These sourdough blueberry scones are soft and tender, filled with juicy plump blueberries, and lemon zest. Topped with lemon glaze.
This is a sourdough starter discard recipe and the sourdough starter helps give them an extra tender crumb. They are light and soft with beautiful bursts of juicy blueberries.
They use an easy recipe for tender scones that can be adapted to other flavors too. Simply swap out the blueberries and lemon and add your favorite add-ins!
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Sourdough scones
A sourdough scone recipe is a great way to use discarded sourdough starter. This sourdough starter is unfed, quite runny, and acidic. It's the acid component in the starter we want in this recipe.
The acid helps break down the flour gluten to make them tender scones. Often scone recipes use buttermilk, which is also acidic, to give this tenderness. In this sourdough scones recipe, a sourdough starter is the buttermilk substitute.
Acid is often used in pastry dough too to help keep things flaky and tender and the perfect texture!
The discard starter is not used for the leavening process in the scones. The scones use baking powder for the leavening part (NOT baking soda!)
The ingredients
The ingredient amounts for this simple recipe are in the recipe card below but here is an overview of what you need for these delicious sourdough scones.
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Butter - this can be salted butter or unsalted
- Blueberries, fresh or frozen
- Lemon zest
- Discard sourdough starter
- Egg
- Heavy cream or whole milk, or buttermilk. Heavy cream or pouring cream will give a richer flavor than milk.
The glaze
- Lemon juice
- Powdered sugar
The method
The dough
In a large mixing bowl combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
To this flour mixture, cut in cubes of cold butter.
You can use a pastry cutter or a food processor for this step.
Cut the butter into the flour until it resembles chunky bread crumbs, with a few pieces the size of peas throughout it.
Don't let the butter melt as the pieces of butter will give the scones their flakiness.
Add in the blueberries and lemon zest and stir them throughout the flour to coat them.
in a separate large bowl, combine the discarded starter, egg, and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk.
Whisk until well combined.
Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients.
Shaping
Use a fork or rubber spatula to gently combine the mixture together until it clumps together, but it is still quite a shaggy dough.
Use a fork or rubber spatula to gently combine the mixture together, until it clumps together in a crumbly and shaggy dough.
Tip it into a lightly floured surface and gently fold it together with your fingers until it is combined into a mound.
Don't over-mix the dough or your scones will be tough. It should be fairly dry, but sticks together easily with pressed.
Try not to pop the blueberries or you'll add extra liquid to the dough.
Form the dough into an 8-inch circle (20cm).
Use a knife or a bench scraper to cut the circle into 8 wedge pieces.
Place the cut scones on some parchment paper.
Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the scones with a little heavy cream or milk.
Place them into the fridge while the oven preheats.
Baking
Bake the scones in the oven for around 20-25 minutes until golden brown around the edges and top.
Let the scones cool on a wire rack before glazing.
The glaze
In a small bowl add the lemon juice and enough powdered sugar until it makes a thick but pourable glaze. Drizzle it over the cooled scones.
Alternatively, they can simply be dusted with powdered sugar.
Making scones in advance
The unbaked scones can be chilled in the fridge 12 hours in advance. Place them in an airtight container or cover them with plastic wrap. The unbaked scones can also be frozen in an airtight container.
Bake them from frozen or let them thaw first in the refrigerator. If baking from frozen, add 2-3 minutes of baking time as needed.
Storing
Any leftover scones can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days. They can be reheated in the microwave or in a low-temperature oven until warmed through.
Baked scones can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator. They can be reheated in the microwave or in a low-temperature oven until warm.
Variations
These blueberry sourdough scones use a basic scone recipe with basic ingredients that can be adapted to other flavors too. Instead of blueberry and lemon, you could try:
- Dried cranberries (or other dried fruit) and citrus zest
- Chocolate chips (Chocolate chip sourdough scones are so yum!), with a little orange zest
- Orange scones with a pinch of ground cardamom or ground cinnamon
- Whole or chopped berries like strawberries, blackberries, or raspberries, with a little vanilla extract
- Other seasonal fruits
If you're after a savory version, here are some flaky and cheesy sourdough cheese scones that use a similar recipe.
Full Recipe
Sourdough Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze
These scones are soft and tender, filled with juicy plump blueberries, lemon zest and topped with lemon glaze. They use sourdough discard starter which helps give them an extra tender crumb.
Ingredients
- 250g (2 cups*) all-purpose flour
- 100g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 100g (7 Tbsp) butter, cold
- One heaped cup of blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 ½Tbsp lemon zest
- 100g (½ cup) discard sourdough starter
- 1 large egg
- 2-3 tablespoon milk or pouring cream, plus more for brushing
Lemon Glaze
- 1 ½Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 90g (¾ cup) powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder and mix them well together. Cut the cold butter into cubes and add it to the flour. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into small pea-sized pieces. Alternatively, use a food processor to cut the butter into the flour.
- Add in the blueberries and lemon zest and toss to combine.
- Whisk together the sourdough starter, egg, and two tablespoons of milk or cream in a separate bowl.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, then pour in the sourdough mixture. Use a fork to combine it into a shaggy dough.
- If the mixture isn't coming together well, add in a tablespoon of milk or cream if necessary, but the dough shouldn't be wet.
- Tip the shaggy dough into a clean bench and gently push it with your fingers until it is combined into a dough mound. Don’t over-knead the dough, or it will become tough. Push the dough into a circle.
- Use a knife or a dough scraper to cut the circle into eight wedge pieces. Place the pieces on baking paper and pop them into the fridge while the oven preheats.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
- Bake the scones in the oven for around 20-25 minutes until golden brown around the edges. This timing depends on your oven. Some need longer; some need less. Once baked, leave the scones to cool before glazing.
Lemon glaze
- Add the lemon juice and enough powdered sugar until it makes a thick but pourable glaze. Drizzle it over the cooled scones.
Notes
*The cup sizes given are for US-sized cups, which are smaller than metric cups, for best results, use a scale and measure in grams.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 338Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 308mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 1gSugar: 25gProtein: 5g
Other great sourdough discard recipes
Looking for more sourdough discard recipes? Why not try -
Jaye says
I have been baking these discard scones (a double batch - one never lasts long in our family of 5!) every couple of weeks for about 12 months now. I usually follow the recipe and method exactly (I substitute gluten-free flour in one batch I can eat, as I am gluten sensitive) and sometimes reduce the sugar in both by 1/4 (any less than this and I have found they aren't as balanced). I always have to bake mine for at least double the time (until the skewer comes out clean and they're nicely browned). But every time these are just SO, SO good - an absolute favourite. The lemon tang with the sweetness and texture are always perfection. They freeze well too and are great for lunchboxes. Thank you SO much for sharing. 😊
Home Grown Happiness says
Thank you for your comment Jaye! So happy you've been enjoying them! So interesting about the timing in the oven for yours! After 22 minutes mine are more than ready. Does your oven heat from the bottom or top element, or both?
Don says
Every time I make these scones everyone loves them. I only use about 1/4 of the sugar but people don’t seem to mind. Where can I find more of your sourdough starter recipes?
Home Grown Happiness says
So happy to hear that Don! Here are all my
sourdough recipes
Megan says
Do any changes need to be made for high altitude?
Melissa Garibay says
Starter newbie here. Third recipe with using discard and oh my goodness these are yummy!! I am sold! No more store bought baked goods for us!
Home Grown Happiness says
Yay so happy to read this!
Kari says
My favorite discard recipe hands down! I used huge blueberries for the first time since they were in season and it made them even better! Bought a bunch to freeze and I have perfected the icing to be thick instead of runny and these taste better than any scones I have ever purchased 🙌
Thank you for sharing the recipe and I love how there is not a ton of butter in them. Approx 1 TBSP per scone is not that much compared to some other recipes I have made w no discard, but with flour and sugar. I love everything about these and get asked regularly how I make them.
Home Grown Happiness says
Yay Kari I’m so happy to read you love them!! 😁 thank you