If you ever traveled into areas where Amish people have bakeries you will find fry pies! These hand held delicacies are made with a flaky pie crust filled with various fillings. Traditionally, these are fried like a doughnut but they can be baked, also.

I choose to fill these fry pies with apple schnitz filling. Schnitz Pie is a pie commonly made for Amish Church meals. The filling is made from dried apples slices or you can make it an easy way like I do, with apple butter and apple sauce. I used sugar-free apple butter, applesauce, and cinnamon for an easy schnitz filling. As you can see by the picture above, I fried and baked some and give you both options in the recipe below.

If you have never tried sourdough–it is so much fun! Sourdough is very forgiving…the easiest to do is to purchase a mature starter. Here is a link to my blog store where you can purchase numerous items, including Sourdough Kits to begin your sourdough journey. 

Caring for your Starter will take you through step by step instructions on feeding the starter you receive from me. I also have a video showing how I feed my starter and what it should look like. If you would like to experiment you can make your own starter by following the day by day instructions on this blog….Making a Sourdough Starter.

The fermenting guidelines for THM is as follows….seven hours room temp ferment or 24 hours refrigerator ferment. I will do a mix of room and cold ferment. 3.5 hours fridge ferment equals 1 hour room temp ferment.

I have already mixed this pastry dough; after a 7 hour room temp ferment, shaped it into a dough balls large enough for 1 pie, and froze. Then when I needed a pie crust, I removed a dough ball, allowed it to thaw, rolled it out, and baked it.

Amish Fry Pies, THM XO, Sugar-free, Dairy-free

• Pastry dough:
• 1 cup and 2 tablespoons White Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup lard, coconut oil, or butter
• 1/2 cup sourdough starter
• 1/4 cup water, add an additional tablespoon water if dough is too dry.
• Schnitz Filling:
• 3/4 cup sugar-free apple butter
• 1/2 cup sugar-free apple sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
• Glaze:
• 1/3 cup Lakanto Powdered Monkfruit Sweetener
• 1 – 1 1/2 tablespoons almond milk
• Pastry: In a mixer bowl combine flours, salt, baking powder, and lard. Mix until it is crumbly. In a separate bowl, blend the starter and water together. Add to the pastry crumbs in the mixer bowl. Turn mixer on and off a few times until the dough is mixed. Transfer pie dough to a covered bowl. Room Temperature Ferment: allow dough to ferment for 7 hours at room temp. Cold Ferment: place dough in the fridge for 24 hours. You can also do a combination of room temperature and cold ferment. One hour of room temperature ferment is equal to 3.5 hours fridge ferment.
• Schnitz Filling: In a bowl whisk together apple butter, apple sauce, cinnamon, and xanthan gum. Assembling the fry pies: Roll out your pastry dough 1/9 inch thick. Cut 4-5 inch circles out of the dough sheet. Spoon 2 tablespoons of filling to each circle. Fold the dough over as pictured in the video below and seal the edges with a fork. Repeat re-rolling the dough scraps until you have all the dough used up. To bake: Lay fry pies on a parchment covered baking sheet. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray pies with Pam Butter Spray. Bake for 15-18 minutes. To fry: Preheat refined coconut or lard to 350 degrees F. I use enough oil to have it two inches deep. Fry 1 pie at a time for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. Remove from hot oil with a slotted spoon. Drain well on paper towel. Glaze: Whisk sweetener and 1 tablespoon almond milk together. You may need just a bit more milk if you want a thinner glaze. When fry pies are totally, cool brush with glaze. 12 fry pies
• Tips: I prefer doing 4 hours of room temperature ferment and then refrigerating the dough for 10-12 hours.
• We process hogs and render lard from the fat. Lard make the best pie crust.

Here the flours and lard have been combined together. I just mix it until it gets crumbly like this.

The starter and water are blended together. This makes it easier to mix the starter into the flour crumbles.

I love working with soft pie dough. I will add an additional tablespoon of water if needed to have a very soft dough.

The above video shows how I roll the crust and from the fry pies.

If a little of the filling squeezes out it will be okay. I make sure to bake these and not fry them if a little filling is showing.

This post has affiliated links, if you purchase items through these links, I receive a small commission but your price doesn’t change. Your purchase help support this blog, keeps new recipes coming, and assist with our move to a mission outreach of our church. Below are a few of my favorites listed under the affiliate store I purchase them.

Amazon

This delicious apple butter is made in Lancaster County. Kauffman’s Fruit Farm has acres and acres of fruit trees in the Bird-in-Hand area.

I love my Kitchen Aid Mixer I’ve had it for 28 years and it still works great. I mix all my pie crust with my mixer.

KitchenAid Hand Blender — I use my hand blender every day. It works well to blend coffee, sauces, ect.

The Trim Healthy Mama Store has wonderful products. Here is my affiliate link if you wish to use it. Trim Healthy Mama Store

Print

Amish Fry Pies with Sourdough Pastry, THM XO, sugar-free

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Author Glenda Groff

Ingredients

• Pastry dough:
• 1 cup and 2 tablespoons White Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup lard coconut oil, or butter
• 1/2 cup sourdough starter unfed, or discard works well
• 1/4 cup water add an additional tablespoon water if dough is too dry.
• Schnitz Filling:
• 3/4 cup sugar-free apple butter
• 1/2 cup sugar free apple sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
• Glaze:
• 1/3 cup Lakanto Powdered Monkfruit Sweetener
• 1 – 1 1/2 tablespoons almond milk

Instructions

1. Pastry: In a mixer bowl combine flours, salt, baking powder, and lard. Mix until it is crumbly. In a separate bowl, blend the starter and water together. Add to the pastry crumbs in the mixer bowl. Turn mixer on and off a few times until the dough is mixed. Transfer pie dough to a covered bowl. Room Temperature Ferment: allow dough to ferment for 7 hours at room temp. Cold Ferment: place dough in the fridge for 24 hours. You can also do a combination of room temperature and cold ferment. One hour of room temperature ferment is equal to 3.5 hours fridge ferment.

2. Schnitz Filling: In a bowl whisk together apple butter, apple sauce, cinnamon, and xanthan gum. Assembling the fry pies: Roll out your pastry dough 1/9 inch thick. Cut 4-5 inch circles out of the dough sheet. Spoon 2 tablespoons of filling to each circle. Fold the dough over as pictured in the video below and seal the edges with a fork. Repeat re-rolling the dough scraps until you have all the dough used up. To bake: Lay fry pies on a parchment covered baking sheet. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray pies with Pam Butter Spray. Bake for 15-18 minutes. To fry: Preheat refined coconut or lard to 350 degrees F. I use enough oil to have it two inches deep. Fry 1 pie at a time for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. Remove from hot oil with a slotted spoon. Drain well on paper towel. Glaze: Combine sweetener and 1 tablespoon milk together. I do use a bit more milk if I want the glaze thinner. When fry pies are totally, cool brush with glaze. 12 fry pies

3. I prefer doing 4 hours of room temperature ferment and then it put the dough in the fridge for 10-12 hours.
4. We process hogs and render lard from the fat. Lard make the best pie crust.

You will find many more sourdough recipes in the spiral bound 600+ page Around the Family Table Cookbook. All recipes are sugar-free and label with the correct fuel. Books can be purchased using this link.  We have now added additional items to our store… Sourdough Starter Kits and more. Buy It Now.