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Sourdough Cherry Scones {Better Than The Coffee Shop}

4.96 from 48 votes

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These sourdough cherry scones are even better than those you get at the coffee shop! This recipe for cherry scones gives you a treat that is tender and lightly sweet with just a hint of tartness from orange zest. And as a bonus, it’s the perfect recipe for discard starter!

sourdough cherry scone on white plate with fork

I have a confession to make.

love breakfast.

But only if it happens after 9am…

So Saturday and Sunday mornings I putter around in the kitchen making all kinds of amazingly delicious breakfast-y stuff.

Confession number 2: I adore scones!

They are so fast and easy to put together.

And they make me feel so fancy!

So there I was, puttering, and I decided I needed to make some scones.

I was getting ready to feed Beowulf (my sourdough starter) and I was packaging up some cherries I had just dehydrated.

I’m sure you can see where this is going…

So I decided to get a little crazy and use the sourdough discard starter AND some of the cherries and mix it all up and see what happened.

And, can I just say, what happened was pretty darn tasty!

And that’s the story of how these Sourdough Cherry Scones came about.

I felt that was important to include because I know how much people enjoy these little stories on recipe sites. 😉

Let’s get to puttering!

Sourdough Cherry Scone on white plate with fork
sooo gooooood!

Sourdough Cherry Scones

Ingredients

Dough

  • 2 cups unbleached flour
  • 1/4 sugar
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/4 stick cold butter (10 Tbsp)
  • 3/4 cup diced dried cherries
  • 1 tsp grated orange zest
  • 1/2 cup sourdough starter (unfed)
  • 2 tsp homemade vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream (OR regular milk)

Glaze

  • 2 Tbsp heavy cream
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

The first thing to do is chop up those dried cherries. I usually dry mine in halves, so they will get pretty big during baking if I don’t chop them smaller.

chopped cherries on wooden cutting board
diced dried cherries

You can either use a sharp knife or a pair of kitchen shears.

Mixing the dough

Grab your favorite medium mixing bowl. Whisk together the flour, sugar, sea salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

Cut your cold butter into small pieces. Using a pastry blender or 2 forks, cut the butter into the flour mixture until you have crumbs about the size of a pea.

butter cut into flour in mixing bowl
butter cut in

Now mix the diced cherries and grated orange zest into the flour & butter mixture until it’s all evenly distributed.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the sourdough starter, the vanilla, and the heavy cream.

wet ingredients in mixing bowl
wet ingredients

Depending on how thin your starter is, you may need to add more heavy cream (or milk) than the recipe calls for. The mixture should have the consistency of pancake batter.

You want to mix it well here so that you don’t have to mix the dough a lot. Too much mixing will make the scones tough.

Now pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a fork just until moistened.

This is supposed to be a dry dough. It should almost be like bread dough.

So don’t think you did something wrong. 

Press the dough into a ball.

Then turn it out onto a VERY lightly floured surface. You need just enough so that it doesn’t stick. Too much and the scones will be really dry.

Flatten the dough into a disc about 8 inches across.

dough in circle on counter
8 ish inch circle

Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the disc like a pie into 8 wedges.

Put the pie piece shaped scones onto a baking stone or a greased or parchment lined baking tray. Or you could line the baking sheet with parchment paper.

dough circle cut in wedges
and cut into 8 wedges

If your kitchen is on the warm side you may need to pop those guys in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Only don’t put your baking stone in the fridge. Cuz then you can’t put it in the oven when it’s cold.

That would be so very not good!

Stony shards.

Everywhere.

Just don’t do it.

Now that the PSA is over…

let’s get the glaze together

Glaze

In a really small bowl or tea cup, mix the sugar and cinnamon well. Add the heavy cream and mix it up with a pastry brush until it’s combined.

Brush the top of the sourdough scones with the glaze. I like to go over them once before I bake them, and then use the rest of the glaze on them after I take them out of the oven.

scones on baking stone with glaze
and now glazed

But you could just go ahead and use it all before you bake them.

Then bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until they are golden brown.

baked scones on baking stone
golden brown and ready to eat!

Serve these beautiful sourdough cherry scones warm.

Or cold.

They are amazing both ways. Which makes them perfect for a make ahead breakfast!

Or, ya know, just to nibble on all afternoon…no judgement here…

Frequently Asked Questions About Sourdough Cherry Scones

How long will my Sourdough Cherry Scones keep?

These scones will keep for 3 to 5 days in an airtight container or zip top baggie.

Can I freeze my Sourdough Cherry Scones?

Absolutely! Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and put them into a freezer baggie. Then toss them in the freezer. They will keep for 4 to 5 months in the freezer.
To thaw, just let them sit out on the counter for an hour or 2. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes.

Can I freeze unbaked Sourdough Cherry Scones?

Yes! I do it all the time. I love baking one fresh to drink with my afternoon tea.
After you cut the wedges, put them on a parchment covered baking sheet and put them in the freezer. After about 3 hours put wrap them tightly and put them into a freezer baggie.
You can bake these straight from the freezer in a preheated 400°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Here’s more amazing sourdough goodies you should bake:

sourdough cherry scone on white plate with fork

Sourdough Cherry Scones

These Sourdough Cherry Scones are a breeze to put together and BONUS: you can use discard starter! Always a hit warm or cold, and they freeze beautifully.
4.96 from 48 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 8 scones
Calories 227 kcal

Ingredients
  

Scone Dough

  • 2 cups unbleached flour
  • 1/4 sugar
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/4 stick cold butter 10 Tbsp
  • 3/4 cup diced dried cherries
  • 1 tsp grated orange zest
  • 1/2 cup sourdough starter unfed
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream OR regular milk

Topping

  • 2 Tbsp heavy cream
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  • Chop up those dried cherries with a sharp knife or kitchen shears.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, sea salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
  • Cut your cold butter into small pieces. Using a pastry blender or 2 forks, cut the butter into the flour mixture until you have crumbs about the size of a pea.
  • Now mix the diced cherries and grated orange zest into the flour & butter mixture until it’s all evenly distributed.
  • In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the sourdough starter, the vanilla, and the heavy cream.
  • Depending on how thin your starter is, you may need to add more heavy cream (or milk) than the recipe calls for. The mixture should have the consistency of pancake batter.
  • Now with a fork stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients just until moistened.
  • This is supposed to be a dry dough. It should almost be like bread dough.
  • Press the dough into a ball.
  • Then turn it out onto a VERY lightly floured surface.
  • Flatten the dough into a disc about 8 inches across.
  • Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the disc like a pie into 8 pieces.
  • Put the pie piece shaped scones onto a baking stone or a greased baking sheet. Or you could line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • If your kitchen is on the warm side you may need to pop those guys in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
  • In a really small bowl or tea cup, mix the sugar and cinnamon well. Add the heavy cream and mix it up with a pastry brush until it’s combined.
  • Brush the top of the scones with the topping. I like to go over them once before I bake them, and then use the rest of the topping on them after I take them out of the oven.
  • Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Notes

Serve these beautiful sourdough cherry scones warm.
Or cold.
They are amazing both ways. Which makes them perfect for a make ahead breakfast!

Nutrition

Serving: 1sconeCalories: 227kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 5gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 345mgPotassium: 39mgFiber: 2gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 604IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 91mgIron: 1mg
Keyword scones, breakfast, sourdough, sourdough cherry scones
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
By on February 9th, 2022

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