Sourdough Discard Blueberry Scones (Printable)

Tender, buttery scones made with sourdough discard and fresh blueberries—a perfect cozy treat.

# What you need:

→ 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 until evenly distributed.
03 - Add cold cubed butter to dry mixture and work it in using a pastry cutter or fingertips until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together sourdough discard, heavy cream, egg, and vanilla extract until well combined.
05 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir gently with a spatula until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
06 - Carefully fold blueberries into dough, taking care not to crush them.
07 - Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7-inch circle approximately 1 inch thick.
08 - Cut dough into 8 equal wedges and arrange on 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 until golden brown and cooked through.
11 - Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • Your sourdough starter finally has a second life instead of being discarded week after week.
  • These scones are impossibly tender because the discard does something magical that regular dairy just can't.
  • Fresh blueberries burst in every bite, and the whole thing comes together in under 40 minutes.
02 -
  • Don't thaw frozen blueberries before adding them—they'll release too much juice and turn your dough purple and soggy instead of keeping their shape and bursting sweetly in the oven.
  • If your scones come out dense instead of fluffy, you likely overmixed the dough; next time use a lighter hand and stop stirring the moment you don't see dry flour anymore.
03 -
  • Keep everything cold until the last possible moment—cold butter, cold discard, cold hands if you can manage it—because cold ingredients create steam pockets that become flaky layers.
  • If you don't have a pastry cutter, two forks or even your fingertips work perfectly for cutting in the butter; the goal is just to keep it cold and in small pieces.
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