Sourdough Pop Tarts
Homemade sourdough pop tarts pair a flaky crust made with cold grated butter and chilled sourdough discard with a thick strawberry jam center. Baked at 350°F, they finish with a creamy strawberry glaze.
Equipment
- Cheese grater
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Plastic wrap
Ingredients
Crust
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour (270 g)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (25 g)
- ½ teaspoon salt (3 g)
- 16 tablespoons salted butter (very cold and grated (226 g))
- ½ cup sourdough discard (120 g)
- ¼ cup cold water (plus up to an additional ¼ cup if needed (60–120 g))
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Strawberry Jam Filling
- 8 tablespoons strawberry jam (1 tablespoon per pop tart)
Strawberry Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar (120 g)
- 2 tablespoons strawberry jam (40 g)
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream (30 g)
- sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Shred the cold butter with a box grater, then whisk the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl before working in the butter and stirring in the discard and cold water. Look for coarse, sandy crumbs with visible butter pieces before adding the wet ingredients.
- Press the mixture together with your hands, incorporating up to an additional ¼ cup cold water only where needed. The dough should hold its shape when squeezed, without loose flour falling away.
- Shape two flat disks, enclose each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days. Properly chilled dough feels firm, with no soft, greasy patches.
- Heat the oven to 350°F, cover a baking sheet with parchment, and roll one disk on a floured surface to about ⅛ inch thick while keeping the second disk refrigerated. A consistent thickness helps the centers and edges bake evenly.
- Cut 3-by-5-inch rectangles, arrange half on the sheet, and place 1 tablespoon jam in each center with a clean ½-inch border before covering with matching rectangles and pressing the edges first with fingers, then a fork. The finished seam should lie flat, with no jam squeezed between the dough layers.
- Refrigerate the assembled pastries for 20 minutes, using the freezer instead if preferred for this brief chill. The pastry should firm up again so the butter doesn’t immediately soften and spread in the oven.
- Beat the egg with the heavy cream and brush the mixture across the chilled pastry tops. A light, even coating encourages a glossy, golden finish without puddles around the edges.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, then leave the pastries to cool completely before icing. Use a golden-brown crust as the baking cue and a completely cool surface as the glazing cue.
- Stir the powdered sugar, strawberry jam, and heavy cream into a glaze, spread it over the cooled pastries, and add sprinkles if desired. The icing should cover the tops rather than immediately melting into the crust.
Notes
Ingredient tip: Keep both the grated butter and sourdough discard cold so the fat shreds remain distinct rather than smearing into a greasy paste. Chilled active starter also works in place of discard.
Texture tip: Choose thick strawberry jam or preserves that mound on a spoon so the filling stays contained inside the ½-inch border. Poke small steam vents through the top pastry with a toothpick or fork before baking to help prevent pressure from building inside.
Glaze tip: Wait until the baked pastries are completely cool before icing, as warm pastry turns the strawberry glaze thin and translucent instead of opaque.
Storage: Let baked pastries cool completely before placing them in a covered container and refrigerating, separating glazed layers with parchment once the icing sets.
Reheating: Warm pastries flat in a toaster oven or conventional oven rather than an upright slot toaster, ideally reheating unglazed pastries and adding icing afterward.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.