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Cheesy Garlic Sourdough Scones pack all the flavors you love in garlic bread into a quick, 30-minute bake. Made with sourdough discard, mozzarella and parmesan cheese, garlic butter, and fresh herbs, these savory scones bake up golden, flaky, and tender.
Save & Summarize
This recipe comes together without any fancy equipment or long rise times, making it an easy addition to weeknight dinners. If you love my Sourdough Garlic Bread, this recipe offers the same bold, buttery garlic-cheese flavor in a quick, sourdough discard bake.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ready in under 30 minutes- Just like my Cheesy Sourdough Biscuits, this recipe can be made start to finish in under 30 minutes!
- Great for any spread- Serve as a dinner side or as a cheesy appetizer to go along with your favorite sourdough game day recipes.
- Never dry- Some scones can be dry and crumbly, but not these! Just like my Strawberry Lemon Sourdough Scones, these are buttery and full of flavor!
Important Ingredients and Substitutions
- Sourdough Discard – The sourdough discard adds flavor and moisture to the scones. Be sure to use cold sourdough discard from the fridge to help keep the butter super cold.
- Cheese – This recipe uses both mozzarella and parmesan cheeses but you can swap for other hard cheeses like Colby Jack or cheddar cheese. Or you can omit the cheese.
- Butter – The trick is to use frozen butter. This helps create the light and tender texture like my Sourdough Blueberry Scones and Pumpkin Sourdough Scones. Add the stick of butter to the freezer for 20-30 minutes before grating it into the flour mixture. Unsalted or salted both work well in this recipe.
- Garlic – The fresh garlic in the scones can be replaced with a teaspoon of garlic powder. You can also swap the garlic powder in the butter mixture with fresh garlic or remove it altogether. If you love garlic, be sure to try my Sourdough Garlic Knots too!
- Parsley- I prefer using fresh parsley but in a pinch you can use dried parsley or italian seasoning.
See all the ingredients and amounts in the recipe card below.
Instructions to make Garlic Bread Sourdough Scones
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Step 2: Shred the frozen butter with a cheese grater and toss it into the dry ingredients.
Step 3: Add mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic, and parsley to the dry ingredients.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients including the cold sourdough discard, egg, and milk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a fork or Danish dough whisk until the dough begins to come together. Try not to overwork the dough as it can result in a tough scone.
Step 5: Dump the scone dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently press it together until the flour is incorporated and the dough forms. At first it will seem like too much flour but it will come together. If after 15-20 seconds it is not, add another teaspoon or two of milk.
Shape the dough into an 8 to 10-inch circle.
Step 6: Cut the dough into 8 equal wedges using a bench scraper or a sharp knife.
Step 7: Place the dough wedges on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 7: Bake scones in a preheated oven at 425°F for 13-14 minutes or until they are lightly golden brown on the edges and top. Don’t over-bake or they will get dry. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack.
Step 4: In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, garlic powder and fresh parsley.
Step 5: Brush the tops with the butter mix and serve warm.
Recipe Tips
- Use cold ingredients. One of my best tips for flaky, tender scones is to use cold discard and frozen butter. The colder the ingredients, the better. If your discard is at room temperature and/or butter is not frozen, place the scones in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or more to chill before baking to prevent the scones from spreading.
- Don’t over-knead the dough. It will be flaky when mixing. Over-kneading will turn a tender scone into a tough scone due to the gluten development.
- Add more liquid if needed. If after 15-20 seconds of gently pressing the dough together on the counter the flour is not incorporating slowly add another teaspoon or two of milk. Add it slowly as the scones should be somewhat dry, not sticky.
Storage Instructions for Garlic Bread Sourdough Scones
To store the Garlic Bread Sourdough Scones, add them to an airtight container or wrap in plastic wrap. You can keep them on the counter at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. You can reheat them in preheated oven at 300°F until they are warmed through or in the microwave for 15 seconds.
If you would like to freeze them, wrap the leftovers in plastic or store them in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months. To thaw, you can leave them on the counter or add them to a 300°F oven or microwave until warmed through.
You can also freeze unbaked scones. Once the scones are cut wrap them in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Bake directly from the freezer but add on a couple minutes to the bake time to accommodate for being frozen.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, you can use active sourdough starter or sourdough starter discard for this recipe. Just be sure that it is cold so it helps keep the butter cold.
The scones will spread if the ingredients in the scones are not cold enough. That is why it is important to use cold butter and discard and be sure to not skip the step of freezing your butter. If the dough is getting warm or sticky when working with it wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before baking.
Yes! Once the dough is shaped into the circle, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you are ready to bake, cut the dough with a sharp knife into wedges and place on your prepared baking sheet and bake.
You can also freeze unbaked scones. See storage instructions for the steps.
More sourdough sides
Soft Sourdough Bread Recipes
Sourdough Garlic Bread (Ready in 20 minutes!)
Sourdough Bread Recipes
Sourdough Garlic Knots
Sourdough Breakfast Recipes
Strawberry Lemon Sourdough Scones
Sourdough Discard Recipes
Cranberry Orange Sourdough Scones
Tried this Cheesy Garlic Sourdough Scones or another recipe from the site? I’d love to hear about it! Drop a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments—can’t wait to see what you’re baking!
Cheesy Garlic Sourdough Scones
Ingredients
Scone
- 280 grams All-purpose flour, 2 cups
- 5 grams Baking powder, 1 teaspoon
- 5 grams Baking soda, 1 teaspoon
- 5 grams Salt, 1 teaspoon
- 113 grams Butter, ½ cup, frozen
- 120 grams Sourdough discard, ½ cup, cold
- 1 Large egg, 50 grams, cold
- 75 grams Whole milk, ⅓ cup, cold
- 150 grams Mozzarella cheese, 1¼ cup, shredded
- 50 grams Parmesan cheese, ½ cup, shredded
- 4 grams Minced garlic, ½ Tablespoon
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh parsley
Topping
- 56 grams Butter, ¼ cup, melted
- 2 grams Garlic powder, 1 teaspoon
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 280 grams All-purpose flour, 5 grams Baking powder, 5 grams Baking soda, 5 grams Salt
- Shred the frozen butter with a cheese grater and toss it into the dry ingredients. 113 grams Butter
- Add mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic, and parsley to the dry ingredients.150 grams Mozzarella cheese 50 grams Parmesan cheese, 4 grams Minced garlic, 2 Tablespoons Fresh parsley
- In a separate bowl, mix together wet ingredients including the cold sourdough discard, egg, and milk.120 grams Sourdough discard, 1 Large egg, 75 grams Whole milk
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a fork or Danish dough whisk until the dough begins to come together. Try not to overwork the dough as it can result in a tough scone.
- Dump the scone dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently press it together until the flour is incorporated and the dough forms. At first it will seem like too much flour but it will come together. If after 10-15 seconds the flour is not incorporating slowly add a teaspoon or two of milk to the dough until the flour incorporates. The dough should stay somewhat dry not sticky.
- Shape the dough into an 8 to 10-inch circle.
- Cut the dough into 8 equal wedges using a bench scraper or a sharp knife.
- Place the dough wedges on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake scones in a preheated oven at 425°F for 13-14 minutes or until they are lightly golden brown on the edges and top. Don’t over-bake or they will get dry. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, garlic powder and fresh parsley. 56 grams Butter, 2 grams Garlic powder, 1 Tablespoon Fresh parsley
- Brush the tops with the butter mix and serve warm.
Notes
- Use cold ingredients. One of my best tips for flaky, tender scones is to use cold discard and frozen butter. The colder the ingredients, the better. If your discard is at room temperature and/or butter is not frozen, place the scones in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or more to chill before baking, or the scones will spread.
- Don’t over knead the dough. It will be flaky when mixing. Over kneading will turn a tender scone into a tough scone due to the gluten development.
- Fresh Herbs. I prefer using fresh parsley but in a pinch you can replace this with dried herbs like parsely or italian seasoning.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love the recipe!! Add sausage for an exceptional breakfast / brunch favorite.
Ooo that’s a great idea. Thanks for sharing.
These were so delicious!! The dough came together so easily. I love that it was a 30 minute recipe. I used dried parsley instead of fresh, and I think I added an extra tsp of minced garlic. So good. Can’t wait to make these again. Every recipe of yours that I have tried has been wonderful – thank you for sharing!
Thanks so much, Jessica!
These cheesy garlic scones are incredibly delicious! I substituted 1:1 Einkorn and hard red wheat for the All Purpose flour. So good with the beef stew I served for supper. I think I had 2…maybe 3. Don’t judge 😉 They will be made on repeat. So, so good and easy to make! Thank you for a delicious recipe!
Thanks, Karla! So glad you liked the recipe.
First time making these.
..very easy and delicious! I had buttermilk to use up so I used that instead of milk and they are perfect! They also look impressive which is fun!
Thanks so much! I’m so glad you liked them and good to know the buttermilk worked well.
Great, easy recipe. love using up my sourdough discard and having great food!
Thanks so much Jill!
Easy to make, buttery, melts in your mouth.
So glad you like them! Thanks for sharing!
4 months into sourdough and many not so nice loaves I am so glad I found your Cheesey Star Bread that I made for Xmas and decided to keep my starter. I have my 3rd lot of dinner rolls proving so tried these quick scones – they are the best! Light, Cheesey with the right amount of garlic and butter. Will keep remaining discard for tomorrows batch. Thanks for posting!
First time making scones and WOW. This recipe was super easy to follow and turned out GREAT. The only thing I’d personally change next time is to use salted butter for the topping and I will use my kitchenaid attachment to grate the butter instead of doing it by hand. Sending this recipe out to all my sourdough friends now!
Thanks so much Kelly!
wow.. nice recipe.. can we make the dough and refrigerate it overnight for fermentation? thanks.
Yep!
These cheesy garlic scones are delicious! They are full of flavor and come together in just 30 minutes. Perfect for a quick dinner side.