Spelt Whole Grain Blueberry Scones

Name: Spelt Whole Grain Blueberry Scones
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 33 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 2 cups (260 g) whole spelt flour; 2½ tsp (12 g) baking powder; ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt; 5 tbsp (70 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) cubes; 2 tbsp (30 g) raw honey; ¾ cup (180 ml) buttermilk, cold; 1¼ cups (160 g) fresh blueberries; ½ tsp (2 g) lemon zest, finely grated (optional); 1 (50 g) large egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water (optional); 1 tbsp (12 g) coarse sugar (demerara or sanding sugar) (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender, nutty scones made with whole spelt flour and studded with fresh blueberries. These rustic British-style scones have a golden, crumbly exterior and a soft crumb within. Sweetened gently with honey and bound with buttermilk, they're perfect for afternoon tea or breakfast.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 18 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 38 min
Makes: 8 scones

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Steps

Before you start

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C)
Use cold butter straight from the refrigerator
Have fresh or frozen blueberries ready (no need to thaw frozen ones)
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

1
Mix dry ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the spelt flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest (if using).
- Create an even mixture by whisking for about 30 seconds to distribute the baking powder evenly.
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Ready when: Flour mixture is evenly combined and light
Tip: Don't skip whisking; it aerates the flour and ensures even leavening.
2
Cut in cold butter
- Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture.
- Using a fork or pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible.
- This should take 3–4 minutes of gentle rubbing with your fingertips or fork.
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Ready when: Mixture resembles breadcrumbs with visible butter pieces
Tip: Keep butter cold; warm butter will make dense, tough scones. Work quickly and gently.
3
Create buttermilk mixture
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cold buttermilk and honey until the honey dissolves.
- The mixture should be smooth and uniform.
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Ready when: Honey is fully dissolved into the buttermilk
Tip: Cold buttermilk helps keep the dough cool; warm liquid will develop gluten and toughen the scones.
4
Combine wet and dry
- Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour-butter mixture.
- Using a fork, gently stir until just combined—the dough will look shaggy and slightly wet.
- Stop as soon as no dry flour remains; overmixing develops gluten and toughens the scones.
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Ready when: Dough is shaggy and wet but no dry flour is visible
Tip: Resist the urge to overmix; lumpy dough yields tender scones; smooth dough yields tough ones.
5
Fold in blueberries
- Add the blueberries to the dough and gently fold them in using a spatula or fork, making about 5–8 folds.
- Distribute the berries evenly without crushing them.
- The dough is ready when the blueberries are scattered throughout but the dough is still only slightly mixed.
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Ready when: Blueberries are distributed throughout the dough without crushing
Tip: Fold gently; crushed berries will leak juice and create wet pockets in the scones.
6
Shape the dough
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Gently knead it 2–3 times with your hands to bring it together into a cohesive ball, then pat it into a ¾-inch (2 cm) thick round.
- Cut the round into 8 wedges (like a pie) or use a 2-inch (5 cm) round biscuit cutter to cut out rounds, re-rolling scraps once to make 8 total.
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Ready when: Dough is shaped into 8 equal pieces
Tip: Handle the dough as little as possible to keep it cool and tender. Use a sharp cutter and don't twist it; twisting seals the edges and prevents rising.
7
Arrange and brush
- Place the scones 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- If using egg wash, brush the tops with the beaten egg and water mixture.
- Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
- This makes the scones sparkle and adds a pleasant crunch.
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Ready when: Scones are evenly spaced and topped if desired
Tip: Space scones evenly so heat circulates; crowded scones will steam rather than bake.
8
Bake until goldenOven 400°F / 205°C
- Bake in a preheated 400°F (200°C) oven for 16–18 minutes, until the tops are light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter, but not completely dry).
- The scones should feel firm but still tender when lightly pressed.
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Ready when: Tops are light golden brown; toothpick emerges with moist crumbs; scones feel firm but tender
Tip: Don't overbake; spelt flour browns quickly and dry scones are unpleasant. Start checking at 15 minutes.
9
Cool and serve
- Transfer the scones to a wire rack and let them cool for 3–5 minutes.
- They will continue to firm up as they cool.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with clotted cream and jam, or eat plain.
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Ready when: Scones have cooled slightly and firmed up; still warm to the touch
Tip: Eat these scones the day they're made for the best texture; they firm up as they cool and can become dense after a day.

Good to know

Tips

Spelt flour has a lower gluten content than wheat flour, which is why these scones are tender. Don't be tempted to add extra flour if the dough seems wet; trust the recipe. Spelt dough should feel distinctly moist and loose.
Use whole spelt flour for the earthiest, nuttiest flavor, but white spelt flour will produce lighter, more tender scones if you prefer. Either way, the scones will be delicious.
Blueberries add moisture to the dough. If your berries are especially juicy, pat them dry with paper towels before folding them in to prevent a soggy scone center.
These scones are best served warm with clotted cream and jam, but they're also wonderful plain or with softened butter. In the UK, jam is typically spread first, then clotted cream on top (not cream first).

Make ahead

Dough can be prepared through step 6 (before baking), covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 hours. Bake from cold; add 1–2 minutes to baking time. Unbaked scones can also be frozen on a baking sheet, then transferred to a freezer bag and frozen for up to 1 month; bake directly from frozen, adding 2–3 minutes to the baking time.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 4 hours in an airtight container (scones firm up quickly). Refrigerator: up to 2 days in an airtight container; reheat gently in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 3–5 minutes. Freezer: up to 1 month in a freezer bag; thaw at room temperature or reheat from frozen in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5–7 minutes. Best eaten fresh and warm.

Substitutions

whole spelt flour → whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour. All-purpose flour will yield slightly less nutty flavor but similarly tender scones; whole wheat will be denser. Use the same weight.
fresh blueberries → frozen blueberries or raspberries. Use the same weight; no need to thaw frozen berries. Frozen berries may release a little more juice. Raspberries are more delicate; fold in very gently.
buttermilk → plain yogurt thinned with milk, or milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice per cup. Use the same total volume. Let the lemon juice mixture sit for 5 minutes before using to curdle slightly.
raw honey → maple syrup or sugar. Use the same weight of maple syrup, or 1.5 tbsp granulated sugar if you prefer less flavor. Dissolve sugar in warm buttermilk first, then cool before mixing into dough.