Sourdough Discard Pop Tarts – Easy to Make at Home!
Pop tarts just got an upgrade with this grown-up version of every kid’s favorite breakfast treat. These sourdough homemade pop tarts are simple to make yet elegant enough to grace any bakery store display case.
I love the depth of flavor discard adds to baked goods and this recipe is no exception. Sourdough discard recipes elevate the flavor of pastries, cookies, and even muffins! I love finding new ways to add it to our favorite treats.
If this recipe isn’t nostalgic enough for you, I’ve got this super popular sourdough cinnamon toast crunch recipe to take you back in time. Or perhaps you’re like me, and you still indulge in a delicious bowl of cinnamon goodness.
📖Printable Recipe
Sourdough Discard Pop Tarts
Jump to VideoIngredients
Pastry
- 125 grams all-purpose flour
- 2 grams salt
- 100 grams cold butter
- 80 grams sourdough discard
- 3 grams vinegar apple cider or white works best
Fruit Filling
- 100 grams strawberry or raspberry jam
Sweet Glaze
- 60 grams powdered sugar
- 10 grams water
- 10 grams lemon juice if using fruit filling; omit if opting for Nutella or something similar.
Instructions
- Add the flour and salt to a food processor and combine. Add the cold, cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add the discard and vinegar and pulse until the dough forms a cohesive ball. The dough will not be smooth like bread dough but more tacky like biscuit dough. If too dry, add ice water a teaspoon at a time until it just comes together. If sticky, add a bit of flour and pluse to integrate.
- Transfer the dough onto a clean surface and use your hands to shape the dough into a rectangle. It doesn't have to be perfect, a rough rectangle wil do.
- Wrap the dough in plastic and refridgerte for at least 1 hour. *You can leave the dough in the fridge for up to 48 hours for a long-fermented version.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Roll the dough to about ⅛" thickness. Cut into four strips. Add about 1-2 tablespoons of jam to one side of each strip, leave some space along the sides, fold over, and press the edges to seal. You can also brush an egg wash on the edges to make them seal better, or just a wet finger run along the lines can help!
- Place pastries on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a cooling rack.
For the Glaze
- In a mixing bowl whisk the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and water together until smooth.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled pastries. Make sure to wait until they are completely cool or the glaze will not adhere to the pop tarts well.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients
These discard pop tarts are easy to make at home with simple pantry ingredients you probably already have stocked.
- All-purpose flour – Pastries turn out great with a simple all-purpose flour.
- Salt – Every good dough needs a dash of salt to enhance the flavor.
- Butter – I like using unsalted butter. Make sure it’s cold before adding to the dry ingredients.
- Sourdough starter discard – Discard adds a special flavor to baked goods that you can’t do without.
- Vinegar – Use a neutral-flavored vinegar like white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. This will help with our flakey texture.
- Fruit filling – Choose your favorite flavor jam for the filling. I love strawberry or raspberry.
- For the Glaze – Whip up a sweet glaze topping with powdered sugar, water, and lemon juice.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Homemade Sourdough Pop Tarts
Sourdough pastries are easier to make than most people think. Let’s walk through the recipe step-by-step.
In a food processor, combine the dry ingredients, then add the cold butter and pulse until the mix resembles coarse crumbs.
To the flour mixture, add the discard and vinegar, then pulse until the dough comes together. Add ice water by the teaspoon if it is too dry or a little flour if the dough is too sticky.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and use your hands to incorporate the ball further. I like to use my bench scraper when working with dough.
Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 48 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the dough out into long strips about ⅛” thickness. Cut into four strips using a pastry or pizza cutter.
Spoon about 1-2 tablespoons of jam over the bottom half of each strip of dough. Leaving a bit of space along the edges for sealing.
Fold the top half of the dough over the jam-covered half.
Press the edges to seal. You can brush egg wash on the edges or a bit of water to improve adherence. Then use a fork to crimp the edges.
Place the pastries on a prepared baking sheet.
Brush each pop tart with egg wash.
Bake the tart in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until golden.
Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely before mixing up the glaze in a small bowl and drizzling on the tops of the pop tarts.
Hint: Don’t overfill the tarts with too much jam. A little goes a long way, and adding too much can cause overflow.
Baking Schedule
If you’d like to do a long-fermented version of these sourdough pop-tarts, follow this guide:
7 PM: Mix up the dough and wrap in plastic wrap. Allow the dough to ferment in the refrigerator for 24 hours. (You can do less or more depending on your schedule and how long you’d like to ferment.)
7 PM: Shape and bake the pastries until golden brown.
Substitutions & Variations
You can have a lot of fun trying out different fillings in these homemade pop tarts. Here are some of my favorite options:
- Blueberry jam
- Cherry jam
- Strawberry jam
- Nutella
- Homemade Fudge Filling (from Sally’s Baking Addiction)
You can also add fun toppings like sprinkles or drizzle melted chocolate over the tops instead of the sweet glaze.
How To Store Discard Pop Tarts
These sourdough pastries will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
💭Crucial Success Tips
The dough is basically a sourdough pie crust, so it should have a similar feel and consistency to pie dough.
To help the edges of the pastries seal better, try wetting the dough with egg wash or water before pressing the seams together.
You can also use a fork to crimp the edges of the pastries.
FAQ
Absolutely, if making these sourdough pop-tarts by hand, start by mixing the flour and salt in a large bowl.
Then, incorporate cold, cubed butter using a pastry cutter or shredding it with a cheese grater.
Next, blend in the sourdough discard with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together.
If the dough seems too crumbly, gradually add cold water, just a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the right consistency.
You might need to get your hands involved to integrate the dough fully. Keep pressing and working the dough until it’s uniform and there are no dry spots left.
Proceed with the rest of the steps.
The vinegar helps to tenderize the dough by inhibiting gluten formation.
