Blueberry Lemon Sourdough Scones (Printable version)

Tender scones with juicy blueberries and bright lemon, featuring sourdough's unique tang and flaky texture.

# Needed ingredients:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
05 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
06 - Zest of 1 large lemon

→ Wet Ingredients

07 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
08 - 1 cup sourdough discard, unfed and at room temperature
09 - 1/4 cup heavy cream, plus additional for brushing
10 - 1 large egg
11 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

→ Add-ins

13 - 1 cup fresh blueberries, or frozen unthawed

→ Topping

14 - 2 tablespoons coarse sugar

# How to make it:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest until evenly distributed.
03 - Add cold, cubed butter to the dry mixture. Cut in using a pastry blender or fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together sourdough discard, cream, egg, vanilla extract, and lemon juice until smooth and fully combined.
05 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined, taking care not to overmix the dough.
06 - Gently fold the blueberries into the dough using a spatula or wooden spoon.
07 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat into a 1-inch thick circle approximately 7 inches in diameter.
08 - Cut the dough circle into 8 equal wedges. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly.
09 - Brush the tops of each scone lightly with additional cream. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
10 - Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The sourdough discard gives you that barely-there tartness that makes you keep reaching for another scone without quite knowing why.
  • Fresh blueberries burst into sweet pockets while the lemon zest keeps everything bright and not cloying.
  • They come together in under an hour, which means you can absolutely pull this off on a lazy Sunday morning.
02 -
  • Do not overmix the dough—seriously, if you see any flour streaks, that's fine, stop there, because mixing develops gluten and makes everything tough and dense instead of tender.
  • Frozen blueberries straight from the freezer prevent the purple bleeding that fresh ones sometimes do, so if you're worried about aesthetics, go frozen and don't thaw them.
  • The cold butter matters more than any other ingredient; if yours is too soft, pop the dough in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking and you'll taste the difference.
03 -
  • Zest your lemon before you juice it—sounds obvious, but I've definitely grabbed a naked lemon more than once and regretted it.
  • If your butter is still a touch soft when you're cutting it in, toss the whole bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes and it becomes workable again without fully re-solidifying.
  • Make these on a cool day if you can; warm kitchens make butter-cutting more of a struggle, and everything goes faster when the room temperature is on your side.
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