Enjoy the cozy flavors of fall with these sourdough apple cinnamon scones. Incredibly tender due to the sourdough discard, warm apple and cinnamon notes, and a sweet maple glaze make these the perfect autumn treat.
Inspiration behind THE RECIPE
We had the inspiration come from my Sourdough Retreat this fall! I asked my kitchen crew to help come up with some kind of sourdough pastry for Sunday morning. My kitchen manager, Mirien Church, came up with this amazing recipe and allowed me to share it online! Everyone devoured them at the retreat and asked if there were leftovers. Mirien found this original recipe online from King Arthur, and gave it an incredible sourdough discard twist and added a maple glaze that took it to the next level. I truly hope you love these scones as much as we all did!
What is Sourdough discard?
Sourdough is a natural yeast that is the original form of bread making. When flour and water sit out for a long period of time, and continually get fed with refreshed bacteria (flour and the environment), the mixture develops a permanent form of healthy bacteria called lactobacillus. Our bodies thrive off of positive bacteria and natural probiotics. It increases cell reproduction and reduces inflammation. When sourdough starter is “refreshed” or “fed” with flour and water, a reaction occurs that produced carbon dioxide. It grows and gets bubbly. This activated mixture becomes a natural yeast, making our bread rise.
What about when it’s not “fed”? It still has all of that amazing natural bacteria, but is lacking the fresh CO2 power for rising. That dormant state is referred to as “discard”. While it won’t have as much power to rise a loaf of bread, it can still be used in SO many baked goods, and is still loaded with so many health benefits.
This “discard” or unfed sourdough starter, gives depth of flavor and brings a tender texture to baked goods that don’t need a strong rise – such as pancakes, cookies, and of course – these amazing strawberry scones. And no, it does not taste sour I promise! Just increases the flavor, health benefits, and contributes to that tender texture.
And how do I know how to use sourdough discard in my recipe?
When wanting to use discard as an adder to unleavened baked goods (brownies, cookies, pancakes), I recommend following these guidelines:
- Remove equal parts liquid & flour to replace equivalent of starter. ex: if adding 100 g starter, remove 50 g liquid + 50 g flour from recipe amounts.
- Amount of starter to add depends on how big the recipe is. I usually start with adding ~100 g starter for every 2 cups of flour called for.
- Anytime a recipe calls for greek yogurt or sour cream, you can usually sub in starter 1:1.
FAQs for sourdough apple cinnamon scones
Does measuring by weight work better? Measuring by weight with food scales ensures that we have exactly the amount of ingredients we need to make any baked good successful. It’s not necessary, but I do recommend it! I love either one of these two scales to weigh your ingredients: plastic or glass.
How long do these scones last? These scones typically last for about 3 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Can I freeze these scones? Yes, you can freeze these scones! To freeze them, cool completely and place in an airtight container or freezer bag. They will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 10-15 minutes.
Can I make the dough in advance? Yes! We actually think they taste better made in advance. Make and cut the scones, then freeze on a baking sheet for at least 30 minutes to set, and then to save room, you can transfer to a freezer ziplock bag. Stores for up to 3 months. We bake them directly from the freezer. Makes it easy to prep and then throw in the oven last minute so you have zero work close to when you want to serve, while having fresh hot scones.
What type of apple works best with these scones? I personally like Honeycrisp apples; their crisp texture, sweet-tart flavor, and ability to hold their shape make them a great option. However, other varieties like Granny Smith or Braeburn can also work well, depending on your preferred sweetness and tartness.
Does the type of cinnamon chips matter? I would say so! I personally LOVE the Orson Gygi cinnamon chips. They have the best overall flavor and they bake the best in baked goods like scones.
More sourdough starter questions? I have a whole post of FAQs about troubleshooting sourdough starter.
What if I don’t have apple pie spice? That’s okay! I love using just cinnamon in its place. Or, you can follow this recipe for an apple pie spice substitute.
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions: In a small bowl, combine all the spices. Stir the spices together until evenly blended. Store in an airtight container for further use.
Different variations of scones
Scones are so versatile and could be made with a variety of different flavor combinations. All you need is about 1-1.5 cups worth of mix-ins to your dough. It’s so easy to get creative. Some of my favorites include:
- Lemon blueberry
- Raspberry
- Biscoff
- Ham & Cheddar
- Maple Brown Sugar
- Zesty Orange
- Chocolate Chip
I have all of these flavor combinations and other sourdough discard recipes are also in my Classic Sourdough Book!
More sourdough discard recipes to love!
Sourdough Chocolate Bundt Cake
Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Scones
Ingredients
Scones
- 330 g. (2 3/4 c.) all purpose flour
- 66 g. (1/3 c.) granulated sugar
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon or Apple Pie Spice *see notes
- 113 g. (1/2 c.) cold butter
- ¾ cup fresh apple , chopped small
- ¾ cup cinnamon baking chips
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 63 g. (1/4 c.) unsweetened applesauce
- 65 g. (1/4 c.) sourdough discard (unfed)
Glaze
- 113 g. (1 c.) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp. maple syrup
- Cream or milk till consistency is as a glaze ~1 tbsp
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste , or 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F. Put a parchment paper or spray a sheet pan and set aside.
- Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl (flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon/apple pie spice). Using a pastry blender or fork and knife, chop up the butter into pea sized chunks and toss in with the flour.
- Mix in the chopped apple (no, you don't have to peel it!) and cinnamon baking chips.
- In a separate bowl mix together the wet ingredients (eggs, discard, apple sauce, and vanilla).
- Pat into about a 10-12” circle. Add flour to help you pat it out if needed.
- Cut it into 8 wedges.
- You can bake immediately, or for our favorite results, place in freezer for at least 20 minutes, or overnight.
- Bake directly from the freezer for about 20 minutes. If you are baking fresh, start at 15 minutes.
- While baking, whisk together the glaze and then glaze scones while warm. Scones stay fresh for 1-2 days. You can also freeze baked scones. Enjoy!
Notes
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
