Savory, sweet, and just the right amount of heat—this Feta & Hot Honey Sourdough Scone is everything you didn’t know you needed in a scone.
Buttery and tender with a golden, crisp edge, each bite is loaded with tangy crumbles of feta that melt into the flaky layers of sourdough goodness. Just when you think it can’t get any better, a drizzle of hot honey adds a warm, sweet kick that lingers in the best way. It’s the perfect balance of bold and comforting—a little fancy, a little rustic, and totally irresistible.
How to Make Tender, Fluffy Scones at Home
There’s something cozy and comforting about a freshly baked scone—crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. Whether you’re enjoying one for breakfast or need something to take to a party, scones are simple to make and always a crowd-pleaser.
Start with Cold Ingredients
The key to great scones is cold butter. Just like in pie dough or biscuits, cold butter creates steam as it bakes, giving your scones those flaky, tender layers. When it comes to making your scones, there are a few different methods I’ve had success with.
- Weigh out your dry ingredients and place them into your food processor. Then cube up frozen or very cold butter and add it to the food processor. Pulse it a few times until the butter is in pea-size bits. Place in the freezer to keep cold while you prepare your wet ingredients.
- Don’t have a food processor? Add about 1/3 of your flour into your blender with very cold, diced butter. Quickly pulse it until the butter is in pea-size bits.
- Freeze a stick of butter and grate it with your cheese grater. Then add it to your dry mixture and fluff everything together.
- Melt your butter in the microwave. Let cool. Mix all your wet ingredients well. Add your butter to your wet ingredients. When the butter hits the cold cream, it will form small beads of butter. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes so the mixture is very cold.
Don’t Overmix
Once you add the wet ingredients (I usually use half-and-half), stir just until the dough comes together. And remember it’s going to be a bit crumbly, don’t worry. Overmixing will make your scones tough instead of soft and fluffy. It’s okay if the dough looks a little shaggy—it’ll all come together when you pat it out.
Shape and Cut
Pat your dough into a circle about an inch thick, then cut into wedges. I like to use a cake pan for a perfect circle. Just take your favorite round pan (mine is a 9-inch round) and line it with plastic wrap. Take your dough and gently press until it fills the pan and is evenly spread. Brush the tops with cream or milk for a golden finish, and if you’re feeling fancy, sprinkle a little coarse sugar on top.
Bake and Enjoy
Bake your scones until they’re golden brown and smell amazing—usually about 15–20 minutes. Let them cool slightly before digging in (if you can wait!).
Scones are one of those simple bakes that feel a little special, and once you try making them, you’ll see just how easy and rewarding they are. Happy baking!
When you make these scones, I recommend using discard that’s less than a week old. If it’s really old and covered with hooch, your discard is going to make these scones taste more tangy and sour. And that’s not the flavor we’re going for. Save that jar of discard for pancakes or savory crackers where you want more sour flavor.
These are best enjoyed fresh from the oven, but if you have extras store them in an air-tight container. After the first day, we like to warm them in the microwave for about 10 seconds before eating them.
Use your favorite hot honey, or make your own – you’ll just need 3 ingredients: honey, crushed red pepper flakes and apple cider vinegar. Instructions to make your own hot honey is included in the recipe below.
Feta & Hot Honey Discard Scones
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Kitchen scale
- Sheet Pan
- Grater
- round cake pan, optional
Ingredients
For the Hot Honey
- 1 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
For the Scones
- 375 grams all purpose flour
- 7 grams salt
- 12 grams baking powder, about 1 tablespoon
- 113 grams unsalted butter, frozen or very cold, about 1/2 cup
- 100 grams sourdough discard
- 100 grams half and half (or 40 grams whole milk + 60 grams heavy cream)
- 1 large egg
- 75 grams hot honey
- 140 grams feta cheese, crumbled (5 ounce container)
- 10 grams sliced green onion or chives
- extra cream for brushing on top
- extra hot honey to drizzle after baking
- flakey sea salt, to sprinkle on top, optional
Instructions
Make the Hot Honey
- In a small sauce pan combine honey and red pepper flakes over medium heat. Let mixture come to a small simmer, mix well and remove from heat.
- Add 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar and stir well. Let cool.
- After 30 minutes, taste the honey for heat level. Once at the desired heat, strain the pepper flakes and store honey in a glass jar with a lid for up to 3 months.
- For a spicier honey, don’t strain the pepper flakes.
Make the Scones
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Mix well.
- Grate the stick of butter and add to your dry ingredients. Gently fluff the butter into the mixture.
- Add the feta cheese and green onion/chives and gently mix. Place in freezer to keep cold.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine sourdough discard, half and half, eggs and hot honey. Whisk well making sure everything is combined and there aren’t large clumps of sourdough discard.
- Add wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl and gently mix until just combined. Do not overmix. If mixture is too dry, add a tiny splash of milk. If mixture is too wet, add some extra flour. Dough should be crumbly, but still hold its shape.
- Line a 9-inch cake pan with plastic wrap. Add scone dough into the cake pan and gently press until the dough fills the pan and is evenly distributed.
- Place scones into freezer to chill 30 minutes or place in the fridge up to 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 425 °F
- Using a knife or a bench scraper, cut the round scone dough into 8 even pieces. Place on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
- Brush the tops of the scones with half and half or milk. Sprinkle with flakey sea salt and/or crumbled feta if desired.
- Bake at 425 °F for 15-20 minutes until scones are cooked through and golden brown.
- Drizzle with hot honey and enjoy while warm.
Notes
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