These herby Sourdough Cheese Scones (a.k.a Sourdough Biscuits) are a great way to use sourdough discard. Golden and crunchy edges but perfectly soft crumb inside, they are delicious split and served with salted butter or cream cheese.
Love scones? Try my Apple Scones or Lemon Mascarpone Scones
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Nothing beats a freshly baked cheese scone still warm from the oven slathered with salted butter or maybe some cream cheese. My mouth is watering as I type this!
These herby sky high cheese scones also boast a secret ingredient – a hefty amount of unfed sourdough starter, a.k.a sourdough discard.
If you have embraced sourdough baking you will likely be googling “sourdough discard recipes” and this scone recipe is a great way to use your excess unfed sourdough starter.
Scones VS Biscuits
This is one of those confusing terms that means one thing in the UK and quite another in North America. So to clear the confusion up, in this instance
Sourdough Biscuit Recipe (US) = Sourdough Scone Recipe (UK)
Cheese Scone Ingredients
Make sure your ingredients are COLD especially if the day is hot. I like to keep a block of butter in the freezer so I can grate it whenever I am making scones.
- Flour – you will need plain (all purpose flour)
- Baking powder
- Salt and sugar
- Frozen butter grated coarsely
- Cheese – for best results use freshly grated sharp/mature cheddar cheese
- Herbed cream cheese (I used Boursin) if you use plain cream cheese then add a teaspoon of chopped chives or dried mixed herbs
- Unfed sourdough starter (straight from the fridge preferably)
- A little buttermilk or cream for brushing on the scones
Using Sourdough Discard
Take the unfed sourdough starter out of the fridge and stir well. Measure the quantity you need into a measuring jug to use in the recipe and store the rest (or feed and use in another recipe).
Unfed starter tends to be quite liquid but different starters will have slightly different consistency. Add to your cheese scones gradually until the dough is moistened and just holds together.
Tips for Flaky Tender Scones
Use frozen grated butter – keeping the butter cold means it will melt more slowly as the scones bake creating flakier scones.
Handle as little as possible – I like to use forks to combine my ingredients and only use my hands at the very end. If you handle the dough too much the gluten in the flour will start to develop and your scones will be harder.
Cut them into squares – normally scones are cut into rounds or wedges. Cutting them into squares is not just easier, it means you don’t have to re-roll the dough scraps as you would when using round cutters.
HOW TO MAKE SOURDOUGH CHEESE SCONES (CHEESE BISCUITS)
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Start by combining the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. I like to sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar so that they are aerated and well mixed.
Add the grated frozen butter, grated cheddar and cream cheese and use two forks to toss and combine.
Gradually add the sourdough starter and use the forks to stir it into the dough. Keep adding as much starter as you need until the dough is crumbly but holds together in clumps. If the dough is still too dry, stir in the soured cream or a little buttermilk.
Tip the dough onto the worktop and pat into a rectangle. Fold the dough a couple of times like a letter. Only flour your worktop if the scone dough is quite sticky.
Pat dough into a rectangle 2 inches high. Use a bench scraper to cut the dough into 6 chunky squares.
Space the scones out onto a lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with cream or buttermilk and sprinkle with the mixed herbs (you can also top with some grated cheddar if you like)
Bake the scones for 18-20 minutes or until golden and flaky. Cool on the tray for 10 minutes then split and serve warm with salted butter or cream cheese.
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Cheese Sourdough Scones | Flaky Sourdough Biscuits
Ingredients
- 300 g (2 ½ cups) plain / all-purpose flour plus more for rolling if needed
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 57 g (½ stick) unsalted butter frozen, coarsely grated
- 115 g (1 cup) grated cheddar cheese mature/sharp
- 150 g (10.5oz) cold herbed cream cheese, cubed I used Boursin
- 150 g (heaped 1 cup) unfed sourdough starter, stirred use as much as needed
- 1-2 tbsp cream or buttermilk for the dough , use if needed
- 2 tbsp cream or buttermilk to brush on scones
- Pinch mixed herbs to top scones
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220C (425F).
- Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl.
- Add the grated frozen butter, grated cheddar and cream cheese and use two forks to toss and combine.
- Gradually add the sourdough starter and use the forks to stir it into the dough. Keep adding as much starter as you need until the dough is crumbly and holds together in clumps.
- If the dough is still too dry, stir in the soured cream or a little buttermilk. If the dough is too sticky add a little more flour, a tablespoon at a time and flour your worktop when rolling.
- Tip the dough onto the worktop and pat into a rectangle. Fold the dough a couple of times.
- Pat dough into a rectangle 2 inches high. Use a bench scraper to cut the dough into 6 chunky squares.
- Space the scones out onto a lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with cream or buttermilk and sprinkle with the mixed herbs (you can also top with some grated cheddar if you like)
- Bake the scones for 18-20 minutes or until golden and flaky.
- Cool on the tray for 10 minutes then split and serve warm with salted butter or cream cheese.
Nutritional Info
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Lyn says
How can anyone make these ‘delicious’ scones without the quantity. Do we guess? I for being won’t be making them because by the time I’ve tried different amounts of ingredients and thrown mist of it away because they’re ndoble, I may as well buy some or look for a recipe that actually gives the amounts were meant to use. Absolute like!!!
Lucy Parissi says
The ingredients and method are in the recipe card at the end of the post
Sally Williams says
I’m about to make my second batch of these – I have a particulatr love of cheese scones and judge a teashop on the taste of its cheese scones but am usually disappointed! I have to say yours are absolutely perfect. I wanted to find a good way of using the starter discard, also something possible to bake one handed while my broken wrist mends, and you have provided a great solution. Thanks!
Lucy Parissi says
So glad you like them Sally! Wishing you a quick recovery x
ILmee says
It came out great. It was soo yummy.
Nic | Nic's Adventures & Bakes says
Thanks for sharing 🙂 These look very yummy and easy to make 🙂