Lavender Sourdough Discard Scones with Lemon Glaze

Why I Love This Recipe

I love this Sourdough Discard Lavender Scone recipe because it puts my discard to good use and adds a subtle floral twist. The scones are tender, lightly sweet, and perfect with tea or coffee.

What Lavender to Use in Baking

All lavender is edible, however, I recommend culinary lavender because it has the best taste and is sweeter than regular lavender. Regular lavender is more bitter.

Most of the dried lavender for cooking you find in-store and online are culinary, but double-check the description or ask if you are not sure. I've found dried culinary lavender at my local grocery store in the bulk section and on Amazon.

You can also grow culinary lavender. I have a culinary lavender bush in my garden that I purchased at my local nursery!

Other Ingredient Options For These Scones

These Lavender Sourdough Scones are not super sweet because of the sourdough and the lavender is the highlight of the pastry. If you like sweet scones, here are some other ideas for making these scones exactly the way you want them!

• For a sweeter glaze, omit the lemon juice and add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.
• Another sweet option is to add white chocolate chips to the dough. They will become warm and melty in the oven and add an extra surprise to these delicious treats.
• For additional crunch, add some walnuts to the dough before baking.
• If you want more lemon flavor to balance the lavender, add some lemon zest to the dough and cut the lavender down to 1 tbsp.

How to Make Lavender Scones

Step 1: In a mixing bowl place the flour, sugar, lavender, baking powder, and salt and stir to combine.

Step 2: Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter. If you don’t have one, a fork works too—just be careful with a food processor, as it can easily overmix the dough.

Step 3: Mix wet and dry ingredients until just combined—the dough will be a bit sticky. Transfer to a floured surface, shape into a ball, and press into an 8" wide, 1" thick disc.

Step 4: Cut the disc into 8 pieces and brush with more heavy cream. You can sprinkle the top with coarse sugar and/or more lavender buds before baking.

Step 5: The scones take about 16-20 minutes to bake and are best when served warm with the delicious lemon glaze on top!

Step 6: Whisk together 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, ½ teaspoon lemon zest, and ½ cup powdered sugar for a quick, bright lemon glaze. It comes together in seconds and adds great flavor.

What if I Don't Have a Sourdough Discard?

Don't worry, you can still make these delicious Lavender Scones without a Sourdough Discard! Just add another ½ cup of all-purpose flour and another ½ cup of heavy cream in place of the 1 cup of sourdough starter. That's it!

Butter Tips and Tricks for Scones

My trick to incorporating cold butter with a pastry cutter is to grate the butter first! It makes cutting in cold butter so much easier.

And, you will read this a few times, make sure your butter is SUPER cold. This helps the scones rise and become nice and flaky.

Cold butter also prevents them from spreading too much while baking. After grating the butter, you can pop the bowl into the freezer for a few minutes if needed. Also, keep the butter in the fridge right up until you are ready to grate it and incorporate it into the dough.

Expert Tips to Make the Best Scones:

• Make sure the butter is COLD! I know I keep saying this but it's one of the most important things to remember when making scones. This will ensure your scones rise and are slightly flaky or crumbly as scones should be.
• Don't overmix the dough or your scones will be tough and dense.
• Since everyone's oven is different, keep an eye on the scones as they bake. You want them to be slightly brown around the edges and on top. If you leave them in too long, the bottoms will burn. If the scones move easily on the pan and are no longer doughy, they are done.
• I cut my scones into triangles because it's easy but you can make any shape you want! Make sure you give them enough room on the pan to rise and spread slightly.
• Some people freeze their scones before they bake them to ensure the butter stays cold and the gluten has time to relax. This helps keep the scones from spreading and flattening. I skip this step because I'm impatient and usually make these for breakfast, but you can add this step in if you want.
• You can freeze these ahead of time and then pull them out when you are ready to bake them.
• Scones are always best when served right away, however, you can keep them in an airtight container and they will be good for another day or two before they become dry.