Sourdough Pop Tarts (Brown Sugar Cinnamon, Made With Discard)

Brown sugar cinnamon was the box worth looking for. Making that flavor at home gives you something a little different: crisp pastry edges, a gently spiced filling, and cinnamon icing you can spread as thick or thin as you like.

The dough is a sourdough pastry crust, so there’s no feeding schedule or rise to wait for. Mix it with cold discard, give it a rest in the refrigerator, then roll, fill, and bake.

The most useful trick is knowing when to pause. If the butter starts to soften or the dough sticks as you lift it, slide it into the refrigerator for a few minutes.

A brief chill is easier than wrestling warm pastry into rectangles.

What to Know Before You Start

• Discard: 200g of cold starter at 100% hydration, meaning it was maintained with equal weights of flour and water.
• Batch size: Eight rectangular pastries, approximately 3 by 5 inches before baking.
• Time: Allow about 3 hours from mixing to serving, including chilling and cooling. Icing may need another 30–60 minutes to firm up for stacking.
• Make ahead: Mix the dough the day before, or freeze the baked pastries without icing.
• Main flavor: Brown sugar cinnamon. The alternative fillings replace it; they aren’t added on top of it.

Ingredients and Helpful Notes

The sourdough crust

All-purpose flour: Use 250g, plus a little for rolling. A scale makes this dough easier to repeat without accidentally working in too much flour.

Unsalted butter: Use 226g, or 1 cup/two US sticks. Keep it very cold. Grating it makes small pieces that are easy to distribute through the flour; don’t rub them into a smooth paste.

Sourdough discard: Use 200g, cold and stirred before weighing. Its flour and water become part of the dough, and its flavor can add a mild tang. The strength of that flavor depends on your starter. This isn’t a bread dough, and it doesn’t need to double in size.

Sugar and salt: Two teaspoons of granulated sugar and 5g fine salt season the crust. Fine salt is roughly 3/4 to 1 teaspoon depending on the brand; weigh it if possible.

Vinegar: Two teaspoons of white or apple cider vinegar go into the dough.

Ice water: Add only if the dough won’t hold together when squeezed. Start with a teaspoon, mix gently, and check again. A dough that holds together can still have a rough surface.

Filling, egg wash, and icing

The filling combines light brown sugar, cinnamon, and a little flour to help bind it during baking. Break up brown sugar lumps so the filling spreads evenly.

A beaten egg with a teaspoon of water supplies the egg wash. Brush a thin layer over the bases, keeping the borders free of filling so you can press them together securely.

For the icing, mix powdered sugar with cinnamon, vanilla, and enough milk to make it spreadable. Start with less milk; you can always add a few drops more.

How to Make Sourdough Pop Tarts

1. Mix the dough and chill

Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Grate the cold butter into the bowl and toss until the shreds are coated with flour. If it starts to feel greasy or soft, chill the bowl for 10 minutes.

Add the cold discard and vinegar. Use a fork, then your hands, to bring the mixture together without kneading it smooth. If loose flour won’t incorporate and a handful falls apart when squeezed, add ice water 1 teaspoon at a time.

Divide into two equal portions, flatten into rectangles, and wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours. The rest gives the flour time to hydrate and firms the butter; a longer rest isn’t a promise of extra flakiness or a required fermentation step.

2. Mix the filling

Stir together 100g light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 10g flour. Break up lumps and set aside. Beat 1 egg with 1 teaspoon water in a separate small bowl.

3. Roll and cut

Work with one dough portion while the other stays cold. Roll on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle just large enough to trim to 10 by 12 inches, approximately 1/8 inch thick.

Cut the 10-inch side in half and the 12-inch side into four equal sections. This gives eight 3-by-5-inch rectangles. Transfer them to parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them, and refrigerate while rolling the second portion the same way.

If the dough cracks because it’s very firm, let it sit for a few minutes before continuing. If it becomes soft or sticky, chill it. Gather scraps gently and reserve for cinnamon-sugar pastry bites.

4. Fill, seal, and chill again

Lightly brush the eight bases with egg wash. Divide the cinnamon filling equally among them, about 14g or roughly 1 tablespoon each. Spread into a thin layer, leaving a 1/2-inch clean border on every side.

Set the remaining eight rectangles on top. Press around the filling to push out trapped air, then press the borders together and crimp with a fork. Poke the top of each pastry in three or four places to vent steam.

Refrigerate the assembled pastries for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375°F (190°C), conventional setting.

5. Bake until the bottoms have color

Brush the chilled tops lightly with egg wash. Bake for 25–30 minutes, checking at 22 minutes, until the tops are golden and the undersides are lightly browned.

Lift one carefully with a spatula to check; a pale, soft bottom needs more time.

If using two oven racks, rotate the pans and swap their positions after about 18 minutes. Timing varies with the oven, pan, and dough thickness.

Let the pastries rest on their pans for 10 minutes, then move them to a rack. Cool completely before icing, about another 30–45 minutes.

6. Add the cinnamon icing

Mix 100g powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 2 teaspoons milk. Add more milk a few drops at a time, up to about 1 tablespoon total, until the icing spreads from a spoon without running like milk.

Spread over the cooled pastries, leaving some golden crust showing. Eat once iced, or allow 30–60 minutes for the surface to firm up before packing. Humidity and icing thickness affect setting time.

Sourdough Pop Tart Flavors and Variations

Use the same dough, rectangle size, border, and sealing method for each flavor. All filling amounts below are for a full batch of eight unless stated otherwise. Halve a filling if you’re making four of that flavor.

Flavor	Filling	Topping
Brown sugar cinnamon	The main recipe’s brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour mixture	Cinnamon vanilla icing
Strawberry	Cooked and cooled strawberry jam filling below	Vanilla icing; optional sprinkles
Blueberry lemon	Cooked and cooled blueberry jam filling below	Lemon icing
Chocolate hazelnut	About 8 level tablespoons chocolate hazelnut spread, 1 per pastry	Leave plain or add a light chocolate drizzle
Apple butter	About 8 level tablespoons thick apple butter, 1 per pastry	Cinnamon vanilla icing

Strawberry filling

Put 225g strawberry jam in a small saucepan. In a separate cup, stir 8g cornstarch (1 tablespoon) with 15g cold water (1 tablespoon) until smooth. Stir the slurry into the jam, bring to a gentle boil, and simmer while stirring for 2 minutes.

Transfer to a shallow bowl and cool completely. It should mound on a spoon rather than pour. Use 1 level tablespoon per pastry, keeping the border clear; you may have filling left over. Don’t add more just to use it up.

For vanilla icing, use the main icing ingredients but omit the cinnamon.

Blueberry lemon

Make the cooked jam filling above with blueberry jam or preserves. Break up very large fruit pieces so they don’t puncture the pastry.

For the topping, mix 100g powdered sugar with 2 teaspoons lemon juice, adding a few drops more as needed. Omit the milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. A little finely grated lemon zest is optional.

Chocolate hazelnut

Use a level tablespoon of chocolate hazelnut spread in each pastry. It should be cool enough to hold its shape, but spreadable.

Bake and cool as directed. These can stay plain, or finish the batch with a light drizzle of melted chocolate.

Apple butter

Use thick, spreadable apple butter, not applesauce. If it runs off a spoon, simmer it gently to reduce, then cool completely before filling. Add 1 level tablespoon to each pastry and finish with cinnamon icing.

Pumpkin and custard fillings need their own developed formulas; don’t substitute them tablespoon for tablespoon here.

Troubleshooting

The dough is sticking. If it feels soft or greasy, refrigerate it for 10–15 minutes. If it’s cool and firm, lightly flour the rolling pin and work surface. Extra flour won’t fix warm butter.

The dough cracks when rolled. Very cold dough may need a few minutes on the counter. If it stays crumbly after softening slightly, it may not have had enough moisture when mixed.

For the next batch, use the squeeze test before chilling rather than aiming for the driest dough possible.

The filling leaked. Check the amount, border, seal, and vents. Fruit filling must also be thick and completely cool. A small leak doesn’t mean the whole batch is lost; let the pastry cool before lifting away hardened filling.

The bottom is soft. Bake until the underside takes on color, and transfer the pastries to a rack after their initial rest. Warm filling, excess filling, or an underbaked crust can all contribute.

The pastry is tough. Too much handling, extra rolling flour, or excess water can make pastry less tender. Mix just until it holds together and avoid repeatedly kneading the scraps.

The icing runs off. Let the pastries cool fully and thicken the icing with a little more powdered sugar. The icing should spread slowly rather than immediately run to the edges.

Storage, Freezing, and Reheating

For the brown sugar cinnamon version, keep fully cooled pastries in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 2 days. Let icing set first and separate layers with parchment.

For longer storage, freeze rather than relying on the refrigerator to preserve a crisp crust.

Freeze baked, uniced pastries in a single layer, then wrap individually and place in a freezer bag. Use within 3 months for best quality. Thaw before reheating for the most even result.

Warm thawed, uniced pastries on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven for about 8–10 minutes, checking until the filling is warm. Frozen pastries will need longer; check the center instead of relying on a fixed time. If you plan to ice them afterward, let them cool again first.

Use an oven or toaster oven with a tray. These homemade pastries can shed crumbs and leak filling, so a slot toaster isn’t a good fit, even without icing.

Storage guidance here is for the main recipe. Follow the filling’s storage needs when making variations; this guidance doesn’t cover cream cheese, custard, or fresh dairy fillings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use active sourdough starter?

Yes, provided it’s at 100% hydration. Stir it down, weigh 200g, and chill it before mixing so it doesn’t warm the butter.

Starter condition may affect flavor and dough behavior, so don’t expect every jar to give an identical result.

Do these need to ferment overnight?

No. The required rest is for the pastry dough. You can refrigerate it overnight for convenience, but there’s no proofing or doubling step.

Can I make the dough in a food processor?

Yes. Use cold butter cubes instead of grated butter. Pulse with the dry ingredients until small butter pieces remain, then add discard and vinegar and pulse briefly.

Finish bringing it together by hand so you can judge whether it needs water.

Can I skip the icing?

Yes. Bake with the egg wash and leave them plain. The filling provides sweetness on its own.

What can I do with the scraps?

Arrange them on a separate parchment-lined tray and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 375°F, checking around 10 minutes, and remove when golden. Thin scraps finish before the filled pastries..