lined baking sheet, spacing them slightly apart.
- Brush the tops with cream or milk, then sprinkle over a little sugar.
- Bake for 15-16 minutes, or until golden around the edges.
- Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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