Learn how to make tender, flaky homemade sourdough scones (active or discard) with my master recipe and step-by-step instructions. Enjoy now for breakfast, or ferment overnight to maximize flavor. You can even prep-ahead and bake the dough frozen!
Making homemade scones feature several steps: cutting butter into flour, rolling the dough, and shaping. For this recipe, you can skip all that.
Adapted from my first book, The Clever Cookbook, my shortcut, no-roll method is quick, practical and actually doable. In this post, I’ll show you how to make sourdough scones with fresh blueberries, plus variations like pumpkin and cranberry if you want to mix things up.
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy-to-find ingredients
- Food processor method quickly cuts butter into the flour- just a few pulses and you’re done!
- A measuring scoop (instead of biscuit cutters) portions out the dough.
- Same-day, prep-ahead & overnight options for baking.
Good To Know:
- Make sure your butter is cold. This will create light, tender and flaky scones.
- The cranberry-orange version uses fresh cranberries, so the taste is tart. Garnish the tops with coarse sparkling sugar (or something similar) to elevate the sweetness. Alternatively, opt for dried sweetened cranberries instead, about 3/4 cup chopped.
- Expect to add more cream if the dough is dry. This all depends on the hydration level of your sourdough starter (flour to water ratio). I use a 100% hydration sourdough starter, which is made from equal parts flour and water by weight. It has a thick, batter-like consistency.
How To Make Sourdough Scones
Here, you’ll find my easy, step by-step instructions. For a printable version of this recipe with storage and prep-ahead options, scroll to the end.
To Start: pulse the dry ingredients to combine. No food processor? A stand mixer with a paddle attachment is fine too. Add the cubed butter and pulse only a few quick times times- you are not making perfectly smooth pasta dough here. Stop when it looks like coarse crumbs (some larger buttery bits are fine). They’ll melt into the dough, giving you that dreamy flaky texture.
Tip: Over mixing will make your scones tough. Think “rough but combined” but not 100% uniform.
- Mix the dough: Whisk together the wet ingredients. Now, add the dry ingredients. Bring everything together with a few gentle folds. The dough should hold together when pinched in between your fingertips. If it feels too dry, trust your gut and drizzle in more cream as needed. Add the blueberries. Do this nicely. Smash them around and you’ll get jam!
- Portion the dough: Use a ½ cup scoop to portion the dough into 8 shaggy rounds. Keep them tall- height gives lift. Line them up on a parchment-lined tray (see tip below).
- To Finish: Bake for 20–24 minutes until golden. Let cool briefly, then move to a wire rack. They’ll firm up as they sit.
Tip: Want to bake tomorrow morning? Cover and chill overnight. Then pop the tray into the oven straight from the fridge.
Sourdough Scone Variations
- Cranberry-Orange: Use 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries & the zest of 1 orange. Alternatively, use dried sweetened cranberries, about 3/4 cup.
- Pumpkin Spice: Add 100 g canned pumpkin purée to the wet ingredients. Add 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg and 1/2 tsp cloves to the dry ingredients. Decrease the heavy cream to 1 tbsp. Note: save leftover pumpkin purée to make my same-day sourdough discard pumpkin bread.
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Easy, No-Roll Sourdough Scones (Overnight Friendly)
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 22
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 8 scones 1x
- Category: Sourdough Discard Recipes
- Method: Oven-Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These light and tender sourdough scones can be made with bubbly, active sourdough starer or sourdough discard. Make them now, or ferment overnight to maximize flavor and digestibility. I’ve also included 3 different variations to choose from: lemon blueberry, cranberry orange and pumpkin spice.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 250 g (2 cups) all purpose flour
- 10 g (1 tbsp) baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
- 170 g (12 tbsp) unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 large egg
- 50 g (about 1/4 cup) sourdough starter (active sourdough starter or sourdough discard)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Zest of 1 lemon, about 1 tbsp
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
Sparkling sugar, for decoration
Variations:
- Cranberry-Orange: Substitute 1 cup fresh/frozen cranberries + 1 tbsp. orange zest. For a less tart taste, substitute 3/4 cup dried, sweetened cranberries instead. Yield: 8 scones.
- Pumpkin Spice: Add 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp cloves, 1/2 tsp nutmeg to the dry ingredients. Add 100 g (appx. 1/2 cup) canned pumpkin purée to the wet ingredients. Decrease the heavy cream to 1 tablespoon, plus a drizzle more as needed. Yield: 6 scones.
Notes & Tips:
- If you don’t have a food processor, a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachments can be used instead.
- Use cold butter for light, tender and flaky scones.
- The cranberry-orange variation uses tart, fresh cranberries. Garnish the tops with coarse sparkling sugar (or something similar) to make it sweeter. Or, use dried cranberries instead.
- Dry dough? Add more cream. This will depend on the hydration level of your sourdough starter. I use a 100% hydration sourdough starter. The texture is thick, like batter.
-
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 F/ 204 C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor: add the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Pulse just a few times to combine.
- Add the butter. In short bursts, pulse 3-5 times. The mixture should look sandy and crumbly, with some large chunks of butter throughout.
- In a large bowl: whisk the egg, sourdough starter, vanilla extract, heavy cream and citrus zest together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix gently with a rubber spatula to combine.
- Fold in the fresh blueberries. If the mixture seems dry, add a drizzle of heavy cream. The dough should easily stick when pinched together with your fingertips. Bring the dough together in a large mound.
- Using a 1/2 cup measure, portion the dough onto your lined baking sheet, keeping them rounded for added height when baked. Note: At this point, you can cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill overnight for maximum fermentation. Or, to bake straight away, jump to the next step.
- Sprinkle the tops with coarse sparkling sugar.
- Bake on the center rack for 20-24+ minutes or until golden and set in the center when poked.
- Cool on the pan for 1-2 minutes; then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
- Serve slightly warm or at room temperature for best texture.
Storage Options
- Room Temperature: Scones are best enjoyed fresh, on the same day that they are baked. Once completely cool, transfer to a plate and cover with foil or wrap; the texture will start to become more moist as they sit. Gently reheat in a low oven, if you prefer.
- To Freeze (baked scones): Wrap cooled, baked scones in plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. Freeze up to 1-3 months. Uncover and thaw at room temperature. Bake @ 300 F/ 150 C on a parchment-lined tray for 10-15 minutes.
- To Freeze (unbaked scones): After you have portioned the dough into balls, place onto a parchment-lined plate. Freeze until solid. Transfer to an airtight container or zip-top bag. Freeze for 1-3 months. To bake, place the frozen dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet; bake for 28-30 minutes.
Comments
Angie says
I love these scones. I’ve made them a couple of times. They are light and airy. I followed the recipe exactly except I add an icing at the end after they are cooled off. The scones are similar to drop biscuits.
💖 Emilie loved this comment!
Nat says
I’ve made these a few times already and they are so delicious and go really fast in my house. Wondering if anybody has played with some healthier substitutions that didn’t negatively effect awesome factor.
Particularly replacing sugar with monk fruit extract / honey / maple syrup – or a combination and if yes how much ?
Using coconut oil instead of butter – does it change the texture ? It would also have to be chilled for sure.
And Greek yogurt instead of the cream ?
Thank you !
lauren says
I want to note that using a 1/2cup measurement to portion the dough would only makes six scones. I’d suggest a 1/3 cup or weigh the total of the dough then divide by 8 portions.
Connie says
I mixed the ingredients yesterday afternoon and baked the scones this morning. The long fermentation is important for me. I knew I should have skipped making these since scones are one of my favorites. I did a little minor altering. Using some of the suggestions mentioned in the comments I used buttermilk cream, dried cranberries and cut the sugar from 1/2 C to 1/3 C. Not a huge difference and the scones were/are delicious. I will either freeze or share the scones. Otherwise I know I will eat too many too quickly! This is a very simple recipe with a great outcome.
Wendy says
These came out delicious!
Cassandra Meed says
Hello! Can I make this dough recipe but shape into little triangles and still bake at same temperature and time!
Charlie says
Didn’t have enough sugar so I substituted slightly less honey. The scones turned out light, fluffy, not too sweet and delicious.
I’ve tried a few oif your very nice recipes
Alyssa says
Everyone I’ve ever made these for absolutely LOVE them! I’m planning on making a few dozen for a baby shower this weekend but would also like to make cinnamon chip of some sort, does anyone have any suggestions on how to best go about that? Thanks in advance!
Sarah says
So easy and delicious!
Leslie says
Hi , I made the cranberry -orange recipe . They are delicious and the texture is wonderful . My only problem is that the bottoms burned . I wonder what I did to cause that ? I use a thermometer to test the temperature and placed the tray in the Center of the oven . Any advice would be appreciated . I adore scones , and except for the burn , in they are the best I have ever tasted .
Carol F says
I made this and it was delicious! I substituted the cream for buttermilk since I didn’t have cream and am lactose intolerant. (I made the buttermilk using lactose free milk).
IRMA SCHOLTZ says
Hi Emilie
Hope all is well with you and your family
I love all your recipes and have been making the Blueberry muffins since ” forever”!
As I am not allowed to use butter I have substituted it with Olive Oil.
It works perfectly and the muffins are still beautifully moist.
Your new recipe for the blueberry scones also uses butter.
Will the “scone texture” still be satisfactory if I substitute the butter with olive oil?
It will be fabulous to get a response from you.
Many thanks
Irma Scholtz
Johannesburg
South Africa
Patricia says
These are delicious and so easy to make. I make a batch and freeze them and then just bake it in the morning for breakfast. Thank you.
Christy says
I just made the pumpkin spice variation of these and they were amazing! Just perfect for fall! Next time, I’ll try to add some pecans or walnuts to the dough and maybe dust with a little cinnamon sugar, but I hesitate to do that because they were just perfect! Thank you for this recipe!!
LexLoves says
You talk about fermenting it overnight. Does this mean you make the dough (with active sourdough starter) and let it rest overnight before baking them? I’m very excited to try this. I’m new to baking and sourdough, and I’m very excited to try!
salty_samantha says
Hi Lex! Welcome to the world of sourdough!!! It’s so much fun. To answer your question, yes, you make the dough, portion it out and then cover and refrigerate the pan overnight and bake in the morning! Emilie has a lot of recipes like this (her overnight muffins are also divine!!) and sometimes I will refrigerate the dough in the bowl and then portion it out in the morning. (I don’t really use plastic wrap, but do have reusable bowl covers!)
Loradona says
Delicious!
So far 4 batches made at different times. Each time extra heavy cream was added and each time more than one lemon rind to make it a TBSP of zest. Cooked 20 minutes each time and 2 minutes cooled on the cookie sheet. Each time it made 7 not eight scones. I measured using a scale set on grams.
People are asking for more! I’m giving them away. My ingredients turn out to be $2.25-$2.50 a scone. No idea how to add in the discard and time spent on all of it. But roughly $3 a scone to make it altogether. So yummy!! Thank you for posting this recipe. It’s being shared and enjoyed.
Richele Lieboff says
Quick question…..I’m coming up with about $1.25 per scone. can you share your costs? I might me missing something! Thanks
Cheryl Morse says
I did a Google of price per scone using the ingredients in this recipe and it came up with breakdown of 6.25 a batch which is like .80 each. To sell wholesale would be like 15-16.00 a batch for 1.95 each. These are rough numbers and dont know what ingredients you used.
Melanie says
A crowd pleaser every time I make them. Have tried both the blueberry (fresh & frozen work equally well) & orange- cranberry variations with success. Quick & easy to make. The smell coming out of the oven while they bake & taste is so Yummy!
Emilie Raffa says
Thanks Melanie! So glad you liked them! 🥰
PJ says
My scones looked like swim biscuits, butter flowing out. I will put them in the freezer 30 minutes or longer next time before baking. They smell good. Cran-Blue lemon orange with lemon glaze.
I guess my starter isn’t 100% hydration like I thought…
Great recipes at Clever Carrot!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi PJ! When butter leaks, this typically happens when the oven is not hot enough. Do you have an oven thermometer? As for spreading (if I’m understanding you correctly) there might have been too much liquid in the dough, either from your sourdough starter or from adding too much cream. You’ll know this is the case if the dough is sticky.
PJ says
It was a little sticky but they turned out amazing! I can’t wait until we get more cranberries at the store.
Can I double this recipe without any changes?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! Yes! You can definitely double this recipe. If you still find it a bit sticky, cut back on the liquid next time.
Pj says
Looking forward to freezing to bake before and evert. I need a breakfast for 40. I would love a themed post, “Breakfast for a Crowd”!
Michelle says
We just returned from 2 weeks in London and Scotland and enjoyed traditional tea and scones foe the 1st time. I made the blueberry scones this morning, and they are identical to the ones we enjoyed in Europe. Now, I need to make clotted cream! Thank you for this recipe! It will be my go to for all scones.
Emilie Raffa says
Michelle, this makes me SO HAPPY to hear! Thank you! What a huge compliment coming from the mothership. Yes to clotted cream— yum! 🥰
Alessandra says
Had to share a slightly “healthier” variation that worked beautifully: I doubled the recipe and for the second half I substituted white wheat flour for all purpose, coconut sugar for cane, chilled coconut oil for butter, and 2% milk for heavy cream (the other half I used half&half). Also I added 6 drops of Doterra lemon essential oil, and used fresh blueberries. They’re amazing!! Even my unbelievably picky son said they’re “so good”. What a win! Thank you!
Jennifer says
So I am formally addicted to these cloud-like pillowy scones. The texture is unbelievable!! Can’t wait to try the pumpkin version in fall. Tried a few other zest and mix-in options, but honestly blueberry and lemon zest is just 🤌🏼 I’ve taken to making a double batch on the weekend and freezing half to bake fresh throughout the week for the fam! Thank you for the recipe 💖
Ashleigh says
These are delicious! I make a few modifications for almond cherry chocolate flavor in the summer when cherries are so sweet; 1 cup fresh pitted cherries quartered instead of blueberries. Sub the vanilla extract for 2 tbls almond extract (yes it’s a lot but it helps keep the almond flavor), and skip the lemon zest. Add 1 cup dark chocolate chips. They are heavenly! Great recipe and if you’re creative you can really make a ton of flavor combinations!
SourDoughLover says
So easy, so delicious! Added a lemon glaze (juice from zested lemon and confectionary sugar) to them, mouth watering.
Used a 1/4 cup scoop, baked 20 min, yielded 15 scones
Erin says
I have made these many times and they always come out great. I have to make a bunch and wanted to make mini ones. How long do you think I should bake them if I use a 1/4 cup scoop? TY!
Emilie Raffa says
Yay! This makes me so happy! Off the top of my head, I would cut the bake time in half- that’s a good place to start. You’ll know they’re ready when the scones turn light golden brown on the top and bottom. Make adjustments as you go! 🥰
Docia says
Great recipe. Thank you. With a diabetic I switched out sugar with pure monkfruit at a 1/8th cup to1/2 sugar ratio. Perfect. Only slight sweetness with none of the fake sugar or Stevie aftertaste and those chemicals.
Cori says
I just made the lemon/blueberry scones. Yes tender, yes flavorful, the dough was too crumbly tho’ and consequently the scones the same. What seems intuitive often is not🙁. would more cream increase the spread( did add just a wee bit to get it to hold together)? did I over/under mix? I’m not an experienced baker and was gifted the SD starter which has produced lovely bread but this is my first foray into discard use.
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! In your case, the mixture was either under mixed and/or it needed just a touch more cream to bring it together (the finished dough shouldn’t be crumbly). I’ve made these scones so many times, I’ve learned that the dough is quite forgiving, meaning you can “knead” it a bit more than you think which will give the flour more time to absorb the liquid. Does that makes sense? Just don’t over do it.
Faye says
Absolutely delicious. Used buttermilk and cut recipe to 2/3 because only had one stick of butter. Still used a whole egg. I can’t stop eating them!
Mandi says
Time to get my eyes checked! I sent an earlier question wondering about the amount of baking soda. I realized you have baking powder down so it is completely my error!
Can’t wait to retry. Thank you!
Lea says
Has anyone used frozen blueberries? I have to make 60 scones for a ladies tea, and fresh blueberries would be expensive.
Faye says
I used frozen blueberries and they worked fine but I wouldn’t recommend letting the dough ferment.
Lea Wofford says
Well, I made the 60 scones with frozen blueberries and they turned out fine. I froze the unbaked scones on a sheet pan overnight then placed them in double ziplock bags. But they cancelled the tea 😫. I was able to use 24 of the scones for a Sunday school brunch. They were a hit.
Katie says
What a wonderful recipe that everyone in our house loved. I’ve made them again but this time froze the unbaked scones. What is your recommendation for the temperature these should be baked at?
Sarah M. says
Hi,
Do you use active sourdough starter or the discard?
Catharina says
So impressed making sourdough scones for the first time
Such a simply delicious treat. Five star recipe for sure
Medbh says
I love these, but both times I’ve made them they leak a considerable amount of butter on to my baking sheet (like, enough to pour off). Not sure why?! I measure by weight and am exact. They’re delicious, but almost… deep fried?
M says
I’m not the author, but I used only 8Tbsp of butter instead of 12, and it works great.
Margaret says
I also only used 8 tbsp of butter. I have tried it both ways. I like the scones with less butter better.
Alison says
My mom wants to use the recipe but does not have sourdough base. Is it possible to make it without sourdough discard? What will this do to the texture?
Delicious!!
Mary says
Does this work when wanting to shape in a traditional scone shape?
Sally B. says
I may give up my sourdough bread and be very satisfied baking scones every week! I made the batter before bedtime & set the covered bowl in the fridge overnight. In the morning, I measured 2 oz, clumps that baked for 20 minutes. The house smells wonderful, and I am floating on cloud 9 with a delicious scone to start the day. Thank you for this recipe!
Rachael D’Andre says
These are my new favorite! They are absolutely delicious and a crowd hit! They are so light-the perfect breakfast treat!!
Have you tried a chocolate chip/chunk version? I may experiment and not sure if I should increase anything to bring out the flavor, not having the zest.
Neida says
This recipe is perfect. Ive been making scones for friends for years. They all praised these scones as their favorite! Even my husband who doesn’t eat pastry too often.
Brenda says
I have made the lemon blueberry scones lots of times.. incredible!! I’m trying the orange cranberry today. I hope they are as good. Thank you so much for sharing !!
Emilie Raffa says
You’re very welcome, Brenda. The flavor is totally different (fresh cranberries are tart!) but the buttery, crumbly, golden base scone is the same 🥰
Cassie Flory says
Thank you Emilie for all the great recipes and helpful hints. I have your book Artisan Sourdough and have tried many of the recipes, love them all! I’ll definitely be making the sourdough discard scones. My friends always appreciate it when I show up with scones for an afternoon treat!
Trish says
Love your recipes. Thank you
LJ says
Made some slight changes, as I did not have the right ingredients at home. (Kefir yoghurt instead of heavy cream and a mix of coconut oil and butter, instead of butter). They turned out lovely and flaky. My partner ate 3 in one go, haha!
Melanie says
Do you happen to have the nutrition breakdown on these? Made the pumpkin version last night and they are delicious!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Melanie! Unfortunately, I do not include the nutrition info for my recipes. An online calculator will work :)
Kelle says
We love these scones. We have an egg allergy in the family and I have success using Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer. We have only done the Craisin/orange zest version so far but I always have to double. I intend on freezing them each time but they never last long enough to do so. Everyone gobbles them so fast!
Terry Podesta says
Hello, mine turned out super bitter! Can you tell me what I did wrong? Is 1 TBSP of baking powder correct? I doubled the recipe and added 2 TBSPs.
Thank you!
Jen says
Oh no!! I forgot to put the scones in the refrigerator last night. I left them covered on the counter! Garbage or still okay to bake?
Emilie Raffa says
Ooo… great question. What did they look like this morning? What is your current room temp?
Jen says
They look pretty similar to last night. Smell okay. Air conditioning on at our house at 70 degrees. Just came out of the oven and look pretty good! Just have to figure out if we should try them.
Elzbakes says
I had o my frozen blueberries so they spread out and were more like cake biscuits but so delicious!!
Then on my scone batch I added more flour tablespoon at a time to come together and it worked !! But I would make again! Also added poppy seeds!
Emilie Raffa says
Delicious! Thank you for sharing our tips!
Shawn says
I am sitting here in slack jawed amazement that I just made these beautiful scones (I’ve NEVER made scones before.) and they are absolutely the best scones I have ever had. I used the liquid discard from my Amish sourdough starter (uses potato flakes/sugar/water) and followed your directions…added cinnamon. Delicious! Thank you!
Lianna says
Just WOW. I rarely leave reviews for recipes, because I inevitably end up tweaking them, or even if I don’t, they rarely make me feel things. I mean, feeeeeeeeeeel things. These scones are quite frankly the best scones I’ve ever eaten. My husband devoured three, emitted a guttural, primal grunt, and then said “I don’t want to give the rest of these to anyone else. Can we just keep them all?” – because we usually share our bakes with neighbours or friends.
As others have said, this recipe is very forgiving. I was worried that they were too wet, because I may have been overly liberal with the starter and the cultured almond milk (I made almond cheese and had some thick weigh to use, so I used that instead of the cream). I also used a combo of frozen blueberries and cranberries, because I couldn’t decide which I wanted more. So I figured, why not both? I was also liberal with the lemon zest. We also live in a wet, tropical climate with 80-90% humidity. So, I was a bit skeptical and decided that even if they came out a little funny, they’d still be good.
I sprinkled some more flour in, about 1/3 cup’s worth, so that the dough wasn’t wet anymore… just barely sticky. And ensured to mix only with the spatula, only just enough.
They’re still the best scones I’ve ever eaten, and I’ve had quite a few. Already starting on a second batch to make for a potluck tomorrow!
Arielle says
This is a go to recipe for me. Everyone I’ve ever given these scones to says they are the best scones they’ve ever had. Even my picky 3 year old loves them. So so delicious – highly recommend!
Janice says
This recipe is absolutely stellar! Made the quick version to satisfy the craving, and now I’m about to start the overnight method.
I’m loving your content and recipes!