Brown sugar and cinnamon sourdough scones are tender, crumbly, and buttery with a lovely brown sugar glaze on top. This is a great sourdough discard recipe to make and share with friends (or eat them all by yourself).
I love using my sourdough discard for so many things! These scones are a great example of what you can do with your starter.
Scones are a great combination between a cookie and a biscuit. With a tender and crumbly texture, crispier outside and softer center.
Don’t throw your discard away! Try these other fun sourdough discard recipes:
- Sourdough Quick Bread
- Sourdough Coffee Cake
- Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Sourdough Bundt Cake
Sourdough Scones with Brown Sugar and Cinnamon
Scones are such a lovely treat for breakfast, as an afternoon snack, or to serve with tea and a good book.
These scones have lovely flavor thanks to the brown sugar and cinnamon in the scones, and the lovely brown sugar glaze you could literally eat with a spoon.
How to make these scones:
These scones are simple to make. For the full instructions, please scroll down to the recipe card below.
- Line a 9″ round cake pan with plastic wrap and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Using a pastry blender, two forks, or your fingers, mash the cold butter pieces into the flour mixture until it resembles course sand.
- Pour in the sourdough starter, cream, and vanilla and gently mix until just combined.
- Evenly press this into the prepared cake pan.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Carefully turn the scone dough out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Using a large sharp knife, cut the circle of dough into 8 even wedges.
- Arrange the wedges so they have space between them, and then brush them with a little extra cream. Allow them to sit for a few minutes before baking.
- Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until set and golden brown.
- Allow to cool completely before glazing.
- Try not to eat all the frosting while you drizzle it over the cooled scones.
- Enjoy!
How to make the brown sugar glaze
Mix up the glaze by warming the butter and milk together in the microwave for 30 seconds and then stirring until the butter melts. Stir in the brown sugar and vanilla, and then stir in the powdered sugar until you get the desired drizzly consistency you want.
Do I have to freeze the dough?
You don’t have to, however I find that the recipe works so much better when you do! Part of the awesome texture that you get from scones comes when all the ingredients are really cold, so placing them in the freezer for a bit helps everything get cold again. It also helps firm the dough up so you can slice them really nicely. So while you don’t have to, I really recommend it!
What kind of sourdough starter do I need for this recipe?
This recipe uses 100% hydration starter. You can use either fed and active starter, or inactive discard. It does not matter what kind of flour your starter is fed with, either.
Read “Feeding your sourdough starter” to get information on hydration rates and how to properly feed and maintain your sourdough starter.
Why both baking powder and baking soda?
In this recipe, the sourdough discard is just acting as a flavoring agent. We don’t get any leavening action from it, just like in the sourdough biscuits recipe. To get a nice lift in our scones, we need to use a chemical leavener. In this recipe we use both baking soda and baking powder as both will work together to create a nice lift and help in browning and help to create that great sourdough tang.
More Scones recipes to try at your next tea:
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Brown Sugar Cinnamon Sourdough Scones
Brown sugar and cinnamon sourdough scones are tender, crumbly, and buttery with a lovely brown sugar glaze on top. This is a great sourdough discard recipe to make and share with friends (or eat them all by yourself).
Ingredients
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Sourdough Scones
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and cold
- 1 cup sourdough discard, 100% hydration
- 4 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Brown Sugar Glaze
- 4 Tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Sourdough Scones:
- Line an 8 inch cake pan with plastic wrap.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until it resembles course sand (you can use your fingers or a fork).
- Pour the starter, cream and vanilla into the bowl and carefully mix with until just barely incorporated.
- Press the dough into the cake pan and cover with plastic wrap.
- Place in the freezer overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
- In the morning (or when ready to bake), place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and turn the dough out onto it.
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- Let your dough stand for 15 minutes and then using a sturdy knife, cut your dough into 8 even wedges.
- Let the dough stand for another 15 minutes, and then brush the tops with a bit of cream on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the scones are set and lightly browned.
- Allow to cool while you mix the glaze.
Brown Sugar Glaze:
- In a microwave safe cup, heat the milk and butter for 30 seconds.
- Stir, stir, stir, until the butter is completely melted.
- Stir in the brown sugar and vanilla and stir until the sugar melts.
- Whisk in the powdered sugar, starting with 1/4 cup and gradually increasing the amount until you get the desired consistency.
- Drizzle over the scones, and Enjoy!!!
Notes
Store these scones in an air-tight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 349Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 396mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 1gSugar: 19gProtein: 4g
Nutrition information is an estimate and is provided for informational purposes only. For the most accurate information, please calculate using your specific brands and exact measurements.
Laura
Saturday 19th of November 2022
Can these be in the freezer for a few days before baking?
Jenni
Monday 21st of November 2022
You bet! I would let them sit in the freezer for about 4 hours, then take them out and slice them as directed in the instructions. Then you can place the individual scones back into the freezer (let them finish freezing all the way separated at first then you can put them in a storage container for storage).
Marsha
Thursday 24th of March 2022
I see pear, ginger and cranberry mentioned in the comments. Did I just miss that in the ingredients/directions?
Jenni
Thursday 24th of March 2022
Hi Marsha! You did not miss anything, this was an old recipe from 2012, and it was in need of fixing! As written the old recipe was problematic, and I decided to update it and simplify it so it would give better, more consistent results. So yes, this recipe used to feature pears, crystallized ginger, and fresh cranberries, and while it does sound amazing (and tasted great), it was a complicated and fussy recipe that rarely gave good results.
Daniel Langevin
Sunday 13th of March 2022
Wow!! Made them and we just took our first bite. They are magnificent and delicious. I brushed them with 10% coffee cream and dusted them some fine granulated sugar. No need for the glaze. The tops turned out nice and crispy after cooling and the taste is sublime. These scones are some of the best I've ever baked. They will not last long.
Lori
Thursday 3rd of March 2022
Do you mean freezer or refrigerator? In the freezer overnight, the dough will be frozen solid.
Jenni
Thursday 3rd of March 2022
In the freezer! The recipe recommends only 4 hours in the freezer, which isn't enough to freeze it solid. If you stick it in the freezer overnight, you can still cut it, but if you feel nervous about it, you can let it sit on the counter to warm up a little before cutting. But it does need to be very cold and mostly solid before you slice it. This helps create perfect slices! Trust the recipe, it will work!
Barbara
Wednesday 29th of September 2021
I know they would be heavier, but what do you think about using a whole grain flour instead of ap?
Jenni
Wednesday 6th of October 2021
You sure can! They will be heavier and denser, but you definitely can!