Sourdough Lemon Scones
These sourdough lemon scones are bursting with lemon flavor in the best way! You have lemon juice and zest baked throughout each bite, as well as a fresh lemon glaze drizzled on top. If you’re looking for an easy springtime scone, look no further!
There’s something about the taste of lemon during early spring. Maybe it’s the fresh, light, zesty flavor or the beautiful yellow color. It just makes you think of sunshine! That’s why I developed this scone recipe. I wanted to bring a little springtime cheer into our home, as well as yours!
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If you want to make this recipe but don’t have a sourdough starter, no worries! Grab my free guide so you can make your own starter at home.
If you’re new to sourdough baking and feel hesitant, or you have questions, I’ve got something for you! I broke down the basics of what you need to know about sourdough baking in my free sourdough baking guide for beginners. I highly recommend grabbing a copy!
Why You’ll Love These Sourdough Lemon Scones
- Easiest Scone Recipe: You won’t find an easier way to make scones on the internet. I’ve perfected my sourdough scone recipes to be simple even for beginners. No extra steps or complicated wording here!
- Full of Lemon Flavor: You won’t miss the lemon when you bite into these scones. I was very intentional about making every single bite burst with flavor.
- Made with Wholesome Ingredients: Every ingredient used in this recipe is wholesome. I highly recommend using unbleached all-purpose flour, butter that has simple whole ingredients, organic lemons, sea salt, and aluminum-free baking powder.
- Brightens Your Day: Just the smell of these scones can brighten a cloudy, rainy spring day. They will fill your home with cheer!
Making Scones with Sourdough
When you make scones with sourdough, you get gut benefits from the cultures. If you long ferment the dough in the fridge for 12-24 hours before baking, those cultures ferment the other ingredients. This creates even more gut benefits!
My Sourdough Scone Baking Tips
- Use cold-stick butter and never margarine.
- Use a box grater (cheese grater) to shred butter instead of cutting it into the flour with a fork.
- Avoid overworking your dough.
- Don’t skip over chilling your scones in the fridge or freezer.
- Make sure your sourdough discard is thick and not super runny.
Important Ingredients You’ll Need
- all-purpose flour: I always use unbleached all-purpose flour. I like how it turns out with sourdough baked goods. It’s so much better for you. You aren’t getting any bleaching chemicals in your flour.
- cane sugar: Pure granulated cane sugar is my favorite swap for refined sugar. It’s much more pure and tastes great in baked goods.
- salt: I prefer sea salt instead of iodized salt. You can use either but the sea salt is a more wholesome option.
- baking powder: It’s important to choose an aluminum-free baking powder. You can find this at most grocery stores. I get mine from Walmart. Just check the ingredients on the can. If it doesn’t have any type of aluminum listed you’re good to go.
- salted cold stick butter: For scones, it’s so important to use cold stick butter not margarine. I always use a salted butter. I also like to use a butter with very few ingredients that are whole.
- milk: You can use any type of milk. If you have a dairy allergy or intolerance you can use a dairy-free option.
- sourdough discard: Sourdough discard is unfed starter. You don’t need to rise any dough for this scone recipe so discard works great to add gut benefits.
- pure vanilla extract: I never recommend using imitation vanilla. It’s usually filled with caramel coloring and other additives. I always use a pure vanilla extract. P.S. The Great Value brand has an affordable option, that’s what I get at Walmart.
- a large egg: Any large regular sized egg will do. If you have chickens and they lay small eggs go ahead and use two of them to equal 1 large.
- lemon juice and zest: I always recommend using organic lemons if you can. They taste so much better and you don’t have any pesticides on them. Walmart has a great option and so does Kroger. But if you can’t find them, non organic works just as good.
Helpful Kitchen Tools for Making Scones
Disclaimer: This section contains Amazon affiliate links of items I use and love.
How to Make Sourdough Lemon Scones
Mixing Sourdough Scone Ingredients
Begin by combining flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and lemon zest in a mixing bowl.
Incorporate butter by using a cheese grater (large side) or cutting it into the mixture with a fork until pea-sized pieces form.
Add milk, sourdough starter, vanilla, egg, and lemon juice. Mix gently using a spoon, then use your hands to completely incorporate the flour.
Shaping Scone Dough
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it gently for about 10-15 seconds.
Shape the dough into a 2-inch-high, 6-inch-diameter circle.
Slice the dough into 8 pieces like a pie, placing them 2 inches apart on a large sheet pan lined with parchment or one that’s been lightly greased and floured.
Chilling Options (DON’T SKIP!)
Option 1 – QUICK SCONES: Place dough, covered with a lid or Saran Wrap, in FREEZER for 10-15 minutes before shaping scones. Not the fridge.
Option 2 – LONG FERMENTED SCONES: If you want to long ferment the dough so the sourdough can ferment the other ingredients and give you more gut benefits, place the dough in the fridge, covered, for 12-24 hours. If you do this you do not have to do option 1.
Baking Sourdough Lemon Scones
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Once oven is preheated, bake scones on the same sheet pan from the freezer for 18–20 minutes.
Mixing a Lemon Glaze for Sourdough Scones
Whisk together the 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, and 2 tsp lemon zest in a small bowl until combined.
Drizzle glaze over the scones once they’ve cooled down for 5-10 minutes then enjoy!
Serving Ideas
You can serve these scones by themselves for breakfast, as a snack, or even for dessert!
If you want to have something alongside them serve these scones with tea, bacon, sausage patties, eggs, or any other savory item you prefer.
How to Store Glazed Scones
Store scones in an airtight container for 3-4 days at room temperature or 5 days in the fridge. However, they are best if enjoyed within 3 days for freshness.
If stacking, place parchment paper between the scones to prevent sticking.
How to Freeze
Unbaked: If freezing them unbaked, wrap each scone in parchment paper and place into a freezer-safe container or baggie. These scones will last up to 2-3 months in the freezer, unbaked.
When you’re ready to bake, pop them straight into the oven without thawing. Add 2-4 minutes to the baking time.
Baked: If freezing them already baked, store in a freezer-safe container or baggie. They’ll last 3 months in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge or on the counter.
Best Way to Reheat Sourdough Scones
I like to pop my scones into the oven or toaster oven at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes. This reheats them while keeping the texture. I don’t recommend microwaving them.
FAQs
Yes, you can freeze them baked or unbaked. See the “how to freeze” section above for more help on how to freeze both types.
I recommend that you use fresh lemon juice. But if all you can find or have on hand is the bottled lemon juice that will work just fine.
Of course! Just follow the long fermented option in the recipe.
More Sourdough Scones Recipes
- Sourdough Orange Scones with Orange Glaze
- Sourdough Lemon Poppy Seed Scones From Scratch
- Sourdough Chocolate Chip Scones
- Sourdough Cinnamon Brown Sugar Scones
- Sourdough Cherry Scones (with fresh cherries)
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Recipe
Sourdough Lemon Scones
Ingredients
Scones
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I use unbleached)
- 1/2 cup cane sugar (I use pure, organic)
- 1/2 tsp salt (I use sea salt)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 8 Tbsp cold, salted stick butter (not margarine)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard (AKA unfed starter)(best if it's thick, not runny)
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 4 Tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tsp lemon zest
Lemon Glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp lemon zest
Instructions
Mixing Dough
- Begin by combining flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a mixing bowl.
- Incorporate butter by using a cheese grater (large side) or cutting it into the mixture with a fork until pea-sized pieces form.
- Add lemon zest and gently combine them into the dry mixture.
- Add milk, sourdough starter, vanilla, egg, and lemon juice. Mix gently using a spoon, then use your hands to completely incorporate the flour.
Shaping Scones
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it gently for about 10-15 seconds.
- Shape the dough into a 2-inch-high, 6-inch-diameter circle.
- Slice the dough into 8 pieces like a pie, placing them 2 inches apart on a large sheet pan lined with parchment or one that’s been lightly greased and floured.
Chilling Options (DON’T SKIP!)
- Option 1 – QUICK SCONES: Place dough, covered with a lid or Saran Wrap, in FREEZER for 10-15 minutes before shaping scones. Not the fridge.
- Option 2 – LONG FERMENTED SCONES: If you want to long ferment the dough so the sourdough can ferment the other ingredients and give you more gut benefits, place the dough in the fridge, covered, for 12-24 hours. If you do this you do not have to do option 1.
Baking Scones
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Once oven is preheated, bake scones straight from the freezer on the same sheet pan for 18–20 minutes.
Make the Glaze
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl until combined.
- Drizzle glaze over the scones once they’ve cooled down for 5-10 minutes then enjoy!
Amazing easy recipe, so delicious!!
Wonderful Lemon flavor 😋
Thank you so much!! I’m so glad you loved this recipe and found it easy!
Perfect summer brunch addition!
I’m so happy to hear this!!
Hi, there was not mention of how much powdered sugar and lemon zest to use for the glaze in the ingredients list!?
I can figure it out but just wondering if I missed it.
Thank you
Good morning, thank you for pointing this out! Definitely something went wrong on my end. I just fixed it on the recipe card. It’s good to go now!