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3 cherry scones in a basket

Sourdough Cherry Scones

Molly LaFontaine
Imagine this: you're sitting in a cozy spot on a warm summer morning, sipping coffee, and nibbling on a fresh sourdough cherry scone. With each bite, you get the delicious tang of sourdough and bursts of sweet cherry. It's the moment you've been looking forward to since the alarm rang. That's why you need to make these scones! If you're looking for an easy recipe to use up fresh cherries, you've come to the right place.
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Sourdough
Servings 8 scones

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup cane sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 7 Tbsp cold butter not margarine
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup sourdough starter fed or discard (IMPORTANT: starter should be a thick pancake batter consistency for this recipe)
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/4 cup fresh sweet cherries pitted and halved

Instructions
 

  • 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 milk, sourdough starter, vanilla, and egg. Mix gently using a spoon then use your hands to completely incorporate the flour if necessary
  • If you haven't already pit your cherries and cut them in half. Use a paper towel or a cloth to tab off any excess liquid before adding them into the dough.
  • Mix the halved cherries into the dough with a spoon.
  • Important: This dough will be sticky no matter what. If your fresh cherries are extra juicy and ripe, making your dough extra wet, add 1/4 cup extra flour and place the bowl of dough into the freezer for 15-20 minutes to chill. It’ll be a lot easier to work with after this.
  • Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and shape it into a 2-inch-high, 6-inch-diameter circle.
  • Slice dough into 8 pieces like a pie, placing them 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
  • Preheat the oven to 400°F and bake for 18-20 minutes

Notes

If you prefer you can add a simple glaze to the top:
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbsp milk or cherry juice
NOTE: I don’t recommend doing a long ferment in the fridge like most sourdough scone recipes. The cherries will release juice, making the dough very wet. If you need or want to long-ferment, leave the cherries out of the dough and fold them in right before you’re ready to bake them. 
 
IMPORTANT STARTER TIP: Anytime you bake with a fresh fruit scone, you’ll want to thicken your starter before using it. Feed it a 2:1 ratio of flour to water or just add flour to get your starter to a thick pancake batter consistency. 
Keyword cherry scones, sourdough cherry scones