Say goodbye to dry, tasteless scones! These flaky and moist sourdough scones are bursting with bright lemon and an elegant drizzle of sunshiny glaze. I'm going to show you my best sourdough scones, but let's make'em bright, sunshiny lemon!

Oh, and these are both a discard starter recipe OR you can make this sourdough scone recipe with extra active starter!

Taadaaa! Here's how to make lemon scones!

A top view of lemon sourdough scones on a wood cutting board.

Jump to:

Why this recipe works
What to serve with scones
What ingredients do you need to make lemon sourdough scones?
Here’s your shopping list:
Instructions for lemon sourdough scones
Recipe
How to make scones that are not dry
Long fermented scones
Variations & Optional add-ins
How to store scones
Top tip
More breakfast foods you'll love!
New sourdough recipes!
Comments

Why this recipe works

Lemon might be my favorite flavor combination of all time. And stir in that into a tender, moist, flavorful scone and you have yourself a morning treat that will knock everyone’s socks off!

Scone recipes are cool because once you figure out your basic scone recipe, it's just a matter of doctoring it up with your favorite add-ins. I've compiled a list and stuck it in the 'variations' part of this post if you could use some inspiration!

But we also need to talk about how these scones come together with minimal ingredients and are sprinkled throughout with zest in every bite. These sourdough lemon scones would be perfect for a baby shower brunch, Easter breakfast, or afternoon tea. I promise every single person will be asking you for the recipe!

What to serve with scones

If you are in charge of breakfast or brunch, I have plenty of trusty recipes to serve with scones! I like to make things ahead of time so that I'm not rushed, so here is my best hostess menu that won't have you stuck in the kitchen all morning.

Venison Sausage Breakfast Casserole: This is a potato, egg, sausage and cheese recipe that can be mixed up the night before and popped in the oven the next morning.
I like to make a few quick breads or muffins to go with my scones. My current obsession is Cranberry Cream Cheese Bread or Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins. They are so good!
We're gonna need a juice, too. I love making a spritzer by mixing cranberry juice with sprite or seven up. Here's my Homemade Cranberry Juice recipe if you want to make it from scratch!
Asparagus Puff Pastry is a savory dish that looks ultra fancy, but is super easy to make! The only downside is that this is best served fresh out of the oven, so go ahead and have your bacon pre-cooked and everything prepped the night before to make it come together faster.

What ingredients do you need to make lemon sourdough scones?

When I think of the best scones, I picture a sweet grandma wearing a floral apron pulling them out of her vintage oven (it’s a whole aesthetic for me) because they are so simple and comforting. Nostalgic? You only need 9 basic ingredients, a big bowl and your hands to make them! No stand mixer or fancy tools required.

I prefer to makes cones using a pastry blender or pastry cutter (or use a cheese grater to finely chop the frozen butter). My hands and a wooden spoon work just about better because the less you work the dough, the more tender your scones will be! If you want to make these less ‘vintage grandma’ and more ‘21st century,’ use your food processor!

Here’s your shopping list:

A top view of ingredients for lemon sourdough scones in white bowls and glass prep bowls.

Lemons: Yes, shocker, right? Just kidding. Pick lemons that have a glossy, yellow peel. We are zesting these, so grab a few that look as fresh and unblemished as possible. We are going to use these lemons for their juice, zest and in our sweet and tart lemon glaze.
Sourdough starter: This can be a sourdough starter discard, aka the hungry portion you take out before feeding, or active starter. This recipe is very flexible, so don't stress about it. Whether you use an active sourdough starter or discard sourdough starter, it's gonna come out great!
Butter: Butter is the key to a tender and moist scone, so make sure you are using a high quality and full fat one! Also be sure that your butter is right-out-of-the-fridge cold. Sometimes I even chop mine into tiny pieces and then throw it in the freezer for ten minutes. Pockets of cold butter are what will give your scones that amazing, buttery texture.
Sugar: These scones get a lot of tartness from the lemon, so they do need a little added oomf from a small amount of sugar.
Heavy cream: cream will bind your scones together and give them that silky, melt in your mouth texture! Keep a little bowl of extra on hand in case you need to add more while shaping.
All Purpose flour: It’s basic, but works great! My favorites are Jovial All-Purpose Einkorn, The Food Nanny All-Purpose Kamut or just plain organic all purpose flour from the store.
Baking Powder: Be sure you are using baking powder and not baking soda. All you need is 3 teaspoons to get the perfect rise! And also make sure that it isn't old, because if your powder has been in the pantry (opened) for more than 3-6 months, it might not actually work anymore. Bummer!
Salt: All baked goods need a bit of salt for balance. I promise you won’t be making salty cones!
Last but not least, let's set aside a teeny tiny amount of milk for brushing the top of the scones. You can also just use a bit of heavy creamy mixed with equal parts water. I'm not adding this as an official ingredient, because it's more of a garnish, really. This will give your sourdough discard scones their beautiful golden brown color.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions for lemon sourdough scones

Step 2 of making lemon sourdough scones is sifting together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and a separate bowl, chop the butter.

Preheat oven to 400℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, chop the butter. Place both bowls in the freezer for ten minutes. Keeping the ingredients cold will help to produce a thick, fluffy and buttery scone.
Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse sand. If the butter begins to feel warm, pop the mixture back into the fridge for ten minutes.

Step 4 of making lemon sourdough scones is mixing the wet ingredients in a bowl.

4. Add the heavy cream, sourdough discard, zest, lemon juice and vanilla to the bowl and stir with a fork until just mixed.

5. Turn the dough onto the parchment lined pan and shape it into a disc that is about 9 inches. This does’t need to be perfect, but a consistent thickness is key. I use my hands instead of a rolling pin to keep from smashing down the dough which would make my scones flat.

Cut with a sharp knife or bench scraper into wedges. Separate the wedges to 2” apart. This allows every nook and cranny along the edges to bake evenly!

6. Place a small amount of cream in a bowl and brush the tops of the lemon sourdough scones with the cream. Bake at 400℉ for about 20-25 minutes, depending on your oven. The scones should be just beginning to brown along the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center of a slice comes out clean.

7. Allow the scones to cool on a wire rack. While the scones are cooling, it’s time to make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, lemon juice, zest, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over cooled scones.

8. Enjoy! Scones will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days and can be frozen for up to a month!

A close up picture of a lemon scone on a baking sheet with a bowl of lemons in the background.

If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. For more delicious recipes from scratch and homesteading tips, follow me on instagram @NinnescahHomestead

Recipe

Lemon Sourdough Scones

Say goodbye to dry, tasteless scones! These flaky and moist sourdough scones are bursting with bright lemon and an elegant drizzle of sunshiny glaze. Oh, and lemon sourdough scones are both a discard starter recipe OR you can make this sourdough scone recipe with extra active starter! We like to keep things flexible over here!

4.80 from 10 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Course Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine American

Servings scones

Calories 516 kcal

Equipment

parchment lined baking sheet
bench scraper
cheese grater or pastry cutter
large mixing bowl

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter frozen for 30 minutes
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream be prepared to add more for dry dough!
1 tablespoon lemon zest * or the zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ cup sourdough starter discard or active
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Optional lemon glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice plus zest
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Place the bowl of flour mixture in the freezer for ten minutes. Keeping the ingredients cold will help to produce a thick, fluffy and buttery scone.
2 cups all purpose flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
Use a pastry cutter or cheese grater to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse sand. If the butter begins to feel warm, pop the mixture back into the fridge for ten minutes.
½ cup unsalted butter
Add the heavy cream, sourdough starter, egg, zest, lemon juice and vanilla to the bowl and stir with a fork until well mixed.
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ cup sourdough starter, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 egg
Turn the dough onto the parchment lined pan and shape it into a disc that is about 9 inches. This does’t need to be perfect, but a consistent thickness is key. I use my hands instead of a rolling pin to keep from smashing down the dough which would make my scones flat. If the dough isn't holding together, add cream, ½ tablespoon at a time. Likewise, if it is too wet, add flour. Cut with a sharp knife or bench scraper into wedges. Separate the wedges to 2” apart.
Place a small amount of cream in a bowl and brush the tops of the scones with the cream. Bake at 400℉ for about 20-25 minutes, depending on your oven. The scones should be just beginning to brown along the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center of a slice comes out clean.
Slide the scones with the parchment onto a wire rack to cool. While the scones are cooling, it’s time to make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over cooled scones.
1 cup powdered sugar, ¼ cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Enjoy! Scones will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days and can be frozen for up to a month!

Notes

LONG-FERMENTED SCONES

Long-fermenting scones is easy. You can mix up the scones, shape them into a disc, wrap it in plastic or put it in an airtight glass container and put it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The longer they are in the fridge, the more the sourdough starter will long ferment the dough. This will change the texture of your scones from flaky to cake-y, so be aware!

VARIATIONS

Orange scones: Instead of using lemon juice and zest, use orange zest and juice! Cutees, mandarins, navel oranges or even grapefruit would all work!

Sourdough blueberry scones: Make the recipe as written, then fold in ½ cup of fresh, freeze dried or frozen blueberries with the wet ingredients. If you have access to freeze dried blueberries, you can also add a tablespoon of powdered freeze dried blueberries to the glaze to make it a pretty shade of lavender.

Chocolate chip sourdough scones: Instead of adding the lemon juice and zest, leave it out. Fold in ½-3/4 cup of chocolate chips with the wet ingredients and finish the recipe as written. Use melted chocolate chips or shaved chocolate instead of a glaze on top.

HOW TO STORE SCONES

The best way to store scones is in an air tight container, preferable glass, on the countertop for 1-2 days. They are still edible for 3-4 days, but they won't taste as flaky or fresh.

Nutrition

Calories: 516kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 6gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 424mgPotassium: 84mgFiber: 1gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 732IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 145mgIron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

How to make scones that are not dry

Unfortunately, I must admit that I have made dry scones on occasion. It’s always so disappointing when you put a fresh, hot scone on a plate (and are probably still staring at a sink full of dishes from making said scone) and it’s flavorless, dry, dense or just overall meh. Despite this recipe being super low maintenance and simple, it really is just right. Stick to the plan, and you won’t be sorry! Pay close attention to the tips, because that is where the magic happens.

If you are shaping your lemon sourdough scones and they feel very crumbly and aren't holding together, add a little milk, heavy cream or water, one teaspoon at a time until the dough ball holds together. Likewise, if the scones are too wet, use less cream or add a little flour.

Here’s my top tips for making perfect scones, every time:

Freeze your butter! Remember I said cold butter is a must? Either freeze the entire stick and then grate or use your food processor, or chop the butter into tiny pieces and then pop it in the freezer for ten minutes before hand.
The combo of sourdough starter and heavy cream are a match made in heaven. Strange, but true!
Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, overwork the dough. Lumpy is okay and smooth is bad.
Over baking is your scone nemesis. Bake until just done for tender scones.

Long fermented scones

Long-fermenting scones is easy. You can mix up the scones, shape them into a disc, wrap it in plastic or put it in an airtight glass container and put it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The longer they are in the fridge, the more the sourdough starter will long ferment the dough. This will change the texture of your scones from flaky to cake-y, so be aware!

Variations & Optional add-ins

Orange scones: Instead of using lemon juice and zest, use orange zest and juice! Cutees, mandarins, navel oranges or even grapefruit would all work!

A close up picture of a lemon sourdough scone using the cranberry variation for the recipe.

How to store scones

The best way to store scones is in an air tight container, preferable glass, on the countertop for 1-2 days. They are still edible for up to 5 days, but they won't taste as flaky or fresh. Make ahead and freeze in an airtight container or ziploc bag for up to a month.

Top tip

The best way to reheat leftover scones is by placing them in the microwave on a plate, covered with a barely damp paper towel. Microwave for 12-15 seconds.

More breakfast foods you'll love!

Looking for other recipes like this sourdough scones? Try these:

New sourdough recipes!

Comments

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