Khorasan Hand Pies

These flaky wholegrain hand-pies provide comfort and satisfaction in the portion size of your choosing: larger pies for sharing at the end of a meal or smaller ones for picnics or a grab-and-go dessert just for yourself. The rich, buttery flavor of Grand Teton Ancient Grains Khorasan creates a wholesome crust with a tender texture, perfect for hearty fillings. These can be prepared days in advance, frozen, and baked on demand to serve warm, or are excellent baked ahead and enjoyed at room temperature. Use a mixture of baking apples that are both tart and sweet and will hold their shape through a long bake. I like a mixture of Granny Smith or Greenings, McIntosh, Braeburn, Jonagold, or Fuji, but many other varieties work just as well. The filling is heavy on the spice, but you can use only cinnamon and a pinch or two of freshly ground nutmeg for a more apple-forward flavor. 

How to Make Khorasan Hand Pies

Here is a step-by-step guide to making these delicious pies. It includes basic instructions and special tips to get the very best texture and flavor.

Mill the Khorasan flour
Calibrate your tabletop mill to the finest setting according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place a medium bowl below the mill’s output, and with the mill running, transfer the wheat berries to the hopper. When all the berries have been milled into flour, turn off the mill and whisk in the sugar and salt. Transfer the bowl to the freezer to cool the flour. If using pre-milled wholegrain Khorasan flour, place it in the bowl, whisk in the sugar and salt, and place it in the freezer. 

Make and Chill the Pie Dough
Using a bench knife, cut the butter into 1-to 2-inch chunks and place it in the freezer for 5 minutes. Whisk the ice water and vinegar together and place in the refrigerator until ready to use. When the flour and butter are cold, transfer them to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle blade. Mix on low until the flour and butter have been smeared together in an uneven, shaggy texture with large chunks of butter flattened but remaining, about 1 minute, depending on the temperature of the butter. 

With the mixer running, slowly drizzle the water mixture over the flour mixture until the dough just begins clumping together – you will likely use all the water. Test the dough by stopping the mixer, grabbing a small handful from the bottom of the mixing bowl, and gently squeezing. If the dough clumps together, it does not need more water. If it is crumbly, add more, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough clumps together. It is important to stop the mixer as soon as the dough shows signs of clumping to prevent activating the gluten and toughening the dough.

Using a bowl scraper, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Using floured hands and a bench knife, work quickly to shape and compact the dough into a rectangular, flat piece. Using the bench knife, divide the dough in half and wrap each half well in beeswax-coated fabric, plastic clingfilm, or parchment paper. Transfer to the refrigerator to firm for 30 minutes. 

Roll Pie Dough For Falky Crust
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to soften slightly on the counter, about 3 minutes. Unwrap the dough and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough until it is about ¼ -inch thick, using a bench knife to help compact the edges as they crack. The dough will be slightly crumbly at first – this is normal. Fold the dough like a letter from the top to the middle with the bottom overlapping the top. Rotate the dough 180 degrees, flatten slightly, and repeat. Use the rolling pin to flatten the dough into a rectangular disk about 2 inches thick. If the dough is soft and the butter begins smearing into the dough, wrap the dough and return it to the refrigerator to firm before proceeding. When ready to wrap, you should still see large chunks of butter suspended in the dough. Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. 

Prepare Caramel Apple Filling
Place the sugar, butter, and salt in a large pot or deep and wide skillet. Set over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and eventually turns amber in color, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and carefully add the cream and spices – the cream will bubble and sputter. Stir well to incorporate. Immediately fold in the apples and stir to coat – if the caramel seizes, simply continue cooking, and the moisture from the apples will eventually smooth out the caramel. Return the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, add the lemon juice and vanilla, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the apples soften and release their juices and the caramel is smooth, about 6 minutes. Using a small sieve, sift the flour over the apple mixture, and stir well to incorporate. Continue cooking while gently stirring, until the mixture has thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a clean bowl or storage container. Cool completely before proceeding to shape and bake the hand-pies, or cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Shape the hand-pies
If making four large hand-pies, line a 13 x 18-inch baking sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. If making eight smaller hand-pies, line two 13 x 18-inch baking sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside. Make sure you have space in your freezer for the sheet pans. Whisk the egg yolk and cream or milk together and set aside.

To shape four hand-pies, remove one rectangle of dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Roll until it is about a 10 x 12-inch rectangle. Trim the edges and cut into four mostly even rectangles – don’t worry if they are not perfect. 

Place the rectangles on a lined sheet pan and transfer to the freezer. Remove the second piece of dough from the refrigerator and repeat rolling, trimming, and cutting. Remove the rectangles from the freezer and top each rectangle with a heaping 1/3 cup of cooled pie filling. Using a pastry brush, apply a thin coating of egg wash to the edges of the bottom pieces of dough. Lay a second layer of dough over top of the apple filling and press lightly with your fingertips around the edges. Using a fork, seal the hand-pies by firmly pressing the edges of the top layer of dough into the bottom layer. Apply a thin coating of egg wash to the top of the hand-pies and sprinkle with sugar if desired. Using a sharp paring knife, cut at least one 1-inch slit in the top of each pie to vent the filling as it bakes. Place the hand-pies in the freezer to firm completely, about 15 minutes. Alternatively, freeze until firm, wrap well in plastic wrap, and freeze until ready to bake. 

If shaping eight hand-pies, roll both discs of dough according to the directions above, and place the eight pieces of dough onto the two lined sheet pans. Top one side of each rectangle with a scant ¼ cup of cooled pie filling. Using a pastry brush, apply a thin coating of egg wash to the edges of the dough. Fold the empty half of the rectangle over the pie filling and press gently around the edges. Using a fork, seal the hand-pies by firmly pressing the edges of the top layer of dough into the bottom layer. Apply a thin coating of egg wash to the top of the hand-pies and sprinkle with sugar if desired. Using a sharp paring knife, cut at least one 1-inch slit in the top of each pie to vent the filling as it bakes. Place the hand-pies in the freezer to firm, about 15 minutes before baking. Alternatively, freeze until firm, wrap well in plastic wrap, and freeze until ready to bake. 

Baking The Pies
Preheat your oven to 375°F and position a rack in the middle. Transfer the hand-pies to the oven and bake until a deep golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes – do not underbake. If baking from frozen, allow about 5 minutes of extra baking time. The hand-pies will be a deep golden brown around the edges and on top when done. Remove from the oven and, using a flat spatula, transfer the hand-pies to a wire cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days. 

Print Recipe

Khorasan Hand Pies

Servings: 8 Small Pies

Ingredients

Pie Dough

• 360 g whole Khorasan berries
• 30 g granulated sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
• 240 g unsalted butter cold
• 120 g ice-cold water
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar

Caramel Apple Filling

• 100 g organic cane sugar
• 30 g unsalted butter
• ½ teaspoon fine salt
• 40 g heavy whipping cream
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• A few grinds of nutmeg
• 470 g 1 to 2-inch peeled and diced apples about 1 ½ pounds whole apples
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon flour this can be Khorasan, all-purpose, or whatever flour is handy

Egg Wash

• 1 egg yolk + a dash or two of heavy cream or milk
• 1 tablespoon coarse or granulated sugar optional

Instructions

• Calibrate your tabletop mill to the finest setting according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place a medium bowl below the mill’s output, and with the mill running, transfer the wheat berries to the hopper. When all the berries have been milled into flour, turn off the mill and whisk in the sugar and salt. Transfer the bowl to the freezer to cool the flour. If using pre-milled wholegrain Khorasan flour, place it in the bowl, whisk in the sugar and salt, and place it in the freezer.
• For the dough, Using a bench knife, cut the butter into 1-to-2-inch chunks and place it in the freezer for 5 minutes. Whisk the ice water and vinegar together and place in the refrigerator until ready to use. When the flour and butter are cold, transfer them to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle blade. Mix on low until the flour and butter have been smeared together in an uneven, shaggy texture with large chunks of butter flattened but remaining, about 1 minute, depending on the temperature of the butter.
• With the mixer running, slowly drizzle the water mixture over the flour mixture, until the dough just begins clumping together – you will likely use all the water. Test the dough by stopping the mixer, grabbing a small handful from the bottom of the mixing bowl, and gently squeezing. If the dough clumps together, it does not need more water. If it is crumbly, add more, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough clumps together. It is important to stop the mixer as soon as the dough shows signs of clumping to prevent activating the gluten and toughening the dough.
• Using a bowl scraper, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Using floured hands and a bench knife, work quickly to shape and compact the dough into a rectangular, flat piece. Using the bench knife, divide the dough in half and wrap each half well in beeswax-coated fabric, plastic clingfilm, or parchment paper. Transfer to the refrigerator to firm for 30 minutes.
• To prepare the dough, remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to soften slightly on the counter, about 3 minutes. Unwrap the dough and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough until it is about ¼ -inch thick, using a bench knife to help compact the edges as they crack. The dough will be slightly crumbly at first – this is normal. Fold the dough like a letter from the top to the middle and the bottom overlapping the top. Rotate the dough 180 degrees, flatten slightly, and repeat. Use the rolling pin to flatten the dough into a rectangular disk about 2 inches thick, or if the dough is soft and the butter begins smearing into the dough, wrap the dough and return it to the refrigerator to firm before proceeding. When ready to wrap, you should still see large chunks of butter suspended in the dough. Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
• For the filling, place the sugar, butter, and salt in a large pot or deep and wide skillet. Set over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and eventually turns amber in color, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and carefully add the cream and spices – the cream will bubble and sputter. Stir well to incorporate. Immediately fold in the apples and stir to coat – if the caramel seizes, simply continue cooking, and the moisture from the apples will eventually smooth out the caramel. Return the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, add the lemon juice and vanilla, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the apples soften and release their juices and the caramel is smooth, about 6 minutes. Using a small sieve, sift the flour over the apple mixture, and stir well to incorporate. Continue cooking while gently stirring, until the mixture has thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a clean bowl or storage container. Cool completely before proceeding to shape and bake the hand-pies, or cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• To shape the pies, begin by preparing a baking pan. If making four large hand-pies, line a 13 x 18-inch baking sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. If making eight smaller hand-pies, line two 13 x 18-inch baking sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside. Make sure you have space in your freezer for the sheet pans. Whisk the egg yolk and cream or milk together and set aside.
• To shape four hand-pies, remove one rectangle of dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Roll until it is about a 10 x 12-inch rectangle. Trim the edges and cut into four mostly even rectangles – don’t worry if they are not perfect.
• Place the rectangles on a lined sheet pan and transfer to the freezer. Remove the second piece of dough from the refrigerator and repeat rolling, trimming, and cutting. Remove the rectangles from the freezer and top each rectangle with a heaping 1/3 cup of cooled pie filling. Using a pastry brush, apply a thin coating of egg wash to the edges of the bottom pieces of dough. Lay a second layer of dough over top of the apple filling and press lightly with your fingertips around the edges. Using a fork, seal the hand-pies by firmly pressing the edges of the top layer of dough into the bottom layer. Apply a thin coating of egg wash to the top of the hand-pies and sprinkle with sugar if desired. Using a sharp paring knife, cut at least one 1-inch slit in the top of each pie to vent the filling as it bakes. Place the hand-pies in the freezer to firm completely, about 15 minutes. Alternatively, freeze until firm, wrap well in plastic wrap, and freeze until ready to bake.
• If shaping eight hand-pies, roll both discs of dough according to the directions above, and place the eight pieces of dough onto the two lined sheet pans. Top one side of each rectangle with a scant ¼ cup of cooled pie filling. Using a pastry brush, apply a thin coating of egg wash to the edges of the dough. Fold the empty half of the rectangle over the pie filling and press gently around the edges. Using a fork, seal the hand-pies by firmly pressing the edges of the top layer of dough into the bottom layer. Apply a thin coating of egg wash to the top of the hand-pies and sprinkle with sugar if desired. Using a sharp paring knife, cut at least one 1-inch slit in the top of each pie to vent the filling as it bakes. Place the hand-pies in the freezer to firm, about 15 minutes before baking. Alternatively, freeze until firm, wrap well in plastic wrap, and freeze until ready to bake.
• Preheat your oven to 375°F and position a rack in the middle.
• Bake.
• Transfer the hand-pies to the oven and bake until a deep golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes – do not underbake. If baking from frozen, allow about 5 minutes of extra baking time. The hand-pies will be a deep golden brown around the edges and on top when done. Remove from the oven and using a flat spatula, transfer the hand-pies to a wire cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days.