Blueberry Lemon Sourdough (Printer View)

Tender scones with juicy blueberries and vibrant lemon zest for a refreshing and flavorful start to your day.

# 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, unfed and room temperature
09 - 1/4 cup heavy cream, plus more 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, optional

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large mixing 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. Using a pastry blender or fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together sourdough discard, cream, egg, vanilla extract, and lemon juice until smooth and well combined.
05 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a spatula until just combined, being careful not to overmix the dough.
06 - Gently fold the blueberries into the dough using a folding motion to distribute evenly without crushing the berries.
07 - Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat into a 1-inch thick circle approximately 7 inches in diameter.
08 - Using a sharp knife, cut the dough circle into 8 equal wedges. Transfer each wedge to the prepared baking sheet, leaving adequate space between scones.
09 - Brush the tops of each scone lightly with additional heavy cream. If desired, sprinkle coarse sugar over the top of each scone.
10 - Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until golden brown on top and cooked through. The internal texture should be tender but set.
11 - Allow scones to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • That subtle sourdough tang gives these scones a sophistication that makes people ask for the secret ingredient.
  • Fresh blueberries burst as they bake, creating little pockets of jammy sweetness throughout.
  • They come together in under an hour, which means you can impress people at brunch without the stress.
02 -
  • Frozen blueberries are actually your friend here—they won't bleed color into the dough the way thawed ones do, keeping your scones a beautiful pale golden color.
  • The moment you start overmixing is the moment your scones become more biscuit-like than tender; stir until you can barely see flour streaks and stop.
  • Room temperature sourdough discard is essential because cold discard won't mix smoothly with the other wet ingredients and might create a lumpy batter.
03 -
  • Chill your mixing bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes before starting; cold equipment keeps the butter cold and creates better texture.
  • If your kitchen is warm, work quickly and consider freezing your cubed butter for 10 minutes before cutting it in.
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