Cranberry Orange Sourdough Scones (with an orange glaze!)

5 from 3 votes

Soft, fluffy, and bursting with festive cranberry and orange flavors, these sourdough scones are perfect for Christmas mornings!

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Resting time1

Total Time1 5

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cranberry orange sourdough scones

Servings: scones

*Tip: place the butter in the freezer for 15-30 minutes before mixing the dough
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pulse the cranberries in a food processor until evenly chopped.
In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Next, grate the frozen butter into the mixture and use a fork or dough scraper to cut the butter into the flour, resembling coarse crumbs.
Then mix in the inclusions- cranberries and orange zest until evenly distributed into the dry mixture.

In a separate bowl mix together the cold sourdough discard, egg, vanilla, heavy cream (or buttermilk if using), and splash of orange juice from the orange if using.
Then, add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix to combine. Be careful not to over-mix here, I like to start mixing in the bowl then dump the mixture on a clean surface and gently knead until it comes together. Some dry flour bits are okay.
This is a softer/tacky dough but if the dough feels too sticky add a little more flour.

On a lightly floured surface, pat the dough into a 7-8 inch circle (about 1 inch thick) and cut into 8 wedges. Tip: you can shape the sourdough scones in a pie/cake pan lined with parchment paper.
Place each wedge on the baking sheet and place it into the freezer for at least 30-60 minutes. Cranberry orange sourdough scones can be refrigerated overnight and baked in the AM if desired.

When ready to bake the cranberry orange sourdough scones preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Brush each scone with heavy cream, top with coarse sugar if desired, and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges start to brown (if they were frozen for longer than an hour they may need a few extra minutes).
Pro tip: To ensure the scones are fully baked, insert a digital thermometer into the center of one—the internal temperature should read between 200–205°F (93–96°C). This ensures the inside is fully set without overbaking.
While the scones are cooling make the orange glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Add a little milk (1 teaspoon at times) for desired consistency.
Glaze each scone and top with more orange zest if desired!
Cranberry orange sourdough scones last 2-3 days in an airtight container on the counter.

Tips for success:

Over-mixing: Make sure not to over-mix the dough, this will result in a dry scone.

Refrigerate/freeze the dough before baking: For cranberry orange sourdough scones to hold their shape, I recommend freezing them for 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking. Alternatively, the dough can be made the evening before and refrigerated overnight.

Sourdough discard: To ensure the scones hold their flaky texture use sourdough discard that has been chilling in the fridge. I recommend using a discard that is no more than a week old to avoid any sour flavor.