Sourdough Blueberry Scones

Name: Sourdough Blueberry Scones
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 stick (4 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon butter (frozen); 1/2 cup (100 grams) sourdough discard; 3 tablespoons water; ½ cup sour cream; 1 tablespoon preserved lemon (chopped or 1 teaspoon lemon zest); 2½ cups (300 grams) all purpose flour (spooned and leveled); 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda; 1 ½ cups blueberries (frozen)

These sourdough blueberry scones are a great way to use sourdough discard. They are a classic scone with a moist, flaky interior and a crispy exterior. The addition of blueberries and a little bit of lemon makes these over-the-top delicious!

Cooked blueberry scones with flaky layers spread on a baking sheet.

Table of Contents

Flashback to about eight years ago, I had my first ever real scone. I attended an art workshop that was taking place at an art retreat and studio. They served breakfast and lunch each day. The second day there, the owner served us scones with breakfast.

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I was shocked at how good they were. Up until this point, I had only tried the horribly dry, crumbly versions of scones that are commonly found in coffee shops. In sharp contrast, these scones were moist but flaky and sweet but not too sweet.

I recently was flipping through a book and was reminded of the scones from the art retreat. Surprisingly, the flavor and texture of what scones should taste like was still fresh in my mind.

After a couple attempts, I recreated the blissfully delicious scones I remember. I hope you enjoy them!

Why This Recipe Works

Uses three leaveners. Baking powder, baking soda, and sourdough discard act together to give the perfect amount of rise. The baking soda reacts with the sourdough leaven to take the edge off its tangy flavor.
Grate the butter. A light and tender pastry starts with distinct pieces of butter throughout the dough.
Large flakes. Folding the dough multiple times before baking makes a tender, flaky scone.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

A visual of all the ingredients in these blueberry sourdough scones.

All Purpose Flour: All purpose flour gives these scones a mild flavor and light texture. However, a gluten free all purpose flour or soft white wheat flour can be substituted. If using a soft white wheat flour, more water will be needed to get the dough to come together.

Butter: Butter gives a the scones a tender and flaky texture with a delicious taste. Possible substitutions are frozen lard or shortening.

Sour Cream: Sour cream is the perfect pairing with blueberries and helps add moisture to the blueberry scones. Substitutions are plain yogurt or for a dairy free option try cashew cream. If using cashew cream, omit the water until you need to form a dough ball. Add it one tablespoon at a time until the dough just comes together.

Preserved Lemons: This is something I use when I don’t have fresh lemons on hand. Here’s a tutorial on how to make preserved lemons. They have a concentrated salty, tangy, lemon flavor. If you don’t have preserved lemons, use a teaspoon of lemon zest instead.

Sourdough Discard: The sourdough leaven should be 100% hydration (50 grams flour, 50 grams water). You can use fresh starter or discard. Either works great in this recipe.

How to Make Sourdough Blueberry Scones

STEP 1 Preheat oven to 425ºF and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Grate 1 stick (4 ounces) butter using a box grater and place in a bowl. Place in a freezer until ready to use.

Sourdough discard, sour cream, water, and minced preserved lemon is whisked together in a small bowl.

STEP 2 Whisk a ½ cup (100 grams) sourdough discard, ½ cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon preserved lemon (minced), and 3 tablespoons cold water together in a small bowl.

Recipe dry ingredients are being whisked in a large bowl.

STEP 3 In a large bowl, whisk 2½ cups (300 grams) spooned and leveled flour, ½ cup sugar, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt together.

Butter is coated with flour in a mixing bowl.

STEP 4 Add frozen butter to the large bowl with the flour mixture and toss together until each butter piece is coated.

The sourdough mixture is being poured into the flour and butter mixture.

STEP 5 Then add the sourdough mixture to the flour mixture and fold until just combined. It may appear very dry.

A side by side image of a dry dough then a formed dough ball.

STEP 6 Pour onto a countertop and knead it a few times until it comes together. If it is still too dry add another tablespoon of water or two. NOTE: It’s very important to not add too much water. Low hydration helps create a tender scone.

A rolled out twelve by twelve layer of dough for scones.

STEP 7 Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough into a 12 inch square.

The dough is folded into thirds, then folded again to make a four inch square.

STEP 8 Fold into thirds, then take the short ends and fold into thirds again so you are left with about a 4 inch square. If the dough sticks to the counter at any point use a bench knife or metal spatula to remove the dough from the counter. Place dough in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Blueberries on a flat piece of sourdough scone dough.

STEP 9 Roll out again into a 12 inch square. Place blueberries on the dough in an even layer and using the rolling pin, press them into the dough slightly.

The dough is being rolled into a cylinder.

STEP 10 Roll dough into a log shape.

A rectangle log of blueberry scone dough is cut into triangles.

STEP 11 Then with the seam down on the counter flatten into a 12 inch by 4 inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle crosswise into four equal pieces, then cut each rectangle diagonally into two triangles, forming 8 scones.

Blueberry scones are being brushed with butter on a baking sheet.

STEP 12 Place scones onto the baking sheet. Then brush the tops with 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Then sprinkle tops with coarse sugar.

Sourdough blueberry scones on a cooling rack.

STEP 13 Bake on the center rack of the oven for 18 – 22 minutes until both tops and bottoms are golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Tips for Tender, Flaky Scones

Keep everything cold. Use frozen butter, cold water, and cold sour cream. Freeze the dough if the butter starts to melt. Cold ingredients help create a flaky pastry.
Don’t over work or knead the dough too much. You want it to stick together but thats it. No kneading after you get to that point.
Don’t add too much water! This is a common mistake. My dough looks so dry and crumbly when I put it on the counter but after kneading it together for a minute it forms a ball. If you can’t get yours to come together add more water a tablespoon at a time.
How flour is measured varies widely. This recipe calls for spooned and leveled flour. Add flour to the measuring cup a spoonful at a time and then level it off. If you scoop without using this method you’ll likely have too much flour and the dough won’t stick together. If you have a scale it’s much more accurate, use it!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze sourdough blueberry scones?

Yes! Freeze the dough raw. Do not thaw before cooking. Place two baking sheets together and put the frozen sourdough blueberry scones on the trays. The double baking sheets prevent the bottoms from burning. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 425ºF.

Why is my dough so dry? It’s not forming a ball!

The likely culprit is how the flour is measured. If your using cups it’s easy to get a little too much. It could also be the brand and/or type of flour. Dough that is too dry can be easily fixed by adding cold water a tablespoon at a time until everything comes together.

Three sourdough blueberry scones stacked on top of each other. — Check out all the large, flaky layers!

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If you made Sourdough Blueberry Scones or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!