I just can't bring my self to throw out the sourdough discard. It seems too wasteful! So, I routinely have a lot--and I mean a lot!--of discard to use up. I've made all sorts of things with the discard. Sometimes I feed the discard first, and sometimes I don't. Either way, I have plenty to spare, and scones are one of my favorite ways to use some of the discard. The sweetly-spiced scones will not be biscuit-like, as traditional scones are, but they will be tender, moist, and light. The sourdough discard scones tend to keep longer than traditional scones, not drying out as fast. I've experimented with letting the dough stand for an hour or so to see if it will rise. It will, but only a little, as the spice in the dough inhibits the action of the yeast. You can vary the dried fruit that you add to the scones, use none at all, or opt for chocolate chips or chopped ginger. All will be good!
Sourdough Blueberry Scones -- Makes 12 Large Scones
2 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of cloves
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of allspice
6 tablespoons of butter
1 cup of sourdough starter
1/4-1/2 cup of milk
1/3 cup of dried blueberries
1-2 tablespoons of milk (optional)
1-2 tablespoons of raw/turbinado sugar (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or coat it with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the flour salt, cream of tartar, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and spices. Cut the butter into small pieces and add it to the dry ingredients. Using your fingers or a pastry blender, mash the butter into the dry ingredients, forming some small and some larger crumbs. Add the dried blueberries. Mix in the starter with a wooden spoon and add enough milk to form a soft, not dry, dough. Divide the dough into two pieces and pat each one into a round about 1/2-inch thick. Cut each round into 6 wedge-shaped pieces and separate the wedges so that they are about an inch apart on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the wedges with a little milk and sprinkle on some sugar, if you'd like a crusty, sweet top to your scones. Bake the scones for about 15 minutes until they are firm and golden brown.
