Chocolate Chip Sourdough Scones- Easy Discard Recipe

This simple recipe for chocolate chip sourdough scones will give you flaky, tender scones, that taste fresh from the bakery. 

Chocolate chip sourdough scones are an easy sourdough scone to make. They have the most tender crumb texture.

These chocolate chip sourdough scones are delicious treats to enjoy with a cup of hot morning coffee or for the next time you are making a special breakfast for the family. 

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The contents in this post is not to be taken as medical advice. Please consult your health practitioner for medical advice.

Why Sourdough?

Digestibility + Probiotics

Sourdough is a fermented food. This means that it includes beneficial live cultures and wild yeasts. These yeasts allow bread to rise and the fermentation process of the grains, breaks down phytates in the wheat, making the flour more digestible and less inflammatory. 

Here is an excerpt from the book Real Food for Fertility by Lily Nichols RDN, CDE and Lisa Handrickson-Jack FAE, HRHP:

“In wheat, rye, and barley, the process of traditional sourdough fermentation reduces the level of the protein gluten as well as compounds called phytates, both of which can be irritating to the digestive tract and impair mineral absorption. Sourdough fermentation also changes the structure of starches and increases the levels of organic acids, which contributes to a lower glycemic index of the resulting bread (meaning that sourdough bread typically doesn’t spike your blood sugar as much as regular yeast bread).” pg. 82

• probiotics for gut health
• lower glycemic index
• improved digestibility of grains
• less inflammatory

By using the longer fermentation methods of sourdough baking, delicious baked goods and breads can be a little more digestible, good for gut health and have a lower glycemic index than other breads. 

Flavor 

Next to the nutritional benefits of sourdough, the delicious flavor gives baked goods a slight tanginess. The longer the fermentation process, the more tangy the flavor.

Making your own sourdough starter

If you are new to sourdough or are wanting to get starter, I created this simple step-by-step guide to help you! You can check out my simple sourdough starter recipe here.

In the process of getting a sourdough starter established, you end up with some extra starter called sourdough discard.

You may also end up with extra starter when feeding your established sourdough starter.

Sourdough discard recipes are the best way to use up the extra. 

With a few basic ingredients, these chocolate chip sourdough scones are a great recipe to turn sourdough starter discard into a delicious treat.

Equipment to make Chocolate Chip Sourdough Scones

• Large mixing bowl or stand mixer with a paddle attachment
• Kitchen scale
• Wooden spoon or Dough whisk
• Pastry cutter or Food processor
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Cheese grater
• Sifter or sieve 
• Bench scraper, sharp knife, or a biscuit cutter
• Pastry brush

Helpful tips for making Chocolate Chip Sourdough Scones

For the best scones, keep everything cold

When making any of my scone recipes, I like to keep my butter and dough cold for nice flaky, buttery scones that do not fall apart when baking. 

Using room temperature butter will not give you a scone dough that holds its structure very well.

For the best results, grate frozen butter into small pea-sized pieces into the dry ingredients.

Then stir well to coat the butter and create coarse crumbs in the dough. 

This method is a great way to get that bakery-like, tender, flaky texture that makes for the best chocolate chip sourdough scones.

Using a food processor

A food processor is a great option to keep the process of making scones quick and keep the dough rustic and shaggy. A food processor is also a great option if you do not own a pastry blender.

If using a food processor, instead of grating your butter, cut the frozen butter into small cubes and add over the dry flour mixture into the food processor. You can also use a cheese grater attachment here if you have one. 

Proceed with the recipe, incorporating the ingredients using small pulses as the dough forms. 

Variations to Chocolate Chip Sourdough Scones

Sour cream or greek yogurt can be substituted for the heavy whipping cream in the dough portion of this recipe. 

If you need a dairy-free option, oat milk or your favorite milk alternative can work as well. 

Butter

I use salted butter when baking but if you prefer to use unsalted butter, I recommend adding in a pinch to a 1/4 teaspoon of extra sea salt.

Toppings

Drizzle the tops of the scones with melted dark chocolate or a sugar glaze for a little extra detail and flavor. These are the perfect scones to serve guests for afternoon tea.

Shaping the scones

If you want to switch up the shape of these scones, use a biscuit cutter in place of cutting the dough into wedge pieces. 

Chocolate Chunks

One of my favorite add-ins for scones is chocolate chunks. Especially dark chocolate chunks.

I used dark chocolate chunks in this recipe because I love the depth in flavor but semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips will work as well depending on your preference.

Basic scone recipe

If you are wanting basic scones with just a hint of sweetness, just omit the chocolate chunks.

This is a very flexible recipe that can most likely be made with what you have on hand.

Chocolate Chip Sourdough Scones Recipe

Makes 8 large scones

Ingredients

• Large egg
• Brown sugar- granulated sugar, coconut sugar, or maple syrup would work as well.
• Baking powder
• Cold sourdough discard (or active sourdough starter)
• Unbleached all purpose flour– can also use fresh milled flour.
• Salt 
• Frozen grated butter
• Heavy cream + a little extra to brush over top of scone dough
• Pure vanilla extract
• Dark chocolate chunks

For chocolate drizzle

• Additional dark chocolate chunks

Directions for Chocolate Chip Sourdough Scones

Step 1: Freeze baking sheet and mixing bowl

First, you want to start by putting your baking pans and bowl in the freezer for at least 20-25 minutes.

This is important to keep the butter cold and keep your scone shape intact when baking. 

Step 2: Mix dry ingredients

Then, to a large bowl add in flour, 1/2 tsp salt and baking powder.

Step 3: Grate frozen butter

Next, using a cheese grater, grate in 6 tablespoons of frozen cold butter. The very cold butter should be about the size of peas.

Mix (or pulse in the food processor) until the butter is covered in the dry ingredients. 

Place bowl of flour mixture in the freezer between steps to keep butter cold.

Step 4: Mix the wet ingredients

In a separate bowl add in the egg, sugar, sourdough discard (or active starter), vanilla extract and heavy cream. Whisk until well incorporated. 

Step 5: Add wet ingredients + chocolate

Then, remove the bowl of flour from the freezer and add in the liquid ingredients and the chocolate chunks to the dry mixture. 

Stir until well incorporated being careful to not over work the dough. The dough should look shaggy, yet have no dry parts remaining.

Step 6: Shape the dough for chocolate chip sourdough scones

Next, move the chocolate chip scone dough to a lightly floured surface.

Then, roughly pat the shaggy dough into an 8-inch circle about 1 inch thick.

Step 7: Freeze

After you have shaped the disc, freeze the scones.

Wrap the disc in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. 

Step 8: Preheat oven

While the unbaked scones are in the freezer, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Step 9: Cut out chocolate chip sourdough scones

After 15-20 minutes in the freezer, remove the disc from the freezer and cut into 8 equal triangles. I like to use a bench scraper to cut out the scones but a sharp knife will work as well. 

This will result in 8 regular sized scones.

Step 10: Freeze scone wedges + baking sheet

Then, place unbaked chocolate chip sourdough scone wedges on a parchment lined prepared baking sheet. 

Next, place the entire sheet into the freezer for 15 more minutes. This will allow the pan to stay cold. If you skip this step, it could result in the butter melting too much too soon in the oven.

Step 11: Brush the tops + bake

Remove the pan from the freezer and using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the scones lightly with heavy whipping cream.

Then, place baking sheet into the 375 degree preheated oven for 15 minutes.

The scones will be ever so slightly golden brown around the edges when they are done. 

Step 12: Remove from oven + cool

After taking the pan out of the hot oven, allow the scones to cool on the pan for 10 minutes. Then, move them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 13: Topping chocolate chip sourdough scones

These chocolate chip sourdough scones are delicious without anything added on top but if you would like a little extra, drizzling the top of the scones with extra chocolate or a glaze is a nice touch.

Chocolate drizzle

To make a chocolate drizzle, create a double boiler with a glass medium-sized bowl that fits over top of a small saucepan of boiling water. Make sure your bowl is heat safe.

Then, add dark chocolate chunks to the double boiler, stirring frequently until completely melted.

Next, remove the chocolate from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Then, drizzle the melted chocolate over the scones using a spoon, a frosting piping bag with a small tip. Another option is to fill a small disposable Ziploc bag with the chocolate and cut a tiny tip at the corner for drizzling.

Finally, drizzle the scones and allow chocolate to harden.

Storing leftover chocolate chip sourdough scones

These scones will be good on the counter in an airtight container for 3-5 days.

Additionally, place in the fridge for up to a week. 

If you would like to freeze these scones, they freeze well as an entire batch at the dough disc stage or baked for up to 3 months. Just save the drizzle step for after removing from the freezer.

Happy baking!

More favorite recipes for delicious sourdough discard scones

• Maple Sourdough Discard Scones
• Blueberry Sourdough Scones

More sourdough recipes using sourdough discard

• Brown Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Double Chocolate Sourdough Muffins
• Sourdough Discard Lemon Berry Muffins
• Sourdough Gingerbread Muffins