Blueberry Lemon Sourdough Drop Scones

Use your sourdough discard to make the perfect scone for springtime and summer! These have the flaky interior and crisp exterior that I love in a scone, are bursting with lemon zest and fresh blueberries, and to finish it all off, the warm scones are drizzled with an easy lemon glaze.

These are adapted from these classic sourdough discard scones that I love! They're so easy to throw together with a food processor and the discard adds just the right amount of sourdough flavor.

Here, the method is just as simple, with (lots of!) lemon zest and blueberry added. It really is the perfect flavor combination for spring. And summer.

Eat these for a fun breakfast, brunch, or afternoon snack with coffee/tea!

How to make the scones

Start by adding the dry ingredients to the food processor and pulse to combine. Then add a stick of chopped butter and pulse again until the butter is in pea-size pieces. Dump this dry mixture into a medium bowl, and place it in the fridge while you do the next step.

Return the food processor and the blade to the machine and add the discard, milk, egg, and vanilla. Run the machine until evenly combined and frothy.

Pour about ⅔ of the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to incorporate evenly. Add the blueberries and mix just until they're dispersed - being careful not to crush them.

If you still have some pockets of dry flour, drizzle in as much of the remaining liquid as needed to moisten them.

Then, you're done! Don't overmix this dough!

If you don't have a food processor: you can use a box grater to grate the butter into the dry ingredients, mix the liquid ingredients in a separate bowl, and proceed with the recipe.

Drop 12 spoonfuls of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, then cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, up to 24 hours.

After chilling the scones, bake for 15-18 minutes in a 400 degree oven, until baked through and browned on the outside. Transfer to a wire rack to glaze and cool.

How to make the glaze

Two simple ingredients that really pack a punch here - this glaze is just powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice. It has the best lemon flavor!

The key here is to get the glaze the right consistency. You want it to be fairly stiff but still drizzleable. Once the scones are out of the oven, you'll spoon the glaze over top and it will melt down the sides, then dry hard.

Start with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and if the glaze is too stiff or dry spots of powdered sugar remain, add up to 1 tablespoon more until it looks right.

Tips for good scones

Scones can be intimidating, but once you get the hang of them, they really are one of the easiest things to make! Here are a few tips for success with these:

• To make taller scones, don't flatten the spoonfuls of dough as you drop them on the baking sheet. Think of building them up rather than out. They'll spread as they bake, so even if they look monstrous beforehand, they won't turn out like that!
• Don't overwork the dough. This will give you tough scones. Once you get your dough evenly moistened, your work is done!
• Keep the ingredients cold. You want everything to be as cold as can be here! If at any point while making these you need to take a break, just pop the ingredients in the fridge until you're ready to resume.
• The dough won't be smooth. Scones - like pie crust and other pastries - get their distinct texture from having solid pieces of butter throughout. This should not be a uniform dough! Sorry, but I have to describe this as chunky.

Things you should not substitute

You know I love a flexible recipe, but this really isn't one! Here are the things that you might be tempted to substitute that you definitely shouldn't. (Ask me how I know!)

• Fresh lemon - don't use concentrated lemon juice here. The flavor will be all wrong! You want fresh zest and fresh juice for the right lemon flavor. One large lemon should do the trick.
• Fresh blueberries - I highly recommend you avoid using frozen blueberries here! While they can work as a substitute for fresh in baked goods like muffins, they add way too much moisture for these scones. And too much moisture is a cardinal offense to a scone.