Blueberry Lemon Sourdough Scones (Printer-Friendly)

Tender scones bursting with blueberries and lemon, perfect for a springtime treat or brunch.

# What You’ll Need:

→ 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 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 Steps:

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

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Your sourdough discard finally has a purpose beyond guilt and waste.
  • These scones taste sophisticated but come together faster than you'd expect.
  • Fresh blueberries burst with juice while staying whole instead of turning the dough purple.
  • The tang from sourdough makes these feel elevated, not just sweet breakfast bread.
02 -
  • Overmixing is the silent scone killer—fold gently and stop as soon as the dough comes together, or you'll end up with heavy hockey pucks instead of tender clouds.
  • Frozen blueberries work beautifully because they stay intact instead of bleeding purple juice through the dough, so don't thaw them first.
  • Your sourdough discard needs to be unfed and at room temperature, not fresh from the fridge—cold discard will make the dough too thick and difficult to work with.
03 -
  • If your sourdough discard is very thick, whisk it with the cream first to loosen it before adding the other wet ingredients—lumpy discard leads to uneven texture throughout.
  • Weigh your flour if possible; volume measurements can vary by up to 20 percent depending on how densely you've packed the cup, which changes everything in a delicate dough like this.
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