This cherry hand pies recipe wraps a sweet tart cherry filling in a flaky, fresh-milled flour sourdough puff pastry that bakes up golden and layered with a buttery depth no standard pie crust can match.
The pastry comes together with freshly milled soft white wheat, cold butter, and sourdough discard, then laminated in folds that create the flaky layers as it bakes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
For more fresh milled flour pastry baking, read this post forSourdough Puff Pastry Made with Freshly Milled Flour and read this post forSourdough Blackberry Peach Galette.
If you are new to baking with freshly milled flour,The Cottage Mill has guides and resources to help you mill soft white wheat with confidence from the first batch.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Variations & Add-Ins
Recipe Tips
Keep everything cold – Cold butter, cold discard, cold water, cold dough at every step. If the dough feels warm or the butter starts to smear, refrigerate for ten to fifteen minutes before continuing.
Sift the flour after milling – Fresh milled soft white wheat sifted through a number 40 sieve creates a lighter flour that produces a more tender pastry. Read this guide for Sifting Freshly Milled Flour for full guidance on mesh sizes.
Do not overwork the dough – Mix just until the ingredients come together. The dough should look shaggy and rough when first combined. Overworking develops gluten and makes the pastry tough.
Cool the filling completely – Warm filling softens the cold pastry before it reaches the oven. Make the cherry filling first and cool completely before assembling.
Do not overfill – One to two tablespoons per hand pie is the right amount. More than that makes sealing difficult and the filling will leak during baking.
Seal firmly and vent the tops – Brush edges with egg wash, press the top layer down firmly, and crimp all the way around with a fork. Cut at least two small slits on top of every hand pie to allow steam to escape.
Chill before baking – If the assembled pies feel warm before going into the oven, freeze for ten minutes first. Cold pastry into a hot oven is what creates the flaky rise.
Instructions
- Make the pastry dough – Mill soft white wheat berries on the finest setting and sift through a number 40 sieve to reach 240 grams of flour. Combine with salt in a food processor or large bowl. Add cold cubed butter and cut in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with visible pea-sized butter pieces. Whisk sourdough discard with ice water then drizzle into the flour mixture and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, press into a rough rectangle, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Laminate the dough – Roll chilled dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12 by 18 inch rectangle. Fold into thirds like a letter then fold in half. Wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes. Repeat the roll and fold process two more times chilling between each fold.
- Make the cherry filling – Combine pitted cherries, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until the cherries release their juices and the mixture thickens to a glossy jammy consistency about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely before using.
- Cut and chill the dough – Roll the laminated dough on a lightly floured surface to one eighth inch thickness. Cut into circles or squares approximately 4 to 5 inches across re-rolling scraps as needed. Place cut pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate 10 minutes to firm up.
- Fill and seal – Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of cherry filling onto half the dough pieces leaving a clear border around the edges. Brush edges with egg wash. Place remaining dough pieces on top and press edges firmly to seal. Crimp all the way around with the tines of a fork.
- Vent and finish – Cut two small slits on the top of each hand pie. Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar. If the pies feel warm freeze for 10 minutes before baking.
- Bake – Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake 28 to 32 minutes rotating the pan halfway through until deep golden brown. Tent loosely with foil for the last five minutes if tops brown too quickly.Cool and serve – Transfer to a wire rack and cool at least 10 minutes before serving. Drizzle with optional powdered sugar glaze over completely cooled pies if desired.
Freezing and Storage
- Room temperature – Store in an airtight container for up to two days. The pastry will soften slightly as it sits which is expected.
- Refrigerator – Store covered for up to five days. Warm in a 325 degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes before serving to restore the crispness of the pastry.
- Freezer unbaked – Freeze assembled hand pies solid on a parchment-lined sheet then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to one month. Bake straight from frozen at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Freezer baked – Cool completely before freezing. Reheat in a 325 degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes until warmed through.
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Sourdough Cherry Hand Pies
Equipment
- 1 Grain Mill
- 1 Food processor or pastry cutter
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 round or square cutter or use a ruler to cut out
- 1 Parchment Paper
- 1 Baking sheet 9×13
Ingredients
For the Sourdough Puff Pastry Dough
- 2 cups freshly milled soft white wheat flour sifted through number 40 sieve, 240 grams
- 1 cup unsalted butter very cold and cubed, 226 grams
- ½ cup sourdough discard 120 grams
- ⅓ cup ice water 80 milliliters
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt 3 grams
For the Cherry Filling
- 2 cups pitted sour cherries fresh or frozen and fully thawed, 320 grams
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100 grams
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar lightly packed, 28 grams
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch 16 grams
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 15 grams
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 14 grams
- For Assembly & Baking
- 1 large egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash, 50 grams
- 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar 24 grams flour for dusting as needed
Optional Powdered Sugar Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted, 120 grams
- 2 tablespoons whole milk 30 grams
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the pastry dough – Mill soft white wheat berries on the finest setting and sift through a number 40 sieve to reach 240 grams of flour. Combine with salt in a food processor or large bowl. Add cold cubed butter and cut in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with visible pea-sized butter pieces. Whisk sourdough discard with ice water then drizzle into the flour mixture and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, press into a rough rectangle, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Laminate the dough – Roll chilled dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12 by 18 inch rectangle. Fold into thirds like a letter then fold in half. Wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes. Repeat the roll and fold process two more times chilling between each fold.
- Make the cherry filling – Combine pitted cherries, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until the cherries release their juices and the mixture thickens to a glossy jammy consistency about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely before using.
- Cut and chill the dough – Roll the laminated dough on a lightly floured surface to one eighth inch thickness. Cut into circles or squares approximately 4 to 5 inches across re-rolling scraps as needed. Place cut pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate 10 minutes to firm up.
- Fill and seal – Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of cherry filling onto half the dough pieces leaving a clear border around the edges. Brush edges with egg wash. Place remaining dough pieces on top and press edges firmly to seal. Crimp all the way around with the tines of a fork.
- Vent and finish – Cut two small slits on the top of each hand pie. Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar. If the pies feel warm freeze for 10 minutes before baking.
- Bake – Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake 28 to 32 minutes rotating the pan halfway through until deep golden brown. Tent loosely with foil for the last five minutes if tops brown too quickly.
- Cool and serve – Transfer to a wire rack and cool at least 10 minutes before serving. Drizzle with optional powdered sugar glaze over completely cooled pies if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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Emily Rider
Home miller since 1999 with fresh-milled flour & sourdough experience. Sharing from-scratch recipes and traditional kitchen skills, rooted in the seasons and inspired by everyday cottage living and seasonal rhythms.
