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.
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!
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!)
For another delicious discard recipe, try these sourdough strawberry muffins.
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
Method
- In a large mixing bowl combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- 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 in a crumbly and shaggy dough.
- Don’t over-mix the dough, or your scones will be tough. It should stick together easily with pressed but not be wet.
- Tip it into a lightly floured surface and gently fold it together with your fingers until it is combined into a mound.
- 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!).
- Orange scones, with a little orange zest and 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.
More discard recipes
Sourdough Scones with Blueberry and Lemon
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 Tbsp 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 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.
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
