These Sourdough Einkorn Scones, made with wholegrain einkorn pastry flour, are filled with dried blueberries and lemon zest.

This month marks the 3rd anniversary of the Sourdough Surprises Baking Group. For the monthly bake, we had the opportunity to make or revisit the sourdough surprise of our choice.

Since I started baking with this group late in the game and skipped several months due to my schedule, this provided me with lots of choices. I decided to make sourdough scones and to use the ancient grain einkorn for the flour.

For this challenge, I wanted to create my own recipe, but I wasn’t sure of the appropriate proportions to use.  I’ve gotten fairly adept at using simple bread formulas for making artisan loaves, so I wanted to apply the same technique to the scones.

After doing a bit of research, I learned some interesting tidbits about making scones. To create your own recipe, just follow a few simple tips.

I realized halfway through this post that this was another article, so look for more tips on making scones in a separate piece.

One thing I will mention is that scones work better with low-gluten flours. They work well with whole wheat and pastry flours. With that in mind, I chose the best of all worlds and milled whole-grain einkorn on the pastry setting to make einkorn pastry flour.

I used baking soda (alkaline) as the raising agent, and since I also used sourdough, it acted as the neutralizing agent. As a result, I didn’t have to incorporate buttermilk, cream of tartar (acidic), or baking powder (which includes baking soda and cream of tartar).

To make these scones a little richer, I included one egg. I wanted something different, so I used dried blueberries instead of raisins and lemon rind. After I baked the scones, I brushed them with melted butter and sprinkled cinnamon sugar on top. The result was delightful.

Sourdough Einkorn Scones with Dried Blueberries

Makes: 12 scones

• 2 cups Einkorn pastry flour (whole grain einkorn milled on pastry setting)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 stick chilled unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• 3/4 cup dried blueberries or raisins or currants
• 3/4 cup sourdough starter
• 2 tablespoons milk, if needed

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Work in the chilled butter pieces using your fingers or a pastry cutter until you have a crumbly texture.

Mix the lemon rind with the egg and add the egg mixture, along with the dried blueberries, to the flour mixture, and stir until well blended.

Add the sourdough starter and stir or mix with your hands until a soft dough forms.

Transfer the mixture to a light-floured surface and knead the dough a few times.

Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Pat each piece into a circle about 3/4-inch thick.

Cut the circles into 6 wedges each for a total of 12 wedges. You can form just one circle if you prefer, but I found it easier to work with the 2 circles.

Transfer the wedges to the baking sheet, leaving about 1/2 inch between them. I placed the wedges on parchment circles and transferred the parchment to the baking sheet.

Brush the tops with melted butter and cinnamon sugar and bake them on the center rack of the oven till they are golden, about 10 to 15 minutes. Or, brush the wedges with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon after removing them from the oven.

Keep in mind that scones go stale very quickly, so you have to eat them right away.  Of course, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

 

Happy Baking!

Cathy