Name: Sourdough Scones
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 2 cups flour; 1 tbsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 cup sugar (sucanat or coconut sugar are my favorite options); 1 stick unsalted butter, frozen; 1 cup mix ins (chocolate chips, blueberries, dried cranberries); 1/2 cup sourdough starter; 1/4 cup heavy cream; 1 egg; 1 tsp pure vanilla extract; 2 tbsp heavy cream for browning, optional

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These sourdough scones are the perfect master scone recipe. They have a tender crumb on the inside and are the perfect base for all of your favorite add-ins.

three sourdough scones with blueberries stacked up on a wire rack on a white countertop

Have I ever told you how much I love sourdough? I’m kind of kidding. If you have been around here for more than one minute, you will surely know my deep passion for sourdough. This blog alone has over 60+ sourdough recipes… with more to come.

There are so many reasons to love sourdough, from its easier digestion to its heightened nutrition due to the fermented grains; it can also make life much easier.

Sometimes I don’t have the time to make a whole recipe from start to finish at one given moment. With sourdough, you can start it the night before and the bulk of the recipe is done until the next day. All you have to do is add a few remaining ingredients, if needed, and bake.

Such is the case with these master sourdough scones. You can whip them up right away or ferment them for better digestibility. You can even make them up to three days in advance, then just roll them up, cut, and bake. So if you know you have a brunch coming up or a special breakfast, you can be super prepared and ready for easy baking that makes it look like you were up really early laboring away.

Or, let’s say you’re about to have a baby, and you want to prep some of these yummy scones for a one-handed snack that you can eat while nursing a sweet baby.

overhead image of blueberry sourdough scones on a wire rack right after baking

Tips For Making Sourdough Scones

The key is to keep the scones very cold before baking so they don’t spread out. I put mine in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before baking.
Also, it helps to use frozen butter, cold cream, and cold eggs. This also helps to make the scones more flaky.
If you want to long-ferment these scones, there are two ways to go about this. See below for two examples.
Freeze them totally baked for an easy and special breakfast any day of the week. Place the dough in the freezer for 5-10 minutes (or the refrigerator for about 30 minutes) before baking. This will help the scones keep their shape and not spread out so much.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

side view of sourdough scones on a wire rack on a white countertop

Can I use sourdough discard to make this recipe?

Yes! Since this recipe doesn’t need the sourdough to actually give it height (it uses baking powder to do so), you can use sourdough discard or active sourdough starter for this recipe. Use discard to make them sourdough discard scones.

Tools:

Food processor or pastry blender (optional). You can also just use a fork.

Baking sheet

Large bowl

Measuring cups and spoons

Cutting board

Knife

four sourdough scones with blueberries lined up on parchment paper

How To Make Sourdough Scones:

dry ingredients mixed together in a glass bowl on a white countertop

In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

chopped butter and flour in a glass bowl

Cut in butter using a fork or pastry blender.

blueberries added to a flour, butter, and sugar mixture in a glass bowl

Add the add-ins to dry ingredients.

wet ingredients in one bowl and dry in the other to make sourdough scones

Combine sourdough starter, cream, and egg in a separate bowl.

wet ingredients added to dry ingredients in a glass bowl

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined, being careful not to over mix.

blueberry sourdough scone dough patted into a circle on a white quartz countertop with a pizza cutter and a pie server to the right

Shape into a 12″ circle, and cut into 8 equal slices.

sourdough scone dough cut into 8 equal triangles and laid on piece of parchment paper

Place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. This helps the scones keep their shape during baking.

Brush with cream.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes until the edges start to turn golden.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

seven blueberry sourdough scones cooling on a wire rack on a wire rack

Long Fermented Scones

There are two ways to go about long-fermenting scones. You can make them as directed above, but before swapping and cutting, place them in a bowl with a lid in the refrigerator up to 3 days. The longer they are in the fridge, the more the grain gets fermented. My friend has done this and finds that 3 days was the perfect amount of refrigerator fermentation for her family to tolerate grains.

Another way to make them is by mixing flour, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl.

Cut in butter using a fork or pastry blender.

Combine sourdough starter and cream.

Add the mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until combined, being careful not to over mix.

Cover with a towel and allow to ferment for 8-12 hours.

Sprinkle over baking powder, add egg, and any add-ins you would like. Knead together until just combined.

Shape and cut into equal slices.

Brush with cream.

Bake 400 degrees for 20 minutes until the edges start to turn golden.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Serve.

Find More Of My Favorite Sourdough Breakfast Treats

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars!