Blueberry Lemon Sourdough Scones

My sourdough starter had been neglected for days, sitting on the counter with that familiar layer of hooch on top, when I decided to stop treating it like a chore and actually use it. Blueberry season was at its peak, and I craved something that tasted like spring in scone form—tangy from the sourdough, bright from lemon, studded with bursts of fruit. The combination felt like a conversation between two ingredients that had no business knowing each other, but somehow they became inseparable.

Last weekend I pulled a batch from the oven while my neighbor was visiting, and the aroma alone made her linger longer than planned. She bit into one still warm, and the blueberries burst against her tongue—she literally closed her eyes. That's when I knew these scones had crossed from just-a-recipe into something worth repeating.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour (2 1/4 cups): This is your foundation, and measuring by weight keeps you from the common trap of packing it down too tightly, which would make dense, hockey-puck scones.
• Granulated sugar (1/4 cup): Just enough sweetness to complement the tart sourdough without masking the lemon and blueberry flavors.
• Baking powder and baking soda (1 tablespoon and 1/2 teaspoon): Together they lift the scones into tender crumb territory while the baking soda reacts with the sourdough's acidity.
• Fine sea salt (1/2 teaspoon): A pinch that sharpens every flavor and reminds your palate this isn't sweet cake disguised as a scone.
• Lemon zest (1 large lemon): Fresh zest brings brightness that bottled juice could never match; use a microplane and your kitchen will smell like you've already won.
• Cold unsalted butter (1/2 cup cubed): Cold is non-negotiable—it creates steam pockets that give you those tender, flaky layers everyone loves about real scones.
• Sourdough discard (1 cup): The heart of this recipe, bringing that unmistakable tang and feeding your scones structure without commercial yeast.
• Heavy cream (1/4 cup): Rich and cold, it adds tenderness and richness; keep extra on hand for brushing the tops before baking.
• Egg (1 large): Your binding agent that also adds shine and a tender crumb structure.
• Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon): A quiet background note that makes the lemon and blueberry more vivid by comparison.
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 tablespoons): The liquid brightness that balances sourdough tang; bottled juice feels like cheating once you taste the difference.
• Fresh blueberries (1 cup): If frozen, use them straight from the freezer so they don't bleed into the dough and turn everything purple-gray.
• Coarse sugar (2 tablespoons optional): The sparkly topping that catches light and gives you that just-from-the-bakery look.

Instructions

Prepare your station:

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Having everything ready means you're not scrambling once the dough comes together.

Mix the dry team:

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest together in a large bowl. You'll see little flecks of bright yellow throughout, which is your first sign this will taste alive.

Cut in the butter:

Add those cold, cubed butter pieces and work them in with a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse sand. This step takes patience, but those little butter pockets are what make scones flaky instead of dense.

Build the wet mixture:

In another bowl, whisk sourdough discard, cream, egg, vanilla, and lemon juice until smooth. The sourdough might look lumpy at first, but whisking breaks it down into something silky.

Bring it together gently:

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and stir just until combined—overmixing is the enemy of tender scones, so stop as soon as you don't see dry flour anymore. Resist the urge to be thorough; rough is right here.

Fold in the berries:

Gently fold in the blueberries, handling the dough as little as possible. If they're frozen, add them straight from the freezer so they stay whole and brilliant rather than staining everything around them.

Shape your circle:

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into a 1-inch-thick circle about 7 inches across. Don't knead or compress—let it be a little rough and rustic.

Cut into wedges:

Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the circle into 8 wedges like pizza slices. Transfer each one to your parchment-lined baking sheet with a little space between them so they can bake with room to expand.

Add the finishing touch:

Brush the tops lightly with cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar if you're using it. This is pure theater—it makes them look professional and gives a subtle crunch.

Bake until golden:

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, watching for golden edges and a set center. When they come out, let them cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack; this prevents them from being too delicate to handle.

Save

These scones became my answer to every spring gathering—the kind of thing you bring to a friend's house and they ask for the recipe before you've even sat down. There's something about serving warm scones with jam and cream that feels both simple and celebratory at once.

The Sourdough Secret

Using sourdough discard instead of milk or buttermilk shifts the entire flavor profile into sophisticated territory. The tang works like a flavor amplifier, making the lemon taste brighter and the blueberries taste more like themselves. I stopped thinking of sourdough discard as something to discard and started seeing it as an ingredient that improves everything it touches.

Why Spring Matters for This Recipe

Blueberry season and fresh lemon flavors are naturally bright and awakening, which is why these scones taste like the exact moment winter breaks. If you're baking these in fall or winter, use frozen blueberries without guilt—they're picked at peak ripeness and frozen immediately, so they taste just as good as fresh ones from the market.

Storage and Serving Ideas

Fresh scones are best eaten within hours of baking, when they're still tender and the crumb structure hasn't had time to set. Stored in an airtight container, they'll last two days, though you can refresh them with a quick 5-minute warm-up in a 350°F oven before serving.

• Top them with clotted cream and jam, or drizzle with a lemon glaze made from powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice for extra brightness.
• They freeze beautifully for up to three months, so bake a double batch and save half for mornings when you need a bakery-level breakfast in minutes.
• Pair them with good tea or coffee and the kind of morning where you actually have time to sit down and enjoy breakfast.

Save

These scones remind me that the best recipes aren't always the most complicated—they're the ones that make you want to wake up early just to bake them. One batch, and you'll understand why spring mornings deserve scones like these.

Recipe FAQs

→ Can I use frozen blueberries?

Yes, fold frozen blueberries into the dough directly without thawing to prevent the dough from turning blue.

→ What can I substitute for heavy cream?

Buttermilk can be used as a substitute for heavy cream to add a subtle tang and maintain moisture.

→ How do I get a flaky texture?

Cut cold butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and avoid overmixing when combining wet and dry components.

→ Can I add a glaze or topping?

A simple lemon glaze made from powdered sugar and lemon juice, or a sprinkle of coarse sugar before baking, enhances sweetness and texture.

→ How should I store the scones?

Store scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days to maintain freshness.