Sourdough scones

I’ve recently started on a bit of a sourdough journey and am hooked. Completely hooked on the whole process (which I’m documenting over on the lovely Mill House Kitchen blog if you fancy taking a look!). But the one thing I’m not so keen about is all the extra starter you seem to end up with if not baking every day. So I’ve been experimenting with different ways to use the extra starter and this afternoon struck gold! Gold my friends. Sourdough scones!! Yes they merit a double exclamation mark.

So much more delicious than your standard scone (which I still love just not as much – so fickle), sourdough scones are full of flavour, far fluffier and lighter than any scone I’ve ever baked and just generally excellent. So if any of you sourdough bakers out there have starter to spare, please try this recipe. And those of you who don’t, but now fancy a scone session then please pop over to lovely Anneka’s website for this excellent recipe. Happy afternoon tea everyone. Sophiex

Sourdough scones

2 cups self-raising flour
1/4 cup golden caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tsp bicarb soda*
2/3 cup butter, chilled and cut into little cubes
1 cup sourdough starter
4 tbsp cream
1 beaten egg
Cinnamon sugar (mix caster sugar and cinnamon together to taste!)

Preheat oven to 180 and line a tray with baking paper. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, bicarb soda and butter in a large bowl and rub the butter into the mixture until it resembles rough breadcrumbs. Now add the starter and the cream and bring together with a fork. Tip mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out until about 2.5/3cm thick. Cut into rounds using a cup or scone cutter and place on the baking tray. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and serve warm with whipped cream and jam, or in this case apple and mint jelly. Makes about 9 medium-sized scones.

Note – I didn’t actually have any bicarb soda in the house for this particular batch (which was made for afternoon tea today) so they may look a little flatter than normal. But no less delicious!