Pumpkin Sourdough Scones are wonderfully delicious and versatile; simple enough for a quick breakfast and elegant enough to serve when hosting brunch. They are a great way to use up your extra sourdough discard, which lends the subtle sourdough tang we all love.
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I recently made these Sourdough Pumpkin Scones for a men’s Bible study at our church, and the reports after were along the lines of, “best scones I’ve ever had.” Yay!! I want to share this recipe because I know you’ll love them too! These delicious scones are subtly sweet, perfectly spiced, and the best buttery goodness you crave in a really good scone. If you’ve never had a scone, think of it as a cross between a cookie and cake. The crumbly browned outsides and the fluffy moist insides are the best of both worlds!
One thing I love about these sourdough scones is they are so easy to make. This easy sourdough discard recipe comes together in less than 15 minutes. Because we use sourdough discard (sourdough starter that has not been recently fed), there is no extra fermenting time. The whole recipe can be made in a food processor, or in a large mixing bowl using a pastry blender.
tools you’ll need:
- Food processor or pastry cutter
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Bench scraper
- Sharp knife
- Baking sheet
ingredients you’ll need:
Pumpkin Sourdough Scones –
- All purpose unbleached flour
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Pumpkin pie spice (instructions below to make your own)
- Unsalted butter
- Pumpkin puree
- Sourdough starter discard
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
Maple Spice Glaze –
- Powdered sugar
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Maple syrup
- Milk
all about sourdough
Sourdough starter discard – This sourdough scone recipe calls for sourdough starter discard. This is sourdough starter that is not at its most active state. If you’re unfamiliar with sourdough, let me break it down. Sourdough is naturally leavened bread, meaning it does not use commercial yeast to rise. Instead, it uses a “starter,” which is a fermented flour and water mixture that contains wild yeast and good bacteria to rise. This requires a much longer process than breads made with quick yeast you can buy at the store. It also yields a slightly tangy flavor due to the nature of the fermentation process.
Sourdough starters require consistent feedings of flour and water to stay active and alive. Before feeding a sourdough starter, many people choose to ‘discard’ some of their starter so the end result does not produce as much volume. Discard, however, does not actually mean they throw it away. Typically, sourdough discard is stored in the fridge in an inactive state until ready to use in a discard recipe, like these sourdough discard pumpkin scones. A sourdough discard recipe is a recipe that calls for inactive sourdough starter (meaning it has not been recently fed), and does not require a fermentation period before baking.
If you do not have a sourdough starter, you can grab the one that I use in my kitchen every singe day HERE. I have dehydrated my starter at its most active state so it can be stored for long periods of time. This starter comes with all of the instructions for rehydrating it at home. All you need is flour, water and a kitchen scale! This is a super easy way to get started with sourdough. A dehydrated sourdough starter also makes a great gift!
diy pumpkin purée
For this recipe, I typically use canned pumpkin. But props to you if you want to make your own pumpkin purée! All you need to do is cut your pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Place them inside down on a baking sheet and bake until the skin is fork-tender. Then scoop out the pumpkin flesh and purée in a food processor until completely smooth.
Find the full instructions for making your own pumpkin purée here: https://www.loveandlemons.com/how-to-make-pumpkin-puree/
homemade pumpkin pie spice
I love making my own pumpkin pie spice, especially when making pumpkin spice scones. It is nice to be able to customize the amounts however you want. Here’s my favorite way to get that perfect fall spice:
- 3 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
pumpkin sourdough scones food processor instructions –
To make the scone dough, start by mixing all of the dry ingredients in a food processor. Pulse a few times until the flour mixture is mixed well. Next, cut the cold butter into small pieces and add to the food processor. Pulse again until all pieces of butter are blended in. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to the food processor and pulse until the dough combines into a ball. It should be a soft dough, but not so sticky that you can’t work with it. If it’s too sticky to form and cut, add a little more flour. Be careful not to overmix! If you mix the dough more than necessary, the pumpkin sourdough scones will be tough instead of soft and fluffy.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take the ball of dough out of the food processor and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Press the dough flat into a circle, and cut into 8 pieces using a sharp knife or a bench scraper. Separate the pieces and arrange them on the baking sheet so they aren’t touching. See photos below for reference. Bake on 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow the scones to cool on a wire rack.
After the scones are done baking and have cooled, prepare the Maple Spice Glaze. In a mixing bowl, whisk powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup and milk until smooth. Drizzle over cooled scones and allow to harden slightly. Enjoy with a delicious cup of coffee and a friend. 🙂
pumpkin sourdough scones pastry cutter instructions –
If you do not have a food processor, or would prefer to use a pastry blender instead, follow these instructions. Whisk dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Add cubed, cold butter and cut with a pastry blender until there are no chunks larger than a pea. Whisk wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to flour and butter mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Do not overmix! If you mix more than necessary, the pumpkin sourdough scones will be tough instead of soft and fluffy.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take the ball of dough and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Press the dough flat into a circle, and cut into 8 pieces using a sharp knife or a bench scraper. Separate the pieces and arrange them on the baking sheet so they aren’t touching. See photos above for reference. Bake on 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow the scones to cool on a wire rack.
After the scones are done baking and have cooled, prepare the Maple Spice Glaze. In a mixing bowl, whisk powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup and milk until smooth. Drizzle over cooled scones and allow to harden slightly. Enjoy with a delicious cup of coffee and a friend. 🙂
how to store pumpkin sourdough scones
Store scones in an airtight container or on a plate covered with plastic wrap or beeswax wrap. For best results, eat or share them within 2 days after baking.
can scones be frozen?
These scones freeze very well. Freezing them is a great option if you will not go through an entire batch in just a couple of days. Follow the directions to bake the scones and freeze them in a ziploc after they are completely cooled. For best results, glaze them when you remove from the freezer and they are fully defrosted.
looking for more sourdough discard recipes??
- Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread
- Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Sourdough Buttermilk Biscuits
- Sourdough Discard Scones
- Sourdough Crackers
- Sourdough Pie Crust
printable recipe card –
Pumpkin Sourdough Scones
Yield: 8 scones
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Sourdough Pumpkin Scones are wonderfully delicious and versatile; simple enough for a quick breakfast and elegant enough to serve when hosting brunch. They are a great way to use up your extra sourdough discard, which lends the subtle sourdough tang we all love.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Sourdough Scones
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 sticks butter (3/4 cup)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter discard
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
Maple Spice Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 2-4 Tablespoons milk (start with 2, add more if the glaze is too thick to drizzle)
Instructions
- To make the scone dough, start by mixing all of the dry ingredients in a food processor (see post for instructions using a pastry cutter instead of a food processor). Pulse a few times until the flour mixture is mixed well.
- Next, cut the cold butter into small pieces and add to the food processor. Pulse again until all pieces of butter are blended in.
- Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to the food processor and pulse until the dough combines into a ball. It should be a soft dough, but not so sticky that you can’t work with it. If it’s too sticky to form and cut, add a little more flour. Be careful not to overmix! If you mix the dough more than necessary, the pumpkin sourdough scones will be tough instead of soft and fluffy.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take the ball of dough out of the food processor and place onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Press the dough flat into a circle, and cut into 8 pieces using a sharp knife or a bench scraper.
- Separate the pieces and arrange them on the baking sheet so they aren’t touching.
- Bake on 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow the scones to cool on a wire rack.
- After the scones are done baking and have cooled, prepare the Maple Spice Glaze. In a mixing bowl, whisk powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup and milk until smooth. Drizzle over cooled scones and allow to harden slightly.
Notes
If you don't have a food processor or would prefer to use a pastry cutter instead, see the post for instructions using this method.
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