The Best Sourdough Discard Scones with Mixed Berries
These Sourdough discard scones with mixed berries are the best scones because of the way the tanginess from the sourdough discard balances perfectly with the sweet, juicy berries. These scones are flaky and tender, with a light, buttery texture that melts in your mouth, making them both flavorful and satisfying, and the perfect saturday morning treat.
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Servings: 0
Equipment
- Bench Scraper or bench knife
- Large mixing bowl
- Small bowl
- Plastic wrap
- Pastry brush
- Sharp knife
- Kitchen scale
- Food processor
- Pastry brush
- Medium mixing bowl
- Parchment paper
- Airtight container or freezer bag for storage
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
For the scones:
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 330g
- ½ cup sourdough starter discard or active starter 100g
- ⅓ cup sugar 67g
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter 1 and ½ sticks (115g), cold and cubed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- 1 ¾ cup mixed berries frozen
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon 95–100g milk
For the Glaze
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 Tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Toss frozen berries in a bowl with powdered sugar, and then place into the freezer until needed. (Cut strawberries in half.)
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Using a food processor, pastry cutter, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter. Butter should be reduced to a pea size.
- Make a well in the center of the flour and place to the side.
- Combine wet ingredients by beating the eggs, sourdough discard, milk, and vanilla extract together.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the center of the well.
- Gently fold the flour into the wet ingredients until the dough just begins to come together. Be careful not to overmix. The dough should be a very shaggy dough. At this point you can do a long fermentation on the dough by placing a piece of plastic wrap over the large bowl and putting it into the fridge overnight for 12-24 hours prior to baking. Alternatively you can proceed to adding the berries and baking after mixing the dough.
- Gently fold in the mixed berries, being careful not to crush them or over mixing the dough. It is best to add them directly from the freezer to prevent bleeding into the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat it into a round disc about 1 inch thick.
- Cut the dough into 8 wedges (like a pizza) or shape it into smaller rounds, if you prefer. Place the scones on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 14-17 minutes, rotating the baking sheet half way through baking. While the scones are baking, mix the glaze by combining the melted butter and honey.
- Remove scones from oven, and brush the honey glaze on the tops of the scones. Place scones on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy them warm with a cup of tea or coffee! Store scones in an airtight container.
Notes
Tips for the Best Scones:
- For best results, keep the butter cold and work quickly to maintain the flakiness of the scones.
- If using frozen berries, don’t thaw them to prevent color bleeding into the dough.
- You can also add lemon zest or a bit of cinnamon for extra flavor.
- When mixing the dough, if it still feels dry after adding the milk, just drizzle in 1–2 teaspoons more until it just comes together — no more. Scone dough behaves better on the drier side (you’ll get those nice layers when it bakes).