Sourdough Scones with Blueberries and Lemon
These sourdough blueberry scones are soft and tender. They’re filled with juicy plump blueberries, and lemon zest and topped with a lemon glaze.
About these scones
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!
The acid from the starter 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.
A few key ingredients
Method
- In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients.
- Cut the butter into the flour until it resembles chunky bread crumbs, with a few pieces the size of peas throughout it.
- Add in the blueberries and lemon zest and stir them throughout the flour to coat them.
- In a separate large bowl, combine 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.
- 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 circle.
- Cut the circle into 8 wedge pieces.
- Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the scones with a little heavy cream or milk before baking.
- When the scones have baked, mix the glaze and drizzle it over the cooled scones.
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:
Sourdough Scones with Blueberry and Lemon
Ingredients
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 100 g butter cold
- 150 g blueberries fresh or frozen
- 1 ½ Tbsp lemon zest
- 100 g discard sourdough starter
- 1 large egg
- 2-3 Tbsp heavy cream or milk, plus more for brushing
Lemon Glaze
- 1 ½ Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 90 g 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 heavy 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 that sticks together easily when pressed. If the mixture isn't coming together well, add a tablespoon of milk or cream if necessary, but the dough shouldn't be wet.
- Tip the shaggy dough onto a lightly floured surface 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. Press this into an 8-inch circle.
- Cut the circle into eight wedge pieces using a knife or dough scraper. Place the pieces on baking paper and pop them into the fridge while the oven preheats.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
- Brush the tops of the scones with a bit of heavy cream or milk.
- 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.
The last 2 times I made these, they spread like crazy. I had the air conditioner on because it was warm outside. The dough was refrigerated about 4 hours before cutting and baking. Any suggestions!
Hey Audrey, try reducing the added liquid a bit and see if that helps 🙂
How do these freeze? (dough, before baking) I’m trying to pre-make as much as possible for hosting and have things easily on hand for guests.
THANK YOU!!
You can freeze the unbaked scones for up to 3 weeks and bake them from frozen 🙂
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.
Yay Kari I’m so happy to read you love them!! 😁 thank you
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!
Yay so happy to read this!
Do any changes need to be made for high altitude?
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?
So happy to hear that Don! Here are all my
sourdough recipes
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. 😊
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?
The time never works for me. I always have to bake it like double the time. Am I doing something wrong?
Hey sounds like your oven is running a bit cooler than mine, or if your heating element is only at the bottom then it would take a little longer to bake, though I would say an extra 5 minutes or so, not double the time! Maybe turning up the heat a little will help 🙂
Made these tonight and added 1tbsp dried thyme and OMG! Never trying another recipe, this is IT. So easy and turned out perfect. Thank you!!
Ooh dried thyme sounds like an interesting and awesome addition!
Have you tried leaving the dough over night in the fridge to ferment?
I don’t usually but I know others that have and had success 🙂