Baked cheeseburger hand pies are half-moon pastries filled with seasoned beef, sharp cheddar and chopped pickles. Spelt flour makes the crust soft and slightly nutty, with a crisp edge. Each batch bakes for 25 minutes at 200 C / 390 F.
The filling cooks on the stovetop while the dough chills. Both parts stay simple, and the steps stay clear.
You can prepare the pies ahead, just like other spelt dishes prepped the night before. Freeze them unbaked on a tray, then bake from frozen when needed. The texture stays light, not heavy, so they suit lunchboxes, casual gatherings and weeknight dinners.
The recipe makes 8 pies. Spelt dough needs a gentle hand, so mix it only until it holds together.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Spelt crust stays tender inside and crisp at the edge
- Filling cooks while the dough chills, so timing stays easy
- Freeze unbaked and bake from frozen on busy days
- Each pie is a handheld portion that needs no plate
Ingredient Notes
- White spelt flour: Light spelt gives the most tender crust. Wholemeal spelt works at the same weight, but the pastry bakes denser and needs 1 to 2 tsp more water.
- Ground beef: 80/20 gives the best flavor, so brown it and spoon off the excess fat. Ground turkey works if you add an extra teaspoon of oil.
- Sharp cheddar: Grate a block yourself. Pre-shredded cheese carries anti-caking starch and melts less evenly.
- Dill pickles: Chop them small and pat them dry. Wet pickles add liquid that weakens the seam.
- Cold butter: Keep it in the refrigerator until you rub it in. Cut it into 1 cm cubes so it blends quickly.
Baked Cheeseburger Hand Pies with Spelt Pastry and Cheddar
Description
A cold-butter spelt dough holds seasoned beef, melted cheddar and chopped pickles, so each baked pie eats like a cheeseburger without the bun.
Ingredients
Spelt pastry
Cheeseburger filling
To finish
Instructions
Make the spelt dough
- Whisk the spelt flour and 1 tsp salt in a 25 cm / 10-inch bowl. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized pieces.
- Add the beaten egg and 60 ml water. Mix with a fork, adding up to 15 ml more water a teaspoon at a time, until the dough just holds together when pressed. Stop as soon as no dry flour remains, because overmixed spelt dough turns crumbly. Shape into a flat disk, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Cook the filling
- While the dough chills, heat the olive oil in a 30 cm / 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion for 4 minutes until soft, then stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
- Add the beef and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until no pink remains, then spoon off the excess fat. Stir in the tomato paste, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire, 1/2 tsp salt and the pepper, and cook for 1 minute. Spread the mixture on a plate and cool for 15 minutes, until just warm, then fold in the cheddar and pickles.
Shape and bake
- Heat the oven to 200 C / 390 F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch sheet pans with parchment. In a small bowl, whisk the egg for the wash with the whole milk.
- Roll the dough on a floured surface to 3 mm thick. Cut eight 15 cm / 6-inch rounds, rerolling the scraps as needed.
- Spoon about 65 g (3 tbsp) of filling onto one half of each round, leaving a 1 cm border. If the filling still feels warm, wait, because warm filling melts the butter in the dough and the seams split in the oven. Brush the edge with egg wash, fold the dough over and press the seam closed with a floured fork.
- Place four pies on each pan, 3 cm / 1 inch apart. Brush the tops with the remaining egg wash, sprinkle with sesame seeds and cut two small steam slits in each pie.
- Bake for 25 minutes, swapping the pans between racks after 12 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the filling reads 160 F / 71 C at the center. Cool on the pans for 10 minutes, then serve warm.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 8
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 591kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 38g59%
- Saturated Fat 20g100%
- Trans Fat 1g
- Cholesterol 138mg46%
- Sodium 700mg30%
- Potassium 410mg12%
- Total Carbohydrate 38g13%
- Dietary Fiber 3g12%
- Sugars 3g
- Protein 21g42%
- Vitamin A 760 IU
- Vitamin C 3 mg
- Calcium 105 mg
- Iron 3 mg
- Vitamin D 20 IU
- Vitamin E 1.5 mg
- Vitamin K 3 mcg
- Thiamin 0.2 mg
- Riboflavin 0.3 mg
- Niacin 5 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.3 mg
- Folate 40 mcg
- Vitamin B12 1.5 mcg
- Phosphorus 250 mg
- Magnesium 41 mg
- Zinc 3.6 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Additional Notes
- Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
- Cool the filling until just warm before you shape the pies.
- Swap the pans between racks halfway so both bake evenly.
- Rest baked pies for 10 minutes so the cheddar sets slightly.
