Sourdough Blueberry Lemon Scones
I love anything blueberry, but with this scone I had a very specific goal in mind. Soft, flaky layers, sweet bursts of juicy blueberries, and a bright lemon glaze that adds just the right pop of contrast. After four rounds of testing, I finally landed on the version that checked every box. These Sourdough Blueberry Lemon Scones are tender and buttery, the edges bake up crisp and golden, and every bite has the perfect balance of sweet and citrus.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Juicy blueberry pockets: Made with real blueberries for bursts of sweet, fresh flavor in every bite.
- Perfect use for sourdough discard: Have discard sitting in the frig? This recipe is a delicious way to use it up.
- Flaky, tender layers: cold butter works with the dough to create those soft, flaky layers you want in a scone.
- Bright lemon flavor: Lemon zest and the lemon glaze add that perfect pop of sweetness and contrast.
- Easy to prep ahead-:these scones can be mixed and refrigerated the day ahead for convenient baking.
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Tools You’ll Need:
- Large mixing bowl- for mixing your scones.
- Cheese grater- for grating the butter, I use this grater linked here. You can also use your food processor with the grating attachment.
- Dough scraper or spatula (optional)- for combining the dough. I love these dough spatulas linked here.
- Digital kitchen scale (optional)– for accurate measuring, especially helpful with sourdough baking. I linked the one I like here.
- Microplane or zester– for zesting lemon. I love this hand held zester linked here.
- Measuring cups and spoons– for measuring ingredients.
- Whisk- to combine ingredients for glaze.
- Microwave Safe Bowl- to melt butter for the glaze.
- Bench Knife- to cut scones into desired sizes. I love this bench knife linked here.
- Parchment Paper- to line the baking sheet to avoid sticking.
- Baking Sheet- to bake the scones.
- Pastry Brush- to brush scones with cream.
- Cooling rack (optional) – to cool the scones.
Gather Your Ingredients:
- All-Purpose Flour- Provides structure while keeping the scones tender rather than dense or bready.
- Blueberries- I recommend using fresh blueberries in these scones for the best texture. You can substitute evenly with freeze dried or dried blueberries if needed. If you swap for frozen blueberries, make sure to not thaw them and toss them in flour first. You’ll find notes on this in the recipe and under FAQ’s.
- Lemons- you’ll use fresh lemons for zest in the scones and the juice in the glaze for that pop of citrus.
- White Sugar- lightly sweetens the scones and gives a golden finish.
- Baking powder – Helps with lift and rise.
- Sea Salt- Enhances the flavor and balances the sweetness.
- Unsalted Butter- Creates flaky layers and tender pockets throughout the dough without overworking. Make sure your butter is very cold.
- Honey- Adds gentle sweetness and moisture, keeping the scones soft and binding them without overpowering the blueberry.
- Sourdough discard– Adds moisture and flavor to your dough. Cold from the refrigerator is best.
- Buttermilk or milk- Provides fat for richness and helps bind the dough for a bakery-style texture. I love the texture of buttermilk but you can substitute for whole milk.
- Cream (optional)- I like to brush the tops of my scones with cold heavy cream for added golden texture, but you can also substitute for buttermilk.
- Vanilla Extract or Paste- I like to use vanilla bean paste, but you can also use vanilla extract.
- Powdered Sugar- to sweeten and thicken the lemon glaze. Don’t use granulated sugar or the glaze will be gritty.
Step-by-step Instructions
Step 1: Mix the Dough
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and zest of a lemon.
Using a cheese grater or a food processor with the grating attachment, grate your cold butter into bits.
Add the butter to the dry ingredients, and coat all of the butter with the dry ingredients until the butter forms pea sized crumbles.
Add the honey, cold sourdough discard, buttermilk or milk, egg, and vanilla to the dough.
Mix the dough with your hands or a pastry blender until the dough starts to ball together. At this point once the dough starts to comes together you’re going to add the blueberries. You’ll want to mix the dough gently after adding the berries to avoid them bursting and bleeding.
Note about the blueberries: for the best results you should use fresh blueberries. If you need to substitute, you can swap for freeze-dried or dried blueberries evenly. If you choose to use frozen blueberries, I recommend using wild as they’re smaller and release less moisture. Don’t thaw them and coat them in 1-2 Tablespoons of flour and add them directly to the dough.
Gently work the dough until the dough comes together and no dry bits remain. The key to these scones turning out is making sure the flour is mixed in and absorbed, but you also don’t want them overworked and tough.
You should see no floury bits left, and minimal cracks in your dough when it’s done being mixed and the blueberries should be well distributed.
Step 2: Shape and Bake the Scones
Once the dough is mixed, gently pat the dough into a round circle about 7-8 inches round and 1 1/4 inch thick. You don’t want these scones to be too tall, or they’ll have shaping issues with the moisture from the blueberries.
Overnight Fermentation: if you want this dough to ferment overnight, simply wrap the disc with plastic and allow to rest in the refrigerator overnight. When you’re ready to shape the scones, remove from the refrigerator and proceed with the recipe.
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Transfer the dough disc to your prepared baking sheet, then use a sharp knife or a bench scraper to cut the dough in half, then in quarters, and finally into eighths to create 8 even wedges. Gently separate the scones, spacing them 2-3 inches apart on the baking sheet.
If you didn’t chill the scones overnight, transfer the scones on the baking sheet to the refrigerator or freezer for 30 minutes to help the butter harden.
Once the scones have chilled, brush the tops with heavy cream or buttermilk and transfer the scones to the preheated oven.
Bake the scones for 22-23 minutes, the tops should be golden and the centers just set.
Remove from the oven immediately and transfer to a cooling rack to fully cool before you glaze them.
Step 3: Glaze the Scones
In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter for 15 seconds in the microwave.
Add the lemon juice, salt, vanilla extract or paste to the butter and whisk together.
Add the powdered sugar to the bowl, and whisk the glaze until it’s smooth. You want a glaze that’s thick but still runs off the spoon. If the glaze is too thin add a little more powdered sugar or if it’s too thick add a teaspoon at a time of milk until the glazed is your desired consistency.
Drizzle the glaze on the tops of the cooled scones. Allow the glaze to set on the scones for 10-20 minutes, then serve with a hot cup of coffee or tea!
Yields 8 scones
How to Store:
Room temperature- Store scones in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Refrigerator- Store scones in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Freezer- freeze unbaked, unglazed scones up to 2 months. Bake from frozen (add a few more minutes to your bake time) and glaze fresh for best quality.
FAQ’s
Yes, but don’t thaw them. Fold them in frozen coated in flour to prevent bleeding. I have notes on this in the recipe.
Yes! These refrigerate and freeze beautifully. See my notes under “How to Store”.
You can, I would sprinkle the tops with a bit of coarse sugar instead before baking for contrast and texture.
Yes, just replace the discard with equal parts flour + buttermilk (about 30g each).
Chilling keeps the butter cold, helping the scones rise and bake up tall and flaky instead of spreading.
If you enjoyed this recipe, drop a comment and star review and don’t forget to try more of my sourdough scone recipes like my Sourdough Vanilla Bean Scones!
Sourdough Blueberry Lemon Scones
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl – for mixing your scones.
- Cheese grater – for grating the butter, I use this grater linked here. You can also use your food processor with the grating attachment.
- Dough scraper or spatula (optional) – for combining the dough. I love these dough spatulas linked here.
- Digital kitchen scale (optional) – for accurate measuring, especially helpful with sourdough baking. I linked the one I like here.
- Microplane or zester – for zesting lemon. I love this hand held zester linked here.
- Measuring cups and spoons – for measuring ingredients.
- Whisk – to combine ingredients for glaze.
- Microwave-safe bowl – to melt butter for the glaze.
- Bench knife – to cut scones into desired sizes. I love this bench knife linked here.
- Parchment paper – to line the baking sheet to avoid sticking.
- Baking Sheet – to bake the scones.
- Pastry brush – to brush scones with cream. You can also use a folded paper towel.
- Cooling rack (optional) – to cool the scones.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 (250g) cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ (50g) cup granulated white sugar
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1½ tsp lemon zest or zest of one lemon
Wet Ingredients:
- ½ (113g) cup unsalted butter cold
- ¼ (65g) cup sourdough discard cold
- ¼ (60g) cup buttermilk cold
- 1 large egg cold
- 2 (30g) Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Mix-ins:
- 1½ (200g) cups fresh blueberries see notes for substitutes
For Brushing:
- 1-2 Tbsp heavy cream or buttermilk
Lemon Glaze:
- 1¾ (200g) cups powdered sugar
- 3 (45g) Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ (7g) Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract or paste
- ⅛ tsp salt
Instructions
Step 1: Mix the Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and zest of a lemon.2 (250g) cups all-purpose flour, ¼ (50g) cup granulated white sugar, 2½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp fine sea salt, 1½ tsp lemon zest
- Using a cheese grater or a food processor with the grating attachment, grate your cold butter into bits.½ (113g) cup unsalted butter
- Add the butter to the dry ingredients, and coat all of the butter with the dry ingredients until the butter forms pea sized crumbles.
- Add the honey, cold sourdough discard, buttermilk or milk, egg, and vanilla to the dough.¼ (65g) cup sourdough discard, ¼ (60g) cup buttermilk, 1 large egg, 2 (30g) Tbsp honey, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Mix the dough with your hands or a pastry blender until the dough starts to ball together. At this point once the dough starts to comes together you’re going to add the blueberries. You’ll want to mix the dough gently after adding the berries to avoid them bursting and bleeding.1½ (200g) cups fresh blueberries
- Note about the blueberries: for the best results you should use fresh blueberries. If you need to substitute, you can swap for freeze-dried or dried blueberries evenly. If you choose to use frozen blueberries, I recommend using wild as they're smaller and release less moisture. Don't thaw them and coat them in 1-2 Tablespoons of flour and add them directly to the dough.
- Gently work the dough until the dough comes together and no dry bits remain. The key to these scones turning out is making sure the flour is mixed in and absorbed, but you also don’t want them overworked and tough.
- You should see no floury bits left, and minimal cracks in your dough when it’s done being mixed and the blueberries should be well distributed.
Step 2: Shape and Bake the Scones
- Once the dough is mixed, gently pat the dough into a round circle about 7-8 inches round and 1 1/4 inch thick. You don’t want these scones to be too tall, or they’ll have shaping issues with the moisture from the blueberries.
- Overnight Fermentation: if you want this dough to ferment overnight, simply wrap the disc with plastic and allow to rest in the refrigerator overnight. When you're ready to shape the scones, remove from the refrigerator and proceed with the recipe.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Transfer the dough disc to your prepared baking sheet, then use a sharp knife or a bench scraper to cut the dough in half, then in quarters, and finally into eighths to create 8 even wedges. Gently separate the scones, spacing them 2-3 inches apart on the baking sheet.
- If you didn’t chill the scones overnight, transfer the scones on the baking sheet to the refrigerator or freezer for 30 minutes to help the butter harden.
- Once the scones have chilled, brush the tops with heavy cream or buttermilk and transfer the scones to the preheated oven.1-2 Tbsp heavy cream
- Bake the scones for 22-23 minutes, the tops should be golden and the centers just set.
- Remove from the oven immediately and transfer to a cooling rack to fully cool before you glaze them.
Step 3: Glaze the Scones
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter for 15 seconds in the microwave.½ (7g) Tbsp unsalted butter
- Add the lemon juice, salt, vanilla extract or paste to the butter and whisk together.3 (45g) Tbsp fresh lemon juice, ¼ tsp vanilla extract or paste, ⅛ tsp salt
- Add the powdered sugar to the bowl, and whisk the glaze until it’s smooth. You want a glaze that’s thick but still runs off the spoon. If the glaze is too thin add a little more powdered sugar or if it’s too thick add a teaspoon at a time of milk until the glazed is your desired consistency.1¾ (200g) cups powdered sugar
- Drizzle the glaze on the tops of the cooled scones. Allow the glaze to set on the scones for 10-20 minutes, then serve with a hot cup of coffee or tea!
- Yields 8 scones
