These blackberry and white chocolate sourdough scones are soft, lightly sweet, and tender, everything you want from a scone. You can use fresh or frozen blackberries and either sourdough discard or an active, fed starter.
We used to have a coffee shop in my town that made the best scones. They were the perfect texture and sweetness. I was so bummed when they closed, but it gave me the impetus to learn how to make delicious scones at home. It turns out that it is actually pretty simple to make great scones, especially if you apply some of the tips I share below.
Learning how to make sourdough scones was the next logical step after I acquired a sourdough starter. These blackberry and white chocolate sourdough scones are based off of this recipe from Little Spoon Farm. (You should also check out their Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe!)
Tips for Making Sourdough Scones
- Use frozen butter. Like with many pastries, you can achieve a flaky texture by making sure the butter remains cold, for science reasons. (Somehow the moisture in the cold butter quickly evaporates in the hot oven creating a flaky texture.) I find that starting with frozen butter keeps it nice and chilled.
- Do NOT overmix! After adding the wet ingredients, stir until most of the flour is incorporated. The mixture should be a little loose, but it will come together as you form it into a disc.
- Do NOT add more liquid! Unless your sourdough starter has a very low hydration, you should not need to add more liquid, even though it will be very tempting to do so. Like I said before, the mixture will be loose, but as you form the dough into a disc with your hands, the unincorporated bits of flour will mix in.
- Shape the disc quickly and handle the dough as little as possible. The warmth from your hands can cause the butter to warm up and start melting too soon. You want the butter to be cold when the scones go into the hot oven.
- Chill the scones before baking them. This helps the scones keep their texture and shape.
- If using frozen fruit as a mix-in, thaw and drain it before mixing it in. Frozen fruit will release more moisture as the scones bake and could negatively affect their texture. Also, the frozen fruit has more of a tendency to “bleed” when mixing the scones. I have made many blotchy pink and purple scones because I was too impatient to thaw and drain frozen fruit. They still taste good, but the texture is chewier and they are not as pretty.
FAQ’s
How sour tasting are blackberry and white chocolate sourdough scones?
The sourdough taste in this recipe is very mild. You can still taste that it is a sourdough pastry, but more than anything the sourdough adds an interesting complexity of flavor beyond the sweetness and the mix-ins. For reference, my husband is new to sourdough baked goods and he really likes the flavor of these scones.
Should I use active sourdough starter or sourdough discard to make blackberry and white chocolate sourdough scones?
The beauty of this recipe is that you can use either active starter or sourdough discard. Perfect for a last-minute baker like myself. Use what you have!
Can I use frozen blackberries?
Yes! Frozen blackberries work great in this recipe. I highly recommend thawing and draining them first to prevent excessive “bleeding” of the dark juices, and to keep the texture tender rather than chewy.
Can I use fresh blackberries?
Absolutely! Fresh blackberries work great. You may want to cut larger berries in half.
What other mix-ins can I use instead of blackberries and white chocolate?
Substitute different types of edible berries, chopped fruits like apples or peaches, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips. Use about 1 cup of total mix-ins. Spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger make excellent additions as well!
Can I freeze blackberry and white chocolate sourdough scones?
Yes! You can freeze both unbaked and baked scones.
To freeze unbaked scones, place cut wedges onto a baking tray lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat, then place the tray in the freezer. Once the wedges have frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer-safe, airtight container or bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. Bake as normal at 400°F, but you may need to add 2-3 minutes to the baking time.
To freeze baked scones, make sure scones are fully cooled. For best results, individually wrap each scone in plastic wrap, then place into a freezer-safe, airtight container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Let them thaw on the counter overnight to enjoy them in the morning. Or, if you are desperate, you can microwave them, but that will affect their texture.
Ingredients for Blackberry and White Chocolate Sourdough Scones
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup frozen butter (or chilled)
- 4 oz. white chocolate, roughly chopped (or 1/2 cup white chocolate chips)
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blackberries (thawed and drained, if frozen)
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter, discard or fed
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream
Icing
- 3 Tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2-3/4 cup powdered sugar
How to Make Blackberry and White Chocolate Sourdough Scones
Mix Dry Ingredients
Mix together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Cut in the frozen butter with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture looks like small peas. Then stir in your white chocolate chunks and blackberries.
Mix Wet Ingredients
In a separate bowl mix together the sourdough starter, egg, vanilla, and heavy cream. (I find that using a fork works well.)
Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, and stir until the a dough starts to form and most of the flour is incorporated. Don’t overmix, and don’t add more liquid. Trust that it will come together!
Shape, Cut, and Chill
Dump onto a lightly floured surface and shape into one large disc (or two smaller discs). Then cut into 8 large (or 16 smaller) wedges. Place the wedges onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge or freezer. (I left mine in the freezer overnight, and they baked beautifully in the morning.)
Bake, Drizzle, and Enjoy Blackberry and White Chocolate Sourdough Scones!
When it is time to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F.
*Optional: brush a couple tablespoons of cream on top of the scones and sprinkle sugar on top.
Bake for 22-25 minutes until the scones are golden brown.
Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Mix cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar to make an icing. Drizzle over the cooling scones.
Now it is time to get your hands dirty. Happy baking, Friends!
Blackberry and White Chocolate Sourdough Scones
These blackberry and white chocolate sourdough scones are soft, lightly sweet, and tender, everything you want from a scone. You can use fresh or frozen blackberries and either sourdough discard, or a fed starter.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup frozen butter (or chilled)
- 4 oz. white chocolate, roughly chopped (or 1/2 cup white chocolate chips)
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blackberries (thawed and drained, if frozen)
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter, discard or fed
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream
Icing
- 3 Tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2-3/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Chop or grate the frozen butter into small pieces, then cut into flour mixture with a pastry cutter or forks until mixture forms pea-sized crumbs.
- Stir in white chocolate and blackberries.
- In a separate small bowl whisk together the sourdough starter, egg, vanilla extract and heavy cream.
- Pour sourdough mixture into the flour mixture and gently mix until a loose dough forms. The dough will be crumbly, but don't add more liquid. It will come together!
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press into a disc shape, roughly 8"-10" in diameter. (Or, into two 5"-6" discs for smaller scones.)
- Cut disc into 8 large wedges (or 16 smaller wedges) and place them on a baking sheet.
- Chill in fridge or freezer for at least 30 minutes or overnight.*
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400ºF.
- (Optional: brush the tops of the scones with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar)
- Bake 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and place on cooling rack.
- Mix whipping cream, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar and drizzle over the scones.
Notes
*Unbaked scones can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, cut, arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze until solid. Then place in an airtight bag or container until ready to bake. Bake directly from frozen, but you may need to add 2-3 minutes of baking time.
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