These sourdough love letter pastries are the perfect way to send a little sweetness to someone special. Flaky, golden pastry envelopes are folded with care, filled with vibrant jam, and finished with a dusting of powdered sugar. Not only are they visually stunning, but they’re also irresistibly delicious, combining the delicate tang of sourdough with the sweetness of the filling.

Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day, an anniversary, or just want to add a little charm to your dessert table, these pastries are sure to steal hearts. They’re simple to make but feel extra special—just like a handwritten love letter

Why I love this recipe

Trusted recipe: The base dough comes from my favorite sourdough pie crust recipe, which is perfectly flaky, buttery, and easy to work with.

Adorable & festive: Shaped like little love letters, these pastries are perfect for Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, or any occasion where you want to spread some love

Kid friendly: I make these with my 5 year old and she absolutely loves helping trace, cut, and shape the little envelopes (possibly even more than eating them!).

Alternative fun shaping ideas

This recipe is great for making any shaped hand pie that you desire! Here are just a few other options that may peak your interest.

Heart shaped pastries

Standard pocket pastries

Star pastries

Butterfly shaped pastries

Flower blossoms

Mini crescents with filling of your choice!

Tips for success

When making the pie crust, make sure all your ingredients are cold. I place the butter in the freezer for 15-20 minutes before mixing the dough. I also pull my sourdough discard directly from the fridge to keep the chill on it.

While this recipe does not call for any additional liquid, if you find your mixture is too dry, I suggest adding a teaspoon of ice water.

The sourdough pie crust needs to be stored in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours and a maximum of 4 days. You can freeze it for up to 3 months.

How to keep the love letters from bursting during baking

Use a fork to poke some holes in the dough so it does not puff up.

Use a little milk or water to “glue” the folds together including the heart stamp.

Refrigerate the love letters for 30-60 minutes before baking to help hold their shape.

How to make sourdough love letters: step-by-step

Ingredients

For the pastry dough:

125 grams of all-purpose flour
15 grams of sugar
3 grams of salt
113 grams of unsalted butter (cold & grated)
125 grams of sourdough discard (fed or unfed and cold)
2 grams of apple cider vinegar

For the filling:

1/2 a cup of jam (raspberry or strawberry)
1 tablespoon of heavy cream for brushing the dough
coarse sugar for topping (optional)

Equipment

Mixing bowl
Food scale
Cheese grater
Rolling pin
Sharp knife
Large baking sheet
Parchment paper
Heart-shaped cookie cutter (about 1-2 inches big)

Instructions

Place the butter in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before mixing the pie crust

In a mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, and salt.

Next, add the cold butter by grating it into the mixture (alternatively you can cut the butter into small cubes).

Using a pastry cutter, dough scraper, or fork cut the butter into the dry mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Add the sourdough starter and the apple cider vinegar.

Use your hands to bring the mixture together until no more dry bits are in the bowl. If the mixture is not coming together, add 1 teaspoon of ice water.

Form a rough disc shape and place it into plastic wrap.

Use the plastic wrap to flatten the disc just a bit and then use a rolling pin to help smooth out the edges.

Lastly, chill the dough for a minimum of 4 hours or up to 4 days before using.

How to shape sourdough love letter pastries

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper

Before shaping the love letters, allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. This will make it easier to roll out.

While the dough rests, measure and cut out a 4×4-inch square from a piece of paper to use as a stencil.

When ready to shape, place the dough on a liberally floured surface and roll it into a rough rectangle shape about an 1/8 inch thick. Tip: flour your rolling pin to avoid sticking.

Use your stencil to trace as many love letters as you can and then make the cuts (this recipe makes 6 love letters & 6 mini hearts). You’ll need to gather and re-roll the dough to make the remaining letters.

Be sure to use your mini cookie cutter to make 6 heart-shaped cutouts as well.

After making all of the cuts place each love letter on your baking sheet positioned in a diamond shape and poke some holes in them using a fork. This is to prevent the pastries from puffing up too much during baking.

Using a small spoon place a teaspoon or 2 of jam in the center of the diamond.

To create the love letter shape, fold in the left, right, and bottom flaps over the jam, leaving the upper flap open. Tip: brush a little milk on the seams after each fold to help the dough adhere together.

Brush a little milk in the center of the love letter and on the back of the heart and stick into the middle of the letter.

Once all love letters have been shaped place them into the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour. This is to help them hold their shape during baking.

Bake the sourdough love letter pastries

While the sourdough love letters are resting, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

After the love letters have rested brush them with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar and bake for 35-40 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Allow them cool for 5-10 minutes before sifting some powdered sugar over top for the final touch!

Sourdough love letters are best enjoyed the day of but can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days on the counter.

More Valentine’s sourdough recipes

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5 from 1 vote