Gingerbread Sourdough Scones – Easy Discard Recipe

If you want to taste Christmas in a scone form, these gingerbread sourdough scones topped with a cream cheese drizzle are just the thing!

Easy to make the same day and full of seasonal spice, they are a gorgeous addition to a holiday brunch, Christmas breakfast, or holiday party.

You can also long-ferment these gingerbread sourdough scones for added nutritional benefits (see below for directions), meaning they are a great option to make the night before for a quick and delicious breakfast.

If you are like me, you’ll have trouble just having one!

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Gingerbread Sourdough Scones

This easy discard recipe for gingerbread sourdough scones is delicious and full of holiday flavor! A yummy option for Christmas breakfast, it is topped with a cream cheese topping for the perfect finishing touch.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine American, British

Servings 8

Calories 419 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder aluminum free
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp allspice
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp salt
• 8 Tbsp unsalted butter frozen and grated
• ½ cup sourdough starter discard or active
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk cold
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 Tbsp molasses
• 1 Tbsp whole milk cold

Cream Cheese Topping (Optional)

• 3 Tbsp cream cheese softened
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter softened
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 2 Tbsp whole milk adjust as needed
• dash of salt

Instructions

 

Same-Day Instructions

• Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
• Add the grated frozen butter, toss in the flour mixture, and then use your hands to break up the butter into pea size pieces.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and in the well, add the sourdough starter, egg and egg yolk, vanilla, molasses, and milk. Mix the wet ingredients together and then stir them in with the dry ingredients until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
• Shape the scone dough into an 8-inch round disk. Cut it into eight equal pie-shaped pieces, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Cover the scones (with plastic wrap or something air-tight) and chill for 30 minutes.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator, uncover the scones, and bake for 17-20 minutes, or until lightly golden on the tops and edges. Remove and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, combine the softened cream cheese and butter and mix with a hand mixer until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and milk and mix until smooth and creamy. Put cream cheese mixture into a piping bag (or a plastic storage bag with the corner clipped) and top the scones. Enjoy!

Long-Fermentation Instructions

• Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
• Add the grated frozen butter, toss in the flour mixture, and then use your hands to break up the butter into pea size pieces.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and in the well, add the sourdough starter, egg and egg yolk, vanilla, molasses, and milk. Mix the wet ingredients together and then stir them in with the dry ingredients until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
• Shape the scone dough into an 8-inch round disk. Cut it into eight equal pie-shaped pieces, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Cover the scones (with plastic wrap or something air-tight) and allow to ferment in the refrigerator for 8-72 hours.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator, uncover the scones, and bake for 17-20 minutes, or until lightly golden on the tops and edges. Remove and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, combine the softened cream cheese and butter and mix with a hand mixer until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and milk and mix until smooth and creamy. Put cream cheese mixture into a piping bag (or a plastic storage bag with the corner clipped) and top the scones. Enjoy!

Notes

• Don’t overmix the dough – Overmixing scone dough can develop more gluten than you need, resulting in a tough or dense scone.
• Chill before baking – Chilling helps the butter in the dough harden up, helping your scones not spread as much when baked.
• Adjust milk if needed – Depending on the moisture content of your sourdough starter, you may need to adjust the amount of milk, one tablespoon at a time.

Keyword cream cheese, easy discard recipes, gingerbread, gingerbread sourdough scones, sourdough, sourdough discard

Kitchen Equipment

Ingredients to Note for Gingerbread Sourdough Scones

• Unsalted , frozen butter – Using unsalted butter allows you to control the amount of salt in the recipe. However, I have tested this recipe with salted butter, and it did taste just fine; it just may depend on which salted butter you use. Using frozen butter helps keep the scones from spreading as much.
• Sourdough starter – You can use discard starter for a quick and easy recipe. (See my tip below regarding chilling if you use discard starter.) However, I also I like using active starter and allowing the maple pecan sourdough scone dough to ferment for better nutrition.
• Ginger – I prefer my gingerbread baked goods to not be overly spicy, so I only use one teaspoon. Adjust as desired.
• Molasses – I used blackstrap unsulphered molasses for this recipe, and it makes the scones delicious!

Tips for Gingerbread Sourdough Scones

• Don’t overmix the dough – Overmixing scone dough can develop more gluten than you need, resulting in a tough or dense scone.
• Chill before baking – This really applies if you decide to try this recipe with discard, as your dough won’t have been fermenting in the refrigerator. Chilling helps the butter in the dough harden up, helping your scones not spread as much when baked.
• Adjust milk if needed – Depending on the moisture content of your sourdough starter, you may need to adjust the amount of milk. If the scone dough appears too dry, just add milk one tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

Frequently Asked Questions for Gingerbread Sourdough Scones

More Sourdough Scone Recipes

If you like these scones, check out these!

Cheddar and Chive Sourdough Scones

Chocolate Chip Sourdough Scones

Pumpkin Sourdough Scones with Maple Glaze

Cranberry Orange Sourdough Scones

Blackberry Sourdough Scones

Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Scones

Maple Pecan Sourdough Scones

Step-by-Step Instructions and Photos

Same-Day Method

1. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
2. Add the grated frozen butter, toss in the flour mixture, and then use your hands to break up the butter into pea size pieces.

3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and in the well, add the sourdough starter, egg and egg yolk, vanilla, molasses, and milk. Mix the wet ingredients together and then stir them in with the dry ingredients until just combined, avoiding overmixing.

4. Shape the scone dough into an 8-inch round disk. Cut it into eight equal pie-shaped pieces, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

5. Cover the scones (with plastic wrap or something air-tight) and chill for 30 minutes.

6. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator, uncover the scones, and bake for 17-20 minutes, or until lightly golden on the tops and edges. Remove and allow to cool to room temperature.

7. Meanwhile, combine the softened cream cheese and butter and mix with a hand mixer until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and milk and mix until smooth and creamy. Put cream cheese mixture into a piping bag (or a plastic storage bag with the corner clipped) and top the scones. Enjoy!

Long Fermentation Method

1. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
2. Add the grated frozen butter, toss in the flour mixture, and then use your hands to break up the butter into pea size pieces.

3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and in the well, add the sourdough starter, egg and egg yolk, vanilla, molasses, and milk. Mix the wet ingredients together and then stir them in with the dry ingredients until just combined, avoiding overmixing.

4. Shape the scone dough into an 8-inch round disk. Cut it into eight equal pie-shaped pieces, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

5. Cover the scones (with plastic wrap or something air-tight) and allow to ferment in the refrigerator for 8-72 hours.

6. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator, uncover the scones, and bake for 17-20 minutes, or until lightly golden on the tops and edges. Remove and allow to cool to room temperature.

7. Meanwhile, combine the softened cream cheese and butter and mix with a hand mixer until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and milk and mix until smooth and creamy. Put cream cheese mixture into a piping bag (or a plastic storage bag with the corner clipped) and top the scones. Enjoy!

And there you have it! I hope these delicious gingerbread scones add some delicious Christmas flavor to your holiday season!