Sourdough Blueberry Tender Scones (Print Version)

Delight in tender scones with sourdough tang and fresh blueberries, perfect for any cozy moment.

# Components:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
05 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Wet Ingredients

06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
07 - 1 cup sourdough discard, unfed and cold
08 - 1/3 cup heavy cream, plus additional for brushing
09 - 1 large egg
10 - 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract

→ Add-Ins

11 - 1 cup fresh blueberries
12 - 2 tablespoons coarse sugar for topping, optional

# Directions:

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, and salt.
03 - Add cold cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or fingertips to work it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together sourdough discard, heavy cream, egg, and vanilla extract.
05 - Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a spatula until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
06 - Carefully fold blueberries into the dough to avoid crushing them.
07 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7-inch circle approximately 1 inch thick.
08 - Cut the dough into 8 wedges and arrange on the prepared baking sheet with space between each piece.
09 - Brush scone tops with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
10 - Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
11 - Cool scones for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Your sourdough discard finally has a second life, and you'll actually look forward to feeding that starter just to make these again.
  • The scones are impossibly tender and buttery without requiring any special techniques or fancy equipment.
  • Blueberries stay juicy and whole, not mushed or sunken, because you're folding them in at exactly the right moment.
02 -
  • Don't skip using cold butter; room temperature butter will turn your scones into dense, tough pucks no matter what else you do right.
  • Overmixing is the silent killer—the moment your dough comes together, stop stirring, even if it looks slightly uneven.
  • Frozen blueberries work perfectly because they don't thaw and bleed into the dough during baking, which shocked me the first time I tried them.
03 -
  • Keep everything cold: your butter, your bowl, even briefly chill your mixing bowl before you start—this is the difference between scones and hockey pucks.
  • A pastry cutter is nice to have but not necessary; two forks or even your fingertips work just fine if you work quickly and keep the butter from warming up.
  • Don't brush on too much heavy cream or the tops will brown too fast before the insides cook through—a light whisper of cream is all you need.
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