Sourdough Blueberry Scones
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!
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.
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
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.
Lemons: Update July 2026- Originally this recipe used preserved lemons, however, I switched it over to fresh since this is more widely available. Preserved lemons are 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. The recipe now calls for the juice and zest of one lemon.
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.
STEP 2 Whisk a ½ cup (100 grams) sourdough discard, ½ cup sour cream, the juice and zest of 1 lemon, and 3 tablespoons cold water together in a small 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.
STEP 4 Add frozen butter to the large bowl with the flour mixture and toss together until each butter piece is coated.
STEP 5 Then add the sourdough mixture to the flour mixture and fold until just combined. It may appear very dry.
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.
STEP 7 Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough 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.
STEP 8 Roll dough into a log shape.
STEP 9 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. It should be about 1 inch thick.
STEP 10 Place scones onto the baking sheet. Then brush the tops with 1 tablespoon of milk or butter. Then sprinkle tops with coarse sugar.
STEP 11 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!
STEP 12 (Optional Lemon Icing) Mix together 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 cup (60 grams) powdered sugar, and an 1/8 teaspoon of vanilla. Drizzle over the scones once they have cooled for at least 5 minutes.
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
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.
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.
Related Recipes
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!
Sourdough Blueberry Scones
Ingredients
- 1 stick (4 ounces) butter frozen
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) sourdough discard
- 3 tablespoons water
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 zest and juice of one lemon
- 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 fresh or frozen
Sugar Topping (optional)
- coarse sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk or butter for brushing so the sugar sticks
Lemon Icing Drizzle (optional)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) powdered sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- 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.
- Whisk sourdough starter, sour cream, preserved lemon, and cold water together in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar together.
- Add frozen butter to the large bowl with the flour mixture and toss together until each butter piece is coated.
- Then add the sourdough mixture to the flour mixture and fold until just combined. It may appear very dry. 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.
- Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough 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.
- Roll dough into a log shape. 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.
- Place scones onto the baking sheet. Then brush the tops with a thin layer of milk or butter. Then sprinkle tops with coarse sugar.
- Bake on the center rack of the oven for 16 – 22 minutes until both tops and bottoms are golden brown and the interior looks cooked. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving or icing. Enjoy!
- Make the Lemon Icing: Mix together butter, lemon juice, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Drizzle over scones.
Notes
- 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!
- I have a larger than normal range of cooking time because if you used frozen blueberries it will take longer to cook and fresh will be much shorter.
- These can be frozen and used later. Make the scones but do not bake. You can freeze them for a month or two. When ready to bake, 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 at 425ºF for 20-25 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
- If you don’t have lemons you can use 1 tablespoon of preserved lemon juice.
