These sourdough peach scones are the perfect treat to enjoy as the warm days of summer shift, allowing for the cooler days of autumn to make their appearance. Scones have a special place in my heart. I had tried my hand at a few recipes when I was a teenager, but they always came out very dry, tough, and honestly, kind of weird. I vividly remember the first time I made them, and they turned out well. It was back in culinary school, and we made a blueberry scone with a lemon glaze. They were huge, as in, the size of my hand, lightly sweet, and oh so tender.
Over the years I have tinkered with the recipe, adding less cream so they are taller, making them a smaller, more manageable size, and of course, I turned them sourdough. All the scone recipes here on the blog are an adaptation of that original recipe I was taught back in culinary school. This one has large chunks of fresh ripe peaches in every bite. The tang of the sourdough pairs so well with the flavors of the buttermilk which is in the scone and the vanilla glaze. They truly are so good.
Sourdough
If you have tried any of my other recipes, you know I love incorporating my beloved Terrance (yes, I named my starter) into everything I possibly can. Not only does this keep me from throwing away my non active starter, but it also makes my baked goods easier for my family to digest. When sourdough is left to ferment, the yeast and bacteria in the starter breaks down the flour which means it is easier for us to digest it. There are plenty of recipes that have you include the discard in a recipe and bake it right away, and there isn’t anything wrong with that at all. I personally do try to long ferment whenever possible because the flavors get better over time as well. This recipe includes instructions for both!
If you don’t have a starter, you can just mix flour and water until you have the same amount that the recipe calls for. This mix should be a thin pancake batter texture since the consistency of non-active starter is a bit on the runnier side. And I highly recommend checking out my sourdough e-book. It has several easy recipes, as well as how to create and care for your own starter and troubleshooting ideas if you get stuck. Grab it here and get started today!
Ingredients for peach scones
Flour: All purpose flour will work great in this recipe. You can add in whole wheat, but it will change the flavor and texture a bit and it will need a little more buttermilk to come together properly.
Sugar: I use organic sugar, but this can be substituted for honey or maple syrup if desired. Since those are not dry ingredients they would be added in with the buttermilk or sourdough, not the flour. And if using a wet sweetener, just add a little less buttermilk.
Baking powder: Since scones aren’t a yeast recipe the sourdough provides flavor but no rise. So that is where a “chemical” leavener like baking soda comes into play.
Salt: I believe every recipe, even sweet ones, need a pinch of salt. It enhances the other flavors and balances out the sweet and savory flavors. My favorite is sea salt.
Sourdough discard: This recipe is a wonderful way to use up any sourdough discard you may have. But if you want to make these but only have active starter, that is okay too. You may need to add a touch more buttermilk when pulling the dough together. If you are letting these long ferment it is best to use nonactive starter just so they don’t taste yeasty if they are left to ferment for several hours or days.
Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can easily make a good substitute. Add a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice into a measuring cup then fill to the one cup mark with milk. Sir and allow it to sit for five minutes. Voilà, you have buttermilk.
Vanilla: This just brings a little pop of flavor and sweetness to the scone dough itself.
Peaches: I used fresh peaches and used about one and a half. You can use frozen but be sure to work quickly when mixing the dough together so you are not heating up the peaches with the heat of your hands and adding more moisture into the dough.
Cinnamon: This is totally optional, but the gentle warmth that cinnamon offers makes these even more of a cozy treat.
Let’s get baking!
Scones
Start by combining the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
Slice the butter into thin slices and add it into the flour mixture. Using your hands or a pastry cutter, break the butter into large pea sized chunks. To do this make the “money, money, money” movement with your hands while the butter is between your thumb and fingers. If you have warm hands this can also be done with a pastry cutter, but I prefer doing it by hand. Just work quickly so the butter doesn’t melt.
Add in the sourdough discard and try to get it fully incorporated without pulling the dough into a ball. The goal is to get the sourdough evenly distributed but the starter won’t bring enough moisture to form a dough.
Add in the vanilla and half of the cream. Gently mix and add more cream as needed until it becomes a shaggy dough. It doesn’t need to be smooth because when the peaches are added, there is more mixing. Over mixing at this step can lead to a tougher scone.
Add in the peaches and fold the dough over itself a few times until they are well distributed.
Divide the dough into two equal pieces and turn each into a disk that is six inches across.
Cut each disk into eight equal slices.
Transfer all the scones onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake, rotating part way through baking.
Allow the scones to fully cool before icing.
Icing
To make the glaze whisk buttermilk, powdered sugar, and a splash of vanilla together until smooth.
Dip the top of the scones in the glaze and allow excess to drip back into the bowl.
Place on a tray to dry.
Store in an airtight container for up to five days.
Long fermented sourdough scones
If you want these to be easier to digest, then you will place them in the fridge before baking. Make the dough, turn into two disks, and divide into 16 scones. Wrap them with plastic wrap or a beeswax wrap and place them in the fridge for 12 hours or overnight. I just wrapped the two disks, and it made for easy storage. Then when ready to bake place them on a parchment lined sheet tray and bake immediately, no need to let them come to room temperature first.
Tips for success
Use cold ingredients:
The butter being cold is a huge part in the fluffy flakey texture of this pastry. Keeping the butter and buttermilk in the fridge until you are ready to use it will keep it from warming on the counter.
Use sourdough discard for long ferment scones:
This recipe can easily be made with active sourdough starter. However, if you choose to do the long fermentation option, discard is much better. When the starter is active it has active yeast in it which is what causes a loaf of bread to rise. But since scones use a chemical levener (baking powder) to rise, the yeasts can interfere with that. So, if you mix them up and bake them right away, both discard or active starter will work. For long fermented scones, use the discard for the best texture and results.
Fresh fruit:
I made these with freshly sliced peaches and had the best results from those. However, if you are just craving a slice of summer in the middle of winter when peaches aren’t in season, you can use frozen. Toss the frozen sliced peaches in a bit of flour to absorb some of the moisture before mixing into the dough. Then bake as normal.
Other recipes:
If you love these then try out your scone making skills on some of my other favorite recipes!
White chocolate raspberry scones
Sourdough Peach Buttermilk Scones
These scones are packed with chunks of fresh juicy peaches and topped with a light vanilla and buttermilk glaze. The light textures and flavors make this the perfect treat for a summer day.
Ingredients
Scones
- 1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
- 2 Tbsp. Sugar
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 5 Tbsp Butter
- 1 Cup Sourdough Discard
- 4 oz (1/2 cup) Buttermilk
- 1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
- 1 cup Fresh peaches (chopped)
Glaze
- 3/4 cup powdered Sugar
- 2 Tbsp. Buttermilk
- 1/4 tsp. Vanilla
Instructions
- In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- Add the butter in small slices and use your hands to quickly break it up into pea sized chunks.
- Add the sourdough discard and use the same method used for adding in the butter. The discard should be evenly distributed by mixing it in with the flour.
- Add in about half of the buttermilk and all of the vanilla. Mix until just incorporated. Add more buttermilk one tablespoon at a time until a rough shaggy dough is formed. Do not overmix or overwork the dough.
- Add in the peaches and gently fold the dough over itself until the dough comes together and peaches are evenly distributed.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface and divide into two parts.
- Shape each part of the dough into a disk that is six inches across and cut it into 8 equal slices.
- Place the scones onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Rotate the pan and bake for an additional 5. The tips should be just starting to turn golden.
- To make the glaze whisk the powdered sugar, buttermilk, and vanilla together until smooth. The glaze should be thick enough to not run off the scones, add more buttermilk or sugar if needed.
- Dip the top of the scones into the glaze and allow some of the excess to run off.
- Store for up to five days in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- For long ferment scones mix up the dough as directed, shape and cut into 16 triangles, then wrap each disc in plastic wrap or a beeswax cloth and store in the fridge overnight or until ready to bake. Bake as directed, no need to let the come to room temperature first.
If you give this recipe a try share with family and friends! And I would love if you left me a comment so I know what to improve for next time and how these scones turned out for you!
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