These sourdough turnovers are perfect as an appetizer or served alongside a light salad or soup. With a savory filling of fish and vegetables, they offer a unique twist on traditional turnovers that are typically made with pastry dough. The dough is made with sourdough starter, which can be either discard or active, making it versatile and easy to prepare. These turnovers are simple to make, and you can even prepare extra and freeze them for later! Whether you’re serving them for a family meal or at Ramadan Iftar, they’re sure to become a crowd favorite. Feel free to customize the filling to suit your taste or dietary preferences!
Ingredients for Sourdough Fish Turnovers
Dough:
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250g (2 cups) flour
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100g (½ cup) sourdough starter
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1 egg
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1 teaspoon salt
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100g (½ cup) melted butter
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Optional: Water if needed to bring dough together
Filling:
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2 medium shallots (or 1 medium onion), finely chopped
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2 medium carrots, grated
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1 small or 2 mini peppers, chopped
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1–2 tablespoon ghee or olive oil
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1 tablespoon fresh coriander, finely chopped
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1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
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½ teaspoon ginger powder
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Black pepper to taste
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100g (½ cup) cooked chanterelle mushrooms (or your preferred mushrooms)
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30–40g (1 oz) Parmesan cheese, grated
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½ preserved lemon (finely chopped), optional
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8–10 black olives, pitted and chopped, optional
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350g (12 oz) monkfish (or any white fish)
- salt, ginger & black pepper to season the fish + 1tbsp olive oil
For Assembly:
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1 egg + 1 tablespoon milk for egg wash
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Sesame seeds for garnish
How to Make Sourdough Turnovers with fish filling
Step 1: Prepare the Dough
For the dough, combine 250g flour, 100g sourdough starter, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 100g melted butter in a bowl. You can use your hands or a stand mixer for this. Knead the dough for about one minute to bring everything together. This dough doesn’t need to rise, so you can let it rest for 2–3 hours at room temperature or chill it in the fridge if you’re making it ahead of time.
Step 2: Make the Savory Filling
Heat 1–2 tablespoon of ghee or olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the finely chopped shallots or onions and cook until soft. Grate the carrots and add them to the skillet, followed by the chopped peppers. Let the vegetables cook for a few minutes until tender. Add fresh coriander, salt, ginger, and black pepper to taste, stirring to combine.
Transfer the cooked vegetables to a bowl. To the vegetable mixture, add cooked chanterelle mushrooms (or any other mushrooms you prefer), grated Parmesan cheese, finely chopped preserved lemon, and black olives.
Step 3: Add the Fish
For this recipe, I’m using 350g monkfish (or you can substitute with any white fish). Season it with salt, black pepper, and ginger powder. Bake it in the oven at 200°C (400°F) until cooked through (about 12-15 minutes). Once cooked, flake the fish into small pieces and add it to the vegetable filling. Stir everything together.
Step 4: Assemble the Turnovers
Roll out the dough to about 2–3 mm thick. Using a round cutter (about 10 cm or 4 inches in diameter), cut out circles from the dough. Place a spoonful of the filling in the center of each dough circle. Fold the dough over the filling and pinch the edges to seal, creating a turnover shape. Fold the edges slightly over to seal.
Step 5: Egg Wash & Bake
Brush the turnovers with an egg wash (1 egg + 1 tablespoon milk) and sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Bake them on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 200°C (400°F) for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.
Step 6: Serve & Enjoy
Once the turnovers are baked, let them cool slightly before serving them. These turnovers are perfect for Ramadan Iftar, a special dinner, or as a simple yet impressive appetizer for any occasion.
Tips for Making the Best Sourdough Turnovers:
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Use any white fish: While monkfish is great, you can substitute it with any white fish you prefer, like cod, haddock, or pollock.
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Customize your filling: Feel free to swap in other veggies or mushrooms based on what’s in season or what you have on hand.
Storage and Freezing
Storage:
Once baked, allow the sourdough turnovers to cool completely. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing:
These sourdough turnovers freeze beautifully! After baking, let them cool completely. Then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container.
Ingredients
Method
- For the dough, combine 250g flour, 100g sourdough starter, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 100g melted butter in a bowl. You can use your hands or a stand mixer for this. Knead the dough for about one minute to bring everything together. This dough doesn’t need to rise, so you can let it rest for 2–3 hours at room temperature or chill it in the fridge if you're making it ahead of time.
- Heat 1–2 tablespoon of ghee or olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the finely chopped shallots or onions and cook until soft. Grate the carrots and add them to the skillet, followed by the chopped peppers. Let the vegetables cook for a few minutes until tender. Add fresh coriander, salt, ginger, and black pepper to taste, stirring to combine.
- Transfer the cooked vegetables to a bowl. To the vegetable mixture, add cooked chanterelle mushrooms (or any other mushrooms you prefer), grated Parmesan cheese, finely chopped preserved lemon, and black olives.
- For this recipe, I’m using 350g monkfish (or you can substitute with any white fish). Season it with salt, black pepper, and ginger powder and olive oil. Bake it in the oven at 200°C (400°F) until cooked through (about 12-15 minutes). Once cooked, flake the fish into small pieces and add it to the vegetable filling. Stir everything together.
- Roll out the dough to about 2–3 mm thick. Using a round cutter (about 10 cm or 4 inches in diameter), cut out circles from the dough. Place a spoonful of the filling in the center of each dough circle. Fold the dough over the filling and pinch the edges to seal, creating a turnover shape. Fold the edges slightly over to seal.
- Brush the turnovers with an egg wash (1 egg + 1 tablespoon milk) and sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Bake them on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 200°C (400°F) for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.
- Once the turnovers are baked, let them cool slightly before serving them. These turnovers are perfect for Ramadan Iftar, a special dinner, or as a simple yet impressive appetizer for any occasion.
Notes
Once baked, allow the sourdough turnovers to cool completely. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Freezing:
These sourdough turnovers freeze beautifully! After baking, let them cool completely. Then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container.
