A simple and delicious way to use up sourdough discard, these homemade cheese scones are light, fluffy and packed with flavour. Made with everyday ingredients and water instead of milk, they’re a practical recipe for reducing waste while creating a comforting savoury bake.
When beginning my sourdough from scratch journey, I quickly discovered that growing a sourdough starter creates plenty of discard along the way. Not wanting to waste it, I went searching for ways to use it up and stumbled across cheese scone recipes that incorporated sourdough discard. Cheese scones are a common bake I make for using within my lunches, so it was a logical choice. Unfortunately, the original recipe that I tried seems to have disappeared from the internet, but I had a few scribbled notes tucked away from when I first made some.
Using those notes as a starting point, I combined them with my trusted cheese scone recipe and adapted it to work with what I had in the kitchen. On the day I was baking, I had run out of milk, so I used water instead. To my surprise, the scones turned out beautifully. They were light, fluffy and packed with cheesy flavour.
These sourdough discard cheese scones have since become one of my favourite ways to use up excess starter. They are simple to make, help reduce food waste and are perfect served warm with butter alongside a bowl of soup or enjoyed as a savoury snack.
Star Ingredient
Sourdough discard is the portion of the starter removed during the feeding process when growing and maintaining a sourdough starter. Rather than throwing it away, it can be used in a variety of recipes to add subtle tanginess and depth of flavour. In these cheese scones, sourdough discard is part of the wet ingredients that help create a tender texture while making good use of an ingredient that might otherwise go to waste.
Depending on what recipe you use for creating your starter, it can suggest that you don’t need to discard once your starter is established. You can therefore feed your starter and use that within this recipe as well.
How to Purchase Ingredients to be Conscious to the Planet
Homemade cheese scones really don’t take many ingredients. And they are basic ones. I tend to pick up all the dry ingredients these require from refill shops. They are staples that you can purchase using glass jars or containers.
When it comes to the cheese, they are various options. Try and find a local cheese deli that sells cheese by weigh. These will potentially allow you to use your own containers. They is one on my local market that I have done this with. Alternatively, go for local producers, where that is from farmer’s markets, farm shops or food halls.
Ingredients you can buy Plastic Free
- Self Raising Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Paprika
- Cheese
Equipment You Will Need
- Mixing Bowl
- Table Knife
- Measuring Spoons
- Danish Dough Whisk (optional)
- Baking Sheets
- Silicone Baking Mats / Baking Parchment Paper
- 8cm Round Fluted Cookie Cutter
- Cooling Rack
Tips and Tricks when Making Sourdough Discard Cheese Scones
Flavouring your Sourdough Discard Cheese Scones
I always enjoy adding paprika into cheese scones I make. However, you can add other flavours too. Mustard powder is another classic for cheese scones, and this again can be purchasable from refill shops. Alternatively, add in some dried herbs and you can never go round.
Shaping / Cutting out your Discard Cheese Scones
There are a few options when it comes to shaping your cheese scones. I always prefer to pat out my scone dough as I feel it means I am less likely to overwork the dough. From here you can you use a round cookie cutter. Straight or fluted will work.
Alternatively, you can take your patted out round and use a sharp knife or dough scraper and cut into triangles. This can be achieved but just cutting in half then quarter and each quarter in half again.
Storing your Sourdough Discard Cheese Scones
These cheese scones are really good for batching as they freeze will. Once they are cooled, simple pop them into a freezable bag or container. I find that my XL Moonmoon silicone food bags work really well for them. They come in a range of colours. Then pop them in the freezer.
When you want to enjoy a scone, simple remove one (or as many as you need) from the freezer and allow to defrost at room temperature. I find if I take one out in the morning (say 7am), it is easily ready by lunchtime to eat.
Sourdough Discard Cheese Scones
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Table Knife
- Measuring Spoons
- Danish Dough Whisk (optional)
- Baking Sheets
- Silicone Baking Mats / Baking Parchment Paper
- 8cm Round Fluted Cookie Cutter
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 261 g Self Raising Flour
- ¾ Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 good shakes of Paprika
- Pinch of Salt
- 91 g Butter
- 2 Large Handfuls of Grated Cheese
- 118 g Water
- 118 g Sourdough Discard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- Line 1 or 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats.
- Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl.
- Rub the butter into the dry ingredients to form breadcrumbs.
- Add in the cheese and stir through.
- Mix the water and sourdough discard together until smooth.
- Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients.
- Mix everything together to combine.
- On a well flour surface, gently knead the scone dough to bring it together.
- Pat the dough out to about 2 inches thick.
- Using the round cutter, cut scones out of the dough, gently rekneading and patting out the dough until it is all used.
- Pop the scones onto the lined baking sheets.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until golden.
- Transfer to a cooling rack.
Other Scone Recipes you may be Interested in
- Mini Gruyere and Thyme Scones
- White Chocolate and Raspberry Scones
- Orange and Chocolate Scones
- Hot Cross Scones
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