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Soft and tender sourdough scones infused with fresh strawberries and lemon with a sweet lemon icing on top. These Strawberry Lemon Sourdough Scones have a crumbly and cakey texture that will melt in your mouth!
Scones are a beautiful addition to any brunch or breakfast table, and these scones are better than anything you’d find at a coffee shop or grocery store. Some people say that scones are too dry, but this recipe is just the opposite. These are not your average scones. They are so soft and tender and have a cake-like texture with a sweet and tart flavor from the strawberries and lemon. It’s hard to have just one! Be sure to also try Blueberry Coffee Cake Sourdough Scones and Sourdough White Chocolate Almond Scones.
If you love strawberries, you should also try my Sourdough Strawberry Rolls, Strawberry Lemonade Sourdough Focaccia, Sourdough Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies, Sourdough Strawberry Shortcake and Sourdough Fruit Pizza.
Why you will love this recipe
- This sourdough scone recipe is bursting with bright and fresh flavor, making it the perfect spring or summer recipe.
- These sourdough strawberry scones are soft, tender, and have a cake-like texture that is not dry.
- It is a sourdough discard recipe that is easy to make and requires minimal equipment.
- They are the perfect addition to any special spring or summer occasion such as Easter or Mother’s Day.
Important Ingredients and Substitutions
- Strawberries- Fresh strawberries are diced and added to the scones, which adds a sweet and fruity flavor.
- Lemon- Lemon juice and lemon zest are both used to infuse a bright lemon flavor.
- Cold butter- It is important to use very cold butter to help create a soft and crumbly texture.
- Sourdough discard- Use cold sourdough discard to help prevent the butter from melting and causing the scones to spread while baking.
- Leavening agents- Both baking powder and baking soda is used to help the scones rise and give them a soft and tender texture.
- Powdered sugar- Used to make the sweet glaze that is drizzled over the scones.
See all the ingredients and amounts in the recipe card below.
Helpful tools
Measuring Cups and Spoons or kitchen scale– The recipe has both grams and cups measurements. However, I always recommend weighing your ingredients for the most accurate results.
Baking Sheet & Reusable Baking Mats– Lining the baking sheet with either a reusable baking mat or parchment paper will help prevent the scones from sticking.
Cheese grater– Using a cheese grater is the easiest way to make small pieces of butter to incorporate into the dough.
Danish dough whisk – My favorite tool for mixing sourdough bread or any other mixing needs.
Instructions to make Strawberry Lemon Sourdough Scones
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and add your butter to the freezer to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and lemon zest. Add the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and zest of one lemon and mix.
Step 2: Shred the frozen butter and mix it into the flour mixture, rubbing with your fingers to get it into small bits of butter, about the size of a pea.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, mix the sourdough discard, egg, milk, and lemon juice.
Step 4: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add in the diced strawberries and mix with a fork or Danish dough whisk until coming together.
Step 5: Dump the scone dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough starts to come together and the flour is incorporated. It will be a little sticky.
Step 6: Press into a circle and then cut into 8 pieces using a bench scraper or knife.
Step 7: Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Step 8: Brush the top of the scones with milk and place them in the oven at 375F for 15-17 minutes or until they are lightly browning on the edges. Don’t over bake or they will get dry.
Step 9: Mix the icing ingredients together in a small bowl. Add enough liquid to get to your desired consistency
Step 10: Drizzle the icing over the baked scones once out of the oven. Serve warm and enjoy.
Recipe Tips
- Use cold ingredients. Cold discard, frozen butter. The colder the ingredients, the better. If your discard was at room temperature, place the scones in the fridge for 30 minutes or more before baking, or the scones will spread a lot.
- Don’t over knead the dough. It will be flaky when mixing. Overkneading will turn a tender scone tough due to the gluten development.
Storage instructions
To store, add leftover scones to an airtight container or wrap in plastic wrap. You can keep them on the counter at room temperature for a day or two or in the fridge for up to a week. You can reheat them in a 350-degree oven until they are warmed through.
If you would like to freeze, wrap the leftovers in plastic or store them in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
You can also freeze unbaked scones. Cut them into wedges and then wrap them in plastic wrap or add them to a sheet pan in a single layer and freeze. To cook, follow baking directions above, but it will take a few minutes longer to cook from frozen.
FAQ
Yes, if you do not have sourdough discard, you can use active sourdough starter instead.
If you only have frozen strawberries on hand, I would recommend letting them thaw completely and draining off the excess liquid so that they do not add too much liquid to the dough. You could also use freeze-dried strawberries instead.
Yes, if you do not have a cheese grater, you can also pulse the butter in a food processor. The aim is to have small pockets of butter throughout the dough. You could also use a pastry cutter to mix it in.
If the butter and the sourdough discard are too warm, it will cause the scones to spread. Be sure to use very cold ingredients, and you can also place the scones in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking to help prevent spreading.
Strawberry Lemon Sourdough Scones
Ingredients
- 280 grams all-purpose flour, 2 cups
- 70 grams sugar, ⅓ cup
- 5 grams baking powder, 1 teaspoon
- 5 grams baking soda, 1 teaspoon
- 3 grams salt, ½ teaspoon
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 114 grams butter, frozen, 8 Tablespoons
- 120 grams sourdough discard, ½ cup
- 1 egg, 50 grams
- 30 grams milk, 2 Tablespoons
- 5 grams lemon juice, 1 teaspoon
- 160 grams diced strawberries, 1 cup
Icing
- 240 grams powdered sugar, 2 cups
- 15 grams lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon
- 30-45 grams milk, 2-3 Tablespoons (depending on desired consistency)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ and add your butter to the freezer to cool.
- In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients and lemon zest.280 grams all-purpose flour, 70 grams sugar, 5 grams baking powder, 5 grams baking soda, 3 grams salt, Zest of 1 lemon
- Shred frozen butter and mix into the dry ingredients rubbing with your fingers to get it into small bits of butter.114 grams butter, frozen
- In a separate bowl mix the sourdough discard, egg, milk, and lemon juice.120 grams sourdough discard, 1 egg, 30 grams milk, 5 grams lemon juice
- Pour into the dry ingredients and add the diced strawberries. 160 grams diced strawberries
- Mix with a fork or danish dough whisk until coming together.
- Dump onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough starts to come together and the flour is incorporated. Depending on how juicy your strawberries are you may or may not need to add a little more milk. If the flour isn't incorporating slowly add a Tablespoon of milk, stopping when it is incorporated. It will be a little sticky.
- Press into a circle and then cut into 8 pieces.
- Brush with milk and place in the oven at 375℉ for 15-17 minutes or until they are lightly browning on the edges. Don’t over bake or they will get dry.
- Mix the icing ingredients together and drizzle overtop the scones once out of the oven.240 grams powdered sugar, 15 grams lemon juice, 30-45 grams milk
- Serve warm.
Notes
- Use cold ingredients. Cold discard and frozen butter. The colder the ingredients, the better. If your discard was at room temperature, place the scones in the fridge for 30 minutes or more before baking, or the scones will spread a lot.
- Don’t overknead the dough. It will be flaky when mixing. Overkneading will turn a tender scone tough.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’d like to know the nutrition information without the icing. It’s so good and sweet without it that it’s an easy way to cut down my sugar without sacrificing flavor.
Thank you!
These are so good! I made them for my neighbors and they’re still talking about them a week later 🙂 Recipe was easy to follow and quick to whip up.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for the review.
Hi there, could I leave the dough in the fridge for a day before baking to ferment for gluten sensitivity purposes? Thanks!
Yep!
These scones are amazingly delicious! And so easy to make
Thanks for the review, Leslie! Glad you enjoyed the scones.
Could I make these with flax egg as a substitute?
From what I’m seeing online it looks like it works well in scones although I haven’t tested it myself. If you try it let me know how it goes!
How long do you knead for? I used frozen butter and cold discard and my batter was still very wet and sticky even after adding a little flour. I let it sit in the fridge overnight and still the same. I made them they taste great just feel like they didn’t look like they were supposed to.
It’s pretty hands off. You don’t want to knead long because the butter will start getting warm which leads to scones that spread. Basically just until the flour is incorporated and then stop touching it. It could be your strawberries were just a little extra juicy which added a little extra moisture to the dough.
How long do you recommend kneading?
A very short time about a minute or so. The less time the better as you don’t want the butter to melt. If you are having a hard time getting the flour incorporated add just a little extra milk (about 1-2 Tablespoons) until the flour is all incorporated.
I’m not a morning person so I made these at night and let the batter sit in the fridge overnight. I totally thought I messed it up when I went to cut the scones out in the morning but it turned out fantastic! The dough was so moist and fluffy—to your note about everything being cold I think that really saved my bake. Delicious!
Awesome so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I made these with blueberries instead of strawberries because it’s what I had on hand, but they were still so, so good! Not dry at all. Definitely trying with strawberries next time though.
Glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing
Can you use freeze dried strawberries?
Yes that should be fine! Since you don’t have any extra liquid from the strawberries you may need to add an extra Tbsp or 2 of milk to the dough to get the flour incorporated. Once you start mixing it together if it seems like the flour isn’t incorporating slowly start adding a little extra milk.
Can we a different flour?
Is there a certain flour you have in mind? Cake flour would probably work.
Do you think whole wheat pastry flour could work in this?
I think it would work. You probably will need to add another Tablespoon or 2 of milk and just note that it will change the flavor just a little.