Sourdough Pesto Pull-Apart Turkey

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This Sourdough Pesto Pull-Apart Turkey might just steal the show at your Thanksgiving feast! Made with an easy, buttery sourdough pastry dough and filled with herbed cream cheese and pesto, it’s ALMOST too cute to eat. Each feather twists apart for the perfect cheesy, savory bite. It’s a fun appetizer to make with the kids and just as delicious as it is adorable!

Tools You’ll Need:

1. Mixing Bowls-to combine the pastry crust if mixing the dough by hand, and the cream cheese filling.
2. Pastry Blender (optional)- helpful to mix and combine the pastry dough when mixing by hand. I love this pastry blender but this is entirely optional and I’ll show you how to make the dough without it.
3. Digital kitchen scale (optional)– for accurate measuring especially helpful with sourdough baking.
4. Cheese Grater (if mixing by hand)- if you’re mixing this pastry dough by hand, I highly recommend using a cheese grater to grate your butter into even pieces. If you don’t have one, you can also cut the butter. This is the cheese grater I use linked here.
5. Food Processor (if using food processor method)- If you want to make this pastry using a food processor, you’ll need a food processor with the chopping attachment.
6. Rolling pin- to roll out your pastry dough.
7. Pizza wheel or sharp knife- to cut the dough to the desired shapes.
8. Long tape measure or ruler- to measure your dough out for the correct sizing.
9. Round cookie cutters (3 and 5 inch)- to shape the turkey and cut out the head. You could also use a smaller and larger bowl if you prefer.
10. Pastry brush- for the egg wash. You can also use a folded paper towel.
11. Baking Sheets- to freeze the dough and bake the turkey.
12. Parchment Paper- to line the baking sheet to avoid the turkey sticking to the pan.
13. Scissors (optional)- to cut out the feet and the beak; you can also use a sharp knife.

Gather Your Ingredients:

1. All-purpose Flour- Creates the base of the pastry.
2. Sourdough discard– Adds flavor and moisture and is the magic that ferments your pie crust if you choose. You can use starter or discard that is straight from the fridge, just make sure it’s cold so the dough stays cold.
3. Unsalted Butter- You want to use very cold butter for the pastry, I really love Kerrygold butter for the flavor and texture but any butter will work. You’ll also need butter for the filling.
4. White Sugar- adds a touch of sweetness to the crust.
5. Sea Salt- balances the sweetness in the pastry.
6. Baking Powder- the secret ingredient I add to give a little extra lift to my pastries and a flaky texture.
7. Lemon Juice- the acid from the lemon juice breaks down the gluten and makes the crust so tender.
8. Ice Water- binds the crust without activating the gluten too much.
9. Cream Cheese- I used full-fat cream cheese for the filling. Don’t use cream cheese spread, it will leak.
10. Basil Pesto- any premade pesto will work (or make your own if you like!).
11. Parmesan cheese- make sure you use parmesan that’s really fine for the filling.
12. Garlic powder & ground black pepper- to season the cream cheese filling.
13. Candied eyes- I used these little eye candies for my turkey, you could also use a little piece of olive!
14. Egg- for the egg wash.

Instructions

Step 1: Mix the Pastry Crust

This pastry crust can be made by hand or by using a food processor, I will give you both options, depending on what fits your needs.

Mixing by hand: Combine the flour, white sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk together.

Using a cheese grater on the largest setting, grate your cold butter and transfer it to the bowl with the dry ingredients.

Mix in the butter until it’s fully coated in the flour mixture, you should see pea-sized chunks of butter in the dough.

Add the cold sourdough discard and lemon juice to the bowl, and start to combine the dough.

Begin to mix with a pastry whisk or your hands to bring the dough together. If you need to, you can turn your dough out on a clean surface to mix it with your hands.

The ball of dough should come together easily, if it’s too dry add a teaspoon of cold ice water at a time until your dough just comes together.

If the dough is too wet or sticky, sprinkle with a little flour and continue to bring the dough together.

I typically don’t even need to use water, but it’s okay and normal if you do!

Because your hands can melt the butter, it’s important to just bring the dough together and then stop mixing. You want chunks of butter and overworking the dough isn’t the goal.

Flatten the dough into a disc, and cut the dough in half (this doesn’t have to be perfect just guess). You want to see the bits of butter throughout your dough, this is what makes those flakey layers!

Flatten each half into a round, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours but optionally overnight for longer fermentation.

Food Processor Option: Add the flour, white sugar, baking powder, and salt to the bowl of your food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse a few times to combine all of the dry ingredients.

Cut up your butter (make sure it’s very cold), into 1/4 inch cubes. Add the butter to the dry ingredients.

Pulse the butter until you have blueberry sized balls of butter cut up into the flour mixture. Don’t over blend the butter into the flour at this stage! Go slow and stop when you see the butter is chopped up to the desired size.

Add the sourdough discard and the lemon juice to the work bowl.

Pulse together the ingredients slowly until a dough starts to form. If the dough is very dry, you can add 1 teaspoon of ice water at a time until the dough just comes together.

Once a pastry crust is forming, dump out the dough onto a clean work surface and use your hands to bring the dough together. You want to see the bits of butter throughout your dough, this is what makes those flakey layers!

Divide the dough, and flatten both sections into discs and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.

Refrigerate the pastry dough at least 2 hours but optionally overnight for the longer fermentation.

Step 2: Mix the Cream Cheese Filling

Make sure your cream cheese is fully softened before you mix the filling.

In a medium mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, finely grated Parmesan, garlic powder, and black pepper.

Using a spatula or a hand mixer, blend the filling until the ingredients are combined and smooth.

Set this aside while you shape the turkey.

Step 3: Cut out the Turkey

Flour a clean work surface or pastry baking mat well to roll out your pastry dough.

Starting with one of the pastry crusts, roll it out gently to make a approximately 14 inches wide and 10 inches tall.

Using a ruler or a measuring tape, measure 14 inches across the bottom of the dough and trim to create a straight edge.

Find the center of the bottom edge (7 inches from either side). From that center point, measure 10 inches straight up and make a small mark. This will be the top of the turkey’s feathers.

Starting at one bottom corner, cut a wide, rounded curve up to the 10 inch center mark, then curve back down to the opposite bottom corner.

You should have a large, rounded fan shape, similar to an open hand fan. Flour the top with a bit of flour, fold it in half, and transfer the dough to a parchment lined baking sheet. Unfold the dough to the original shape and transfer to the refrigerator or freezer to chill.

Flour your surface again, and roll out the 2nd disc of pastry dough to a rectangle 14 inches wide and 10 inches tall. Lightly flour the top of the dough.

Grab the first fan shaped section of dough that has been chilling, and place it on top of the second dough rectangle and use it as a guide to cut a second fan shaped piece of pastry.

Transfer both pieces of dough to parchment lined baking sheets and freeze.

With the remaining scraps of dough, cut out a 3 inch wide circle of dough that will make the turkey head, and use scissors to cut a small beak and little feet.

To make the feet, cut small rectangles of dough and cut little snips at the end to form the feet. To make the beak, cut a small triangle of dough. See the photos for reference.

Transfer the head, feet, and beak to one of the baking sheets in the freezer or frig and allow them to chill too.

Step 4: Assemble the Turkey

Gather your pesto, the cream cheese filling, a spatula, and one of the fan shaped sections of dough that has been chilling.

Spread the cream cheese filling over the fan shaped dough, leave a small 1/4 inch border around the edges.

Spoon the pesto on top, and spread over the top of the cream cheese filling.

Place the second fan shaped piece of pastry dough over the top of the filling, and press the edges to seal it all together.

Using a 5 inch round cookie cutter, place it along the bottom edge in the center and lightly press to create a guide. DO NOT PRESS THROUGH.

Next, using a pizza wheel or sharp knife, make 8 even cuts along each side of the turkey to the center mark. You should have a total of 16 “feathers”.

Grabbing on section, twist it twice; press the end down gently so it lays flat. Repeat this step with all of the remaining sections, making sure you twist all of the feathers pointing in the same direction.

Beat an egg with 2 tsps of water in a small bowl, then using a pastry brush or a folded paper towel brush the entire turkey with egg wash.

Add the 3 inch circle of dough you cut out along the bottom edge, in the center of the 5 inch circle you marked earlier. This makes the head. Brush the head with a bit more egg wash.

Add the feet under the head, tucking them under the pastry. Add your beak to the center of the face. Brush the feet and beak with more egg wash, then freeze the whole thing for 15 minutes while the oven heats up.

Step 5: Bake the Turkey

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Bake on the middle rack for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown and fully baked.

Remove from the oven and allow the turkey to cool for about 20 minutes.

I used little candy eyes as the final touch on my turkey, I used a little left over cream cheese filling to help them stick! You could also use a tiny piece of black olive.

Serve immediately!

How to Store:

Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day. Because of the cream cheese this pastry needs to be refrigerated.

Refrigerator: Store pastry in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Gently reheat before enjoying!

Freezing: This pastry dough can be made up to 1 month ahead and frozen. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then shape your turkey and bake.

FAQ’S

If you loved this recipe, drop a comment and leave a star review and don’t forget to checkout more of my sourdough appetizer recipes!

Sourdough Appetizer Recipes:

• Sourdough Discard Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread
• Sourdough Discard Pull-Apart Garlic Roll Wreath
• Sourdough Discard Cheesy Garlic Bites