Gluten-Free Sourdough Discard Scones

These delicious gluten-free sourdough chocolate chip scones are chewy on the inside and crusty on the outside. You can make them with all-purpose gluten-free flour using sourdough starter discard! This recipe is a great alternative to the traditional scones with gluten.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

– Easy. Use any gluten-free flour blend with this recipe!

– Delicious. You can add any mix-ins of your choice to enhance the flavor!

What Is Sourdough Discard?

Sourdough discard is a portion of mature sourdough starter that is removed before feeding the starter with fresh water and flour. Sourdough starter consists of water and flour that are naturally fermented by bacteria and yeasts. To keep your starter strong, you need to regularly refresh it with new water and flour and remove a portion of the starter to maintain a balance of yeast and bacteria. The word “discard” is partially misleading because it can be used to make scones, brown butter cookies, moist banana bread, muffins with starter, delicious cinnamon rolls, and many other delicious recipes!

Sourdough discard is not as potent as the mature starter, so instead of using it in sourdough bread, you can use it in recipes that don’t rely on its fermenting and leavening abilities as much. For more of those check out my favorite recipes with sourdough starter discard.

Ingredients

Butter – use cold and firm butter for this recipe.

Gluten-free flour – I like using my homemade millet flour blend or rice flour blend but you can use any other premade gluten-free flour mix. You can use blanched almond flour with a little bit of tapioca or arrowroot flour for a nuttier flavor, just make sure the final volume of flour is the same as in the recipe.

Gluten-free sourdough starter – you can use unfed discard straight out of the fridge if you want to! Or you can use a mature starter and leave the scones to ferment. If you don’t have a starter, you can make one with my easy gluten-free brown rice starter recipe.

Xanthan gum – you can make these gluten-free sourdough scones without xanthan gum, although they will be more crumbly then.

Substitutes

Dairy-free and vegan

Milk – use plant-based milk.

Butter – you can use margarine, vegetable oil, coconut oil, vegan butter, or nut butters. Keep in mind that those substitutes might affect the texture and flavor of the scones!

Sugar-free

You can use honey, maple syrup, or artificial sweeteners like stevia, erythritol, or xylitol. To learn more about them read this alternative sweeteners guide! Keep in mind that using any of these substitutes might affect the texture and flavor of the scones.

Step-By-Step Recipe

Step 1 – Mix the dough

Add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk together to combine.

You can use a pastry blender, a knife, or a fork to cut the butter into the flour. The idea is that the butter won’t be completely worked into the dough which will allow for steam to escape from the scones during baking and allow for a more flaky texture. So, don’t use your hands for this step! The butter should be cold or even frozen.

Finally, add wet ingredients and chocolate chips to the flour and mix with your hands until everything is incorporated.

Step 2 – Shape the scones

Flour the working surface, grease your hands with oil, and then transfer the dough onto the surface. The dough will be very sticky and stick to your hands even if you grease them. That is okay! Shape the dough into a ball and flatten it with your hands. Then, separate the dough into 8 pieces using a bench scraper or a knife.

Note: for fermented scones leave the dough to ferment for 1-12 hours in the refrigerator or on the kitchen counter at room temperature. If you don’t want to wait, proceed to the next step right away!

Preheat the oven to 350F/170C. Carefully transfer the scones onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If the scones broke, reshape them now. You can add extra chocolate chips on top for decoration! Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350F/175C. The scones will be golden brown when ready. Let them cool for 5-10 minutes and enjoy!

Variations

Blueberry scones – add fresh or frozen blueberries for a fruity flavor.

Lemon and poppy seed scones – add fresh lemon zest and poppy seeds for a tangy flavor.

Cinnamon raisins scones – add 1 tsp more cinnamon and a handful of raisins for a comforting treat!

Cranberry-orange scones – add fresh orange zest and dried cranberries for a festive twist!

Savory herbal scones – skip the sugar and add a couple of tbsp of your favorite herbs (like rosemary or thyme) for a savory snack that goes with soups and salads.

Maple-pecan scones – replace sugar with maple syrup and add chopped pecans to the dough for a nutty treat!

Expert Tips

– For fermented scones, leave the dough to ferment for 1-12 hours.

– Don’t worry if the dough is very sticky and don’t add extra flour. If the scones lose shape as you transfer them onto the baking sheet, just reshape them afterward!

– Cutting butter into flour is a crucial step when making scones because it helps create a light, flaky texture. When the butter is cut into the flour, the butter pieces are coated in butter, which creates a crumbly mix with pockets of butter. During baking, the pockets of butter melt and release steam, which helps lift the scones and create a light and airy texture. You can use a pastry blender, a knife, or a fork for this step!

– Don’t overbake the scones as it will make them overly dry and crumbly. Bake them until golden brown or until a toothpick comes out without raw dough sticking to it!

FAQ