These Sourdough scones are so soft and tender, filled with juicy plump blueberries, lemon zest and topped with lemon glaze.
This is a sourdough starter discard recipe and the sourdough starter helps give them an extra tender crumb.
These blueberry scones scream summer. The fact that blueberries are in season is one reason why, but it’s the colours too. Bright pops of purple against a soft yellow background. It’s just so cheerful!
Blueberry picking season really amps up from mid-summer onwards but these sourdough starter scones work well (if not better!) with frozen blueberries. The trick to flaky scones is keeping the butter nice and cold, and frozen blueberries are brilliant little helpers in achieving that.
Using Sourdough Starter in Scones
I add discard sourdough starter to these scones as opposed to a fed starter. The scones use baking powder to rise so we don't need the yeast from the starter, it's the acid component in the starter discard that we want. Often scone recipes use buttermilk, which is also acidic, to give the scones flavour and this tenderness. In this recipe sourdough starter is the buttermilk substitute.
Don't have a sourdough starter? Learn how to make one here!
How To Make Sourdough Scones - The Method
The dry ingredients in the sourdough scones are: all purpose flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. To that mixture, cold butter is cut into it, until it resembles coarse bread crumbs.You can use a pastry cutter, a food processor or a even a cheese grater to grate the butter for this step.
To this, the blueberries and lemon zest are added.
In a separate bowl, discard starter, egg and milk are mixed together until well combined.
Stir the blueberries and zest through out the flour to coat them, then make a well in the middle and pour in the sourdough starter mixture.
Now use a fork to gently combine the mixture together until it clumps together, but it is still shaggy.
Tip it into a clean bench and gently fold it together with your fingers until it is combined into a mound. Don't knead the dough, or over mix it, or it will become tough. It should be a little on the dry side, but still stick together with pressed. Form the dough into a circle.
Use a knife or a dough scraper to cut the circle into 8 wedge pieces. Place the pieces on some baking paper and pop them into the fridge while the oven preheats.
If using frozen blueberries, this extra chilling step can be skipped, as the berries keep the butter cold. If skipping this step, preheat the oven while you mix the scone dough.
Bake the scones in the preheated oven for around 18-20 minutes until golden brown on the top.
Let the scones cool before drizzling them with lemon glaze or simply dusting with icing sugar.
Have you made these sourdough lemon and blueberry scones? Tag me and let me know! @home_grown_happinessnz
Want more Sourdough recipes? Try some of these!
- Easy Sourdough Baguette Recipe
- Simple Sourdough Bagels
- The Best Sourdough Bread Recipe
- Sourdough Chocolate Cake
- Sourdough Waffles (using Discard Starter)
Soft and Tender Sourdough Lemon & Blueberry Scones
Ingredients
- 250 grams all-purpose flour
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 100 grams cold butter
- 1 cup fresh blueberries frozen or fresh
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 100 grams discard sourdough starter approx ½ cup
- 1 large egg
- 4 Tablespoons milk
Lemon Glaze
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 100-120 grams icing sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder and mix it well together. Cut the cold butter into cubes and add it to the flour. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into small breadcrumb-sized pieces. Alternatively, use a food processor to cut the butter into the flour, or a cheese grater to grate the butter before adding it into the flour (then use your finger tips to rub it in, until it resembles bread crumbs.)
- Add in the blueberries and lemon zest and toss to combine.
- In a seperate bowl, whisk together the sourdough starter, egg and 3 tablespoons of the milk. Reserve the remaining tablespoon of milk.Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture, then pour in the sourdough mixture. Use a fork to combine it into a shaggy dough. If the mixture isn't coming together well, add in the remaining tablespoon of milk if necessary.
- Tip it into a clean bench and gently fold it together with your fingers until it is combined into a mound. Don’t knead the dough, or over mix it, or it will become tough. Form the dough into a circle.
- Use a knife or a dough scraper to cut the circle into 8 wedge pieces. Place the pieces on some baking paper and pop them into the fridge while the oven preheats. If using frozen blueberries, this extra chilling step can be skipped, as the berries keep the butter cold. If skipping this step, preheat the oven while you mix the scone dough.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F) fan-bake, or 200°C (392°C) regular bake. Bake the scones in the preheated oven for around 18-20 minutes until golden brown around the edges. Once baked, leave the scones to cool before icing.
Lemon glaze
- In a bowl, add the lemon juice and enough icing sugar until it makes a thick but pourable glaze. Drizzle it over the cooled scones.
Joy says
I weighed everything and they still spread. They smell good but look horrible.
Sarah says
These are so good! I used frozen raspberries as I didn’t have blueberries
Debbie says
I didn't have enough blueberries, so i did a lemon poppyseed scone and froze them to have during the week. Without a glaze, there is not enough lemon flavor for my taste.
Rachael says
Lovely. Thanks for the recipe!
Sandra says
I made these the first time with lemon, my husband said they needed more lemon. Second time I did with the zest of a whole orange. They were great.I only put sparkling sugar on them so I can freeze. Definitely don't want the dough to be to wet or they will spread.