These Sourdough Blueberry Scones have the perfect hint of sweetness, incredible blueberry lemon flavor, and an irresistible flaky texture.
They are a great way to use up extra discard, and feel special enough for a holiday brunch – yet are easy enough for a weekend bake.
What happens when you take one of your favorite scone recipes and give it a blueberry lemon twist? Well, you end up with these amazing Blueberry Sourdough Scones!
While these aren't a proper British scone in that they are wedge-shaped instead of round, they are sure to knock your socks off regardless.
This method is the best way to capture the essence of the beloved British treat without all of the rolling and cutting necessary in the original recipe.
Why You'll Love Them:
- Uses sourdough starter. If you've been baking with sourdough for any amount of time now, you're always looking for a way to use up extra starter (or discard). These are a delicious way to do that!
- Tender scones. Thanks to cold ingredients, these blueberry lemon scones bake up flaky, soft, and totally irresistible.
- Great for special occasions (or everyday). This recipe can ferment overnight or in as little as 30 minutes, meaning it is easy to work into your baking schedule without issue.
Ingredients
- Sourdough starter (or discard): We like to make this recipe with leftover sourdough discard, but you can use active starter if you prefer (just be sure to stir it down first).
- Flour: All-purpose flour works perfectly here!
- Cold butter: This should be as cold as possible (or frozen) before grating. If you prefer not to grate your butter, you can cut it in with a pastry cutter.
- Blueberries: We recommend using fresh blueberries, but frozen can be used if you don't mind the color bleeding into the scones.
You will also need:
- Lemon (for zest and juice) – used in the optional glaze
- Powdered sugar (optional; for the glaze)
- Heavy cream
- Sugar
- Egg
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
How to Make Blueberry Scones with Sourdough Discard
This lemon blueberry sourdough scone recipe has everything you love about a classic scone, but adds juicy blueberries and a homemade lemon glaze into the mix. One thing is for sure: you're going to love them!
- Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl (after rubbing together the lemon zest and sugar). Whisk well to combine. Add the grated butter and stir.
- Sprinkle in some fresh blueberries and stir to coat them in the flour mixture.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients in a separate large bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture.
- Mix until a dough forms, then add the heavy cream and gently mix until it comes together into a soft, shaggy dough.
- Form the scone dough into a circle and wrap tightly with several layers of plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to chill (cold ferment) for at least 30 minutes, overnight, or up to 24 hours.
How Long Should I Ferment the Dough?
If you want a quick no-wait sourdough recipe, you can chill these scones for as little as 30 minutes, but if you want the flavor and benefits of sourdough, we recommend a cold fermentation of 8-12 hours.
Cold fermentation can go as long as 24 hours if that's more convenient for you, and in our base sourdough scone recipe, you can go as long as 3 days. For this recipe, however, the moisture from the blueberries begins to weep, which causes issues with the texture if you ferment for any longer than 24 hours.
Shaping and Baking
After your dough has chilled for a minimum of 30 minutes, unwrap the dough, shape it into scones, and bake until golden.
- Unwrap the dough and place it on a sheet of parchment paper. Use a bench scraper (or sharp knife) to divide it into 8 wedges.
- Place the scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake in a 375ºF (190ºC) oven and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Prepare a lemon glaze with lemon juice and powdered sugar (instructions in the recipe card) and drizzle it over the top of the scones (make sure they have cooled first).
Now you're ready to serve and enjoy warm – or pack them up for later!
Storing Leftover Scones
- Allow your scones to cool, then transfer to an airtight container.
- Blueberry scones will keep at room temperature for up to 1 day, in the refrigerator for 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Because of the moisture from the blueberries, we do not recommend storing these at room temperature.
- Warm for 10-15 seconds in the microwave if you like a warm scone.
Can I Freeze Unbaked Scones?
Yes! Unbaked scones freeze very well, and can be baked from frozen!
- Chill the dough for about 30 minutes, then divide it into 8 wedges.
- Transfer those wedges to a baking sheet and place them in the freezer.
- Freeze until solid, then transfer the frozen scones to a freezer bag.
- Label and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Place frozen scones on a baking sheet and bake as directed, adding 2-4 minutes to the baking time (or until an internal temperature of 200ºF is reached).
Expert Tips
- Keep the ingredients as cold as possible for the flakiest texture!
- Tossing the blueberries in flour helps to prevent color bleeding and them sinking to the bottom.
- Do not overwork the dough; this keeps the scones tender.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Use them straight from frozen and gently fold them in to minimize color bleeding. The moisture from the melting blueberries will stain your dough purple, so keep that in mind.
You may need to add extra flour at the end due to the extra moisture expelled during thawing.
Yes! An active starter will work just fine, but the flavor will be milder and a little less tangy. Make sure to stir down your starter before measuring.
This is normal! The dough comes together once the cream is added. Avoid adding extra liquid too early. If it still feels too dry after adding the cream, add a little more until it feels just right.
Absolutely. The scones are lightly sweet and flavorful on their own. If desired, you can brush the tops (and edges of the scones) with heavy cream and sprinkle with raw or coarse sugar instead.
More Sourdough Discard Recipes:
If you loved this recipe for Blueberry Sourdough Scones, let me know by leaving a 5-star review in the recipe card or comment below! You can also tag me on Instagram @folkkitchenblog.
📖 Recipe
Sourdough Blueberry Scones
Ingredients
- 240 grams all-purpose flour 2 cups
- 9 grams baking powder 1 tablespoon
- 3 grams salt ¼ teaspoon
- 60 grams granulated sugar ¼ cup
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 113 grams unsalted butter cold and grated (½ cup or 1 stick)
- 1 cup fresh blueberries about 140g (or frozen*)
- 1 large egg
- 235 grams sourdough discard about 1 cup (or active starter, stirred down)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5g
- 60 grams heavy cream about ¼ cup
Lemon Glaze (optional):
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup powdered sugar about 120g
Instructions
Cook Mode- Prepare the lemon sugar. In a large mixing bowl, add the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Using your fingers, rub them together until the mixture is very fragrant and resembles damp sand. Set the zested lemon aside to use for the glaze.
- Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl along with the lemon zest and sugar. Stir to combine.
- Add the butter. Using a box grater, grate the cold (or frozen) butter into the bowl. Gently incorporate it into the flour mixture using a rubber spatula. The butter should remain visible and coated in flour.
- Add the blueberries. Gently fold in the blueberries until they are evenly distributed and coated with flour. Set the bowl aside.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients. Add the egg, sourdough discard, and vanilla extract to a separate medium bowl. Whisk well until smooth and fully combined.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Add the sourdough mixture to the flour mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the two together until the dough just starts to come together. It will still look a bit dry.
- Add the heavy cream. Pour in the heavy cream and gently fold it in until the dough comes together into a shaggy mass. Avoid overmixing.
- Chill the dough. Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap, shape it into a disc, and wrap tightly. Refrigerate (cold ferment) for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours**. We like to do this overnight for about 8-12 hours; it is both convenient and improves flavor.
- After chilling, prepare to bake. Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Unwrap the chilled dough and place it on a piece of parchment paper. If the dough feels too wet, lightly sprinkle a small amount of flour over and under the dough and gently rub it in.
- Shape the scones. Using a bench scraper (or sharp knife), cut the dough into 8 equal wedges.
- Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them apart so they can bake evenly.
- Bake until golden. Bake in the preheated oven for 22-25 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden, the scones are set, and they reach a minimum internal temperature of 200ºF (93ºC).
- Prepare the glaze. While the scones bake, whisk together the lemon juice and powdered sugar until smooth. Cover and set aside.
- Cool briefly before adding the glaze. Allow the scones to cool for 10-15 minutes. Then drizzle the scones with the prepared lemon glaze (if using). Serve warm or at room temperature for the best results.
Notes
Nutrition
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Dorothy Bigelow says
So good and so easy to make! The homemade lemon glaze is really simple but tastes amazing.
deb says
Does the discard need to be room temp or can it come straight from fridge?
Dorothy Bigelow says
It's fine to come straight from the fridge! You might even find it makes the scones even flakier.
Tiffany S says
Love these!! My friend and I made these together from different states at the same time and we loved them!! The sugar and zest was a smell that was from heaven!