Sourdough Cheese Scones Recipe — Flaky Savory Sourdough Biscuits

These herby Sourdough Cheese Scones (also known as Sourdough Biscuits) are a delicious way to use sourdough discard. They bake up with golden, crunchy edges and a soft, tender crumb—perfect split and served warm with salted butter or cream cheese.

If you enjoy scones, try my Apple Scones or Lemon Mascarpone Scones for more tasty variations.

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Nothing beats a freshly baked cheese scone still warm from the oven, slathered with salted butter or a smear of cream cheese. These scones are packed with flavour and have a lovely flaky texture thanks to a generous amount of unfed sourdough starter—your perfect way to use discard.

If you bake regularly with sourdough, you’ve probably searched for “sourdough discard recipes.” This scone recipe is an easy, satisfying option that turns excess starter into a savoury treat.

Scones vs Biscuits

Terminology varies by region. In this recipe:

Sourdough Biscuit (US) = Sourdough Scone (UK)

Ingredients

Keep ingredients cold for the best rise and flakiness, especially the butter. I usually freeze a block of butter and grate it straight from the freezer.

• Plain (all-purpose) flour
• Baking powder
• Salt and sugar
• Frozen unsalted butter, coarsely grated
• Freshly grated sharp or mature cheddar
• Cold herbed cream cheese (Boursin works well); if using plain cream cheese add chopped chives or dried mixed herbs
• Unfed sourdough starter (stirred, straight from the fridge)
• Buttermilk or cream for brushing

Using Sourdough Discard

Stir your unfed starter well before measuring. Add it gradually to the dry mixture until the dough comes together in crumbly clumps that hold when pressed. Different starters vary in thickness, so add a little buttermilk or cream if the dough seems too dry.

Tips for Flaky, Tender Scones

Use frozen grated butter so it melts slowly in the oven, creating flaky layers.

Handle the dough as little as possible. Combine ingredients with forks and only touch the dough briefly at the end. Overworking develops gluten and makes scones tough.

Cut into squares rather than rounds. Squares are easier and avoid the need to re-roll scraps, keeping the scones tender.

How to Make Sourdough Cheese Scones (Sourdough Biscuits)

Full measurements and printable instructions appear in the recipe card below. Read the steps and watch the video (if available) before you begin.

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a bowl to aerate and combine.

Add the frozen grated butter, grated cheddar and cubed cold herbed cream cheese. Use two forks to toss everything together until coated in flour.

Gradually stir in the sourdough starter with the forks until the mixture forms clumps that hold together. If still too dry, add 1–2 tablespoons of cream or buttermilk. If too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time.

Tip the dough onto your work surface and pat into a rectangle. Fold the dough over a couple of times like a letter to create layers. Only flour the surface if the dough is sticky.

Pat the dough to about 2 inches (5 cm) high and cut into six chunky squares with a bench scraper.

Place the scones on a lined baking sheet, brush the tops with cream or buttermilk and sprinkle with mixed herbs. Add extra grated cheddar on top if you like.

Bake for 18–20 minutes until golden and flaky. Allow to cool on the tray for 10 minutes, then split and serve warm with salted butter or cream cheese.

Have you made these sourdough biscuits? Share a photo on social media with the tag #supergoldenbakes to let me know how they turned out—seeing your bakes always makes my day.

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