These simple savory sourdough hand pies are filled with kimchi, cheddar cheese, and green peas for an Asian-inspired twist. They’re the perfect way to use up extra sourdough discard!
I love transforming sourdough discard into tasty bakes that have all the flavor of sourdough without waiting hours for the dough to rise.
These crispy sourdough hand pies are made with sourdough discard, flour, and butter to create a easy “cheat” pie crust that comes together in minutes. And because I love Asian flavors, they’re filled with kimchi, cheddar cheese, and green peas for the perfect savory treat!
My favorite way to enjoy these? With spicy sriracha mayo!
What makes these hand pies a great sourdough discard recipe?
Whenever I test discard recipes, I want to use a minimal amount of additional ingredients and maximum amount of sourdough discard. The basic crust dough only adds flour and butter, common household ingredients that allow you to create the dough at any time.
I also love that the filling can be customized. This recipe uses kimchi, cheese, and peas, which go wonderfully with the slight tang of the sourdough crust. However, you can be as creative as you like with the filling.
What’s the texture of the crust?
The texture is super crispy and crunchy with just a little bit of flakiness. Using cold butter is key to making sure there are pockets of butter in the dough, which will help create flakiness in the oven. You also want to make sure not to overwork the dough, as this can toughen the crust.
What are some other ideas for tasty fillings?
The best part of these hand pies is that you can fill them with all sorts of delicious things. Here are some ideas:
- Pizza hand pie: Mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, and mini pepperoni slices
- Mushroom & spinach hand pie: Diced mushrooms, cooked spinach, and caramelized onions
- Dessert hand pie: Nutella, chopped nuts, and bananas
Other sourdough recipes to try:
If you make this recipe, please let me know! I always love to see what my readers are baking. You can comment below or tag me on Instagram @halicopteraway.
Sourdough hand pies
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Rolling Pin
- 2 – 3 inch cutter or glass
- Baking tray
- Parchment paper or aluminum foil
Ingredients
Dough
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (75g) all purpose flour
- 3 tbsp (45g) salted butter, cold and cut into small pieces1
- 3/4 cup (150g) sourdough starter at 100% hydration
Filling
- 1/4 cup kimchi
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup green peas2
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
Egg wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp milk
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add the all purpose flour and cold cubed butter. Use two forks or a pastry cutter to distribute the butter evenly into the flour. It should look like coarse crumbs. Add the sourdough discard and use a spatula or wooden spoon to mix until combined. Use your hands to gently pat the dough together. Wrap with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 15 – 20 minutes.
- While the dough chills, make the filling. Chop the kimchi very fine. Use your hands to squeeze out extra moisture, which can make the crust soggy. Mix together the kimchi, cheese, and peas. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Remove dough from the fridge and place on a lightly floured surface. Flour the top of the dough and your rolling pin. Roll the dough until about 1/8 inch thick. Use a 2 – 3 inch wide cutter or glass to cut out circles. Gently re-roll the scraps and repeat.
- Arrange half of the circles on a baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. These will be the bottom of the hand pies. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of the circles. Then, take the remaining circles and place on top. Use your fingers and press all around the edges. Then, use a fork to press down and crimp the edges.
- Make the egg wash by beating together the egg and milk. Brush the tops of the pies with the egg wash. Cut slits into the top of the pies to release steam.
- Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes, and then serve warm.
Notes
- You can replaced salted butter with unsalted butter + 1/8 tsp salt. Make sure your butter is cold and straight from the fridge and cut into small pieces, about 1/4 inch. – 1/2 inch. wide.
- Either fresh or frozen peas work. Make sure to thaw the peas in water if you use frozen.
So good! My familia love it. Will have to try other fillings. We love kimchi. Who knew you could combine it with peas and cheddar. Now we do. Thank you for sharing ❤️
I love kimchi too! I’m glad your family enjoyed these pies!!
I needed a recipe that calls for a maximum amount of discard – thank you! Made two batches (doubled the second one cuz it’s so good). Had some wild harvested chanterelles that I added to the second batch which I made vegan (subbed vegetable shortening and vegan cheese). Don’t forget to add salt to the dough if you sub in shortening like I did!
Thank you Rebecca! Wild chanterelles sound like an amazing addition 😍
Hi Hali, I made these amazing sourdough pies. I added Taco meat and cheese then smothered them with green chili. They were awesome. Texture and flavor was was magnificent. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I will using this recipe a lot.
This sounds wonderful. Did you brown your taco meat first?
Hi Karen, yes I did. I added some green chilies as well.
Thank you Diana!! I’m glad you enjoyed and the taco meat sounds like a perfect filling. Yum! 😋
They are my go to for many dinners. We love them smothered with green chili.
Hi Karen, yes I did. I added some green chilies as well.
Can I make the dough the day before?
Hi Angela, yes you can make it the day before and leave it in the fridge. It may need some time to sit out and soften a little before you roll.
I have to say there aren’t many sourdough discard recipes my husband likes but these he loved and was surprised. I made pizza filling with sauce pepperoni and mozzarella. The dough was perfect and he thought it would make a nice appetizer. Great recipe. Thank you!
This sounds delicious. How many does it make for this amount? I am going to a friend’s gathering and was thinking of making these but not sure how much it makes.
6-7 mini pies!
i made a double batch and it made 13. they were excellent, used leftover sloppy joe mix.
Hello- I have discard that is roughly 80% hydration. Can I change anything in the recipe to make up for this?
Hi Sarah, I think 80% hydration will be fine. If you find that the dough is not coming together because it is too dry, you can add a little bit of milk or water
To freeze – would you freeze before or after baking? And how would you reheat them?
I plan to use pizza sauce and toppings in the hand pies.
I would freeze before baking and then put in the fridge overnight to thaw before baking. You could also try baking directly from the freezer, but you would need to extend the bake time by ~3 – 5 min
Pizza toppings sounds delicious!
Thank you. I plan to make them tomorrow. I have extra starter and toppings, so I will probably double the recipe and freeze them for future use or to share with a friend.