Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Scones | A Sharelooms Kitchen Favorite
There is a specific rhythm to the holidays in our house, and this year, it was measured in loaves of bread.
I spent weeks feeding my starter, kneading dough, and wrapping warm, crusty loaves of sourdough to give as gifts to friends and neighbors. It’s one of my favorite ways to say “I love you”—a gift that takes time, patience, and two hands to make.
But as every sourdough baker knows, a busy baking season means a lot of discard.
Rather than tossing it, I wanted to turn that “leftover” into something intentional for a quiet morning at home. The result? These Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Scones.
They are tender, flaky, and just sweet enough. When I pulled the first batch out of the oven, my husband took one bite and said they were his absolute favorite. We loved them so much that I started doubling the recipe immediately—because with a hungry family during the holidays, eight scones just isn’t enough!
Recipe Snapshot
Flavor Profile: Buttery, tangy (from the discard), and rich with chocolate.
Texture: Crisp, golden edges with a soft, pillowy center.
Yield: 16 large scones (2 batches of 8)
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Bake Time: 15–18 minutes
Kitchen Tools You’ll Need
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KitchenAid Stand Mixer: A true heirloom appliance. While you can mix these by hand, this mixer is a staple on our counter for everything from cookies to holiday breads.
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Caraway Non-Toxic Cookie Sheets: We love baking with intention, and that includes the materials we use. These non-toxic, ceramic-coated sheets are safe for the family, bake evenly, and are incredibly easy to clean.
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Sourdough Starter Kit: If you don’t have a pastry cutter yet, we highly recommend this kit. It includes the pastry cutter (dough blender) you need for these scones, plus a bench scraper and proofing baskets for your bread loaves. It’s an all-in-one win.
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Silicone Baking Mat: A sustainable favorite in our kitchen! Nothing sticks to these, they are reusable, and they make cleanup a breeze.
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Eco-Friendly Parchment Paper: If you prefer the paper route, we love this eco-friendly option for easy cleanup.
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Pastry Mat: This makes rolling out and shaping your dough so much easier (and keeps your counters clean!).
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Food Scale: For precision baking, we always recommend weighing your flour.
Ingredients (The “Family Size” Batch)
The Dry Mix
- 500g all-purpose flour (4 Cups + 1 tbsp)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt (5g)
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks / 226g), grated or cut into small cubes
The Wet Mix
- 1 cup sourdough discard (250g) — unfed, straight from the fridge is fine
- 2 large eggs
- 4 tbsp heavy cream (¼ cup or 60g) — plus extra for brushing
- 4 tsp vanilla extract (20g)
The Mix-ins
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 oz) — one standard baking bag
- Turbinado sugar (for sprinkling on top)
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep the oven. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a very large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Cut in the butter. Add the cold butter to the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to work the butter in until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Tip: If you grate the butter, freeze the sticks for 10 minutes first—it makes it much easier!
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard, eggs, cream, and vanilla until smooth.
- Bring it together. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix gently with a fork until a shaggy dough begins to form. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Shape the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Since this is a double batch, divide the dough in half. Gently pat each half into a separate circle, about 1-inch thick.
- Cut and bake. Slice each circle into 8 wedges (for 16 total scones). Place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them out. Brush the tops with a little heavy cream and sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar for that bakery-style crunch.
- Bake. Bake for 15–18 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. (If baking both pans at once, rotate them halfway through).
- Enjoy. Let them cool on the pan for 5 minutes before serving warm.
Credit & Adaptation
This recipe was inspired by the wonderful Little Spoon Farm. We loved the original recipe so much that we adapted it for our own hungry family—doubling the ingredients (and the vanilla!) to ensure there were plenty to share during our holiday mornings. It is proof that a great recipe is meant to be shared, tweaked, and enjoyed together.
♡ Memory Moment
There is something grounding about using every part of the process—even the discard. As you enjoy these scones, take a moment to appreciate the quiet after the holiday storm.
- The Sound: The kettle boiling for tea.
- The Taste: Warm chocolate and butter.
- The Feeling: The satisfaction of a homemade gift, even if this one is just for you.
Preserve Your Family’s History
The kitchen is at the heart of a family’s memory and legacy. Sharelooms is dedicated to helping families preserve their Family History and stories.
Capture the stories of the matriarchs and patriarchs of the family with Sharelooms Legacy Videos and Life Story Books.
You can also preserve your most cherished family recipes in Custom Coffee Table Books.
Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Scones
Equipment
- Cookie Sheets Caraway Non-Toxic
- Pastry Cutter Included in Sourdough Starter Kit
Ingredients
Ingredients (The "Family Size" Batch)
The Dry Mix
- 500 g All-Purpose Flour 4 Cups + 1 tbsp Note: We love King Arthur.
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar 200g
- 4 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Real Salt 5g – A staple in our kitchen for bringing out the flavor.
- 1 cup Cold Unsalted Butter 2 sticks / 226g, grated or cut into small cubes
The Wet Mix
- 1 cup Sourdough Discard 250g – Tip: If you are just starting your journey, the Sourdough Starter Kit linked above is a great place to begin.
- 2 large large Eggs
- 4 tbsp Heavy Cream ¼ cup — plus extra for brushing top of schone
- 4 tsp Vanilla Extract We love a high-quality vanilla for these!
The Mix-ins
- 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips 12 oz - one standard baking bag. Or other chocolate of choice.
- Turbinado Sugar This coarse sugar is the key to that sparkly bakery-style crunch on top.
Instructions
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep the oven. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line two large Caraway Cookie Sheets with your Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large Mixing Bowl (or the bowl of your KitchenAid Mixer), whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and Real Salt.
- Cut in the butter. Add the cold butter to the flour mixture. Use the pastry cutter from your Starter Kit (or your fingers) to work the butter in until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Tip: If you grate the butter, freeze the sticks for 10 minutes first—it makes it much easier!
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard, eggs, cream, and vanilla until smooth. (A Dough Whisk works great here!).
- Bring it together. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix gently with a fork until a shaggy dough begins to form. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Shape the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured Pastry Mat. Since this is a double batch, divide the dough in half. Gently pat each half into a separate circle, about 1-inch thick.
- Cut and bake. Slice each circle into 8 wedges (for 16 total scones). Place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them out. Brush the tops with a little heavy cream and sprinkle generously with [Link: Turbinado Sugar].
- Bake. Bake for 15–18 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. (If baking both pans at once, rotate them halfway through).
- Enjoy. Let them cool on the pan for 5 minutes before serving warm.
