Blueberry Hand Pies with Sourdough Discard Cheddar Crust
With crisp, golden crusts and soft, jammy centers, these blueberry hand pies have a way of disappearing fast. The slight savory lift in the dough keeps them satisfying and not too sweet. We love them with blueberries, but any fruit in season is perfect. No problem if you don't have discard, just sub in flour and water as directed!
Ingredients
For the Sourdough Discard Cheddar Crust
- 380 g all purpose flour
- 190 g whole wheat flour I use fresh milled soft white wheat
- 60 g granulated sugar
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 230 g (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- 180 g cold leaf lard, cut into 1/2 inch chunks keep in the freezer till ready to use
- 90 g sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 230 g 100% hydration sourdough starter discard (doesn't need to be fed) *If you don't have starter handy, just sub 115g flour + 115g water
- 60-80 g vodka or water
For the Blueberry Filling
- 250 g (1 pint) fresh or unthawed frozen blueberries
- 3 Tbsp (40g) caster sugar
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp grated lemon zest
Egg Wash & Topping
- a dash of milk or cream
- 60 g coarse sugar (I use turbinado)
Instructions
Prepare the Crust
- In a food processor (or bowl, if you prefer to do this by hand), pulse to combine the flours, sugar, and salt.
- Then, pulse in the butter, lard, and cheese until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs the size of peas.
- Add the starter and vodka (or water), and pulse just until the dough comes together.
- Turn your dough out onto a lightly floured surface and bring it together. Divide it in four, and shape into four roughly equal rectangles.
- Wrap each rectangle in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 days).
Prepare Blueberry Filling
- In the meantime, prepare your filling: in a medium saucepan, combine about 3/4 of your blueberries (190g), the caster sugar, cornstarch, and salt, and stir together with a wooden spoon. Set over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until the blueberries start to soften.
- When to mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat, and add remaining blueberries and lemon zest. Stir to combine, and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Assemble the Hand Pies
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare your egg wash by whisking the egg and milk or cream thoroughly in a small bowl.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of pastry dough at a time (leaving the others in the fridge) to roughly 1/8inch thickness. With a 3.5inch cutter (I just use my crumpet rings), cut out as many circles as possible, and lay them on a parchment paper. Re-roll your pastry as needed.
- Repeat this process with all your pastry dough. Set half of your dough circles spaced at least 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Add about 2 Tbsp of blueberry filling to the center of half of your dough circles, and brush the surrounding edges with egg wash.
- Lay the remaining circles of dough over these, and press the edges with a fork.
- Brush the tops with egg wash, sprinkle with coarse sugar, and cut a small "x" in the center for steaming.
- Set in the fridge for 15 minutes, more if you are working in a warm environment. This will ensure the crispiest, flakiest finish.
- Bake 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Enjoy!
Notes
- You will have extra blueberry filling - it makes a wonderful topper for yogurt, pancakes, you name it.
- These pies store wonderfully for several days in an airtight container, or make a wonderful freezer breakfast option. Reheat from frozen in a 350 degree oven for 5-7 minutes.