After making my own sourdough starter, the first thing that I made with it was a pie crust. I was making a pie filling from scratch, and I wanted the crust to be from scratch as well. Little did I know that making my own crust would ruin the store-bought kind for me forever. Like seriously, I could eat this crust by itself. It is my new favorite part of any pie that I make! I searched high and low for the best sourdough pie crust recipe, and after testing here and tweaking there, this is by far the winning crust! Learn how I make it here.
Why sourdough crust?
For starters, flavor! I’ve made several pie crust recipes before having a sourdough starter. They were your typical pie crusts that are yummy, buttery, and flaky. But it wasn’t until I made a sourdough pie crust that I realized just how much better it could be! Not only is my recipe flaky, buttery, and soft, but it’s got the signature delicious sourdough flavor!
Second, it’s so simple and easy to make! This pie crust recipe is the easiest recipe I’ve ever found. No more using frozen butter, ice-cold water, and trying to cut the butter in quickly so as not to warm everything up.
Third, the grains are fermented! Since the dough is fermented overnight, the grains are partially broken down, making it easier to digest and better for the digestive system.
Supplies Needed
- A medium bowl: I use one from my glass bowl set.
- A spatula: I like to use silicone spatulas for this.
- Measuring spoons: I like these spoons because they have flat bottoms that don’t tip over on the counter.
- Measuring cups: I like these measuring cups.
- Something to cut the butter: You could use a butter cutter, a cheese grater, or simply a knife.
- A tea towel: Use a tea towel to cover the bowl.
- A rolling pin: I like either a wood rolling pin or a marble one.
- A pie plate: I like my ceramic one.
- A fork: I use our normal silverware fork to poke holes in the crust.
Ingredients
- Flour: I use King Arthur’s unbleached all-purpose flour
- Salt: I use natural sea salt
- Salted butter: I like grass-fed butter
- Honey: we love local honey
- Sourdough starter: it tastes best with a fed starter, but sourdough discard works too! You can find out how to make a sourdough starter here.
Directions
In a medium bowl, add the flour and salt, and stir thoroughly to combine.
Next, cut the butter into smaller pieces. You could choose to cube the butter with a knife, grate the butter with a cheese grater, or use a pastry butter cutter. You just want it to be in small pieces so that it’s easier to combine with the flour.
Incorporate the butter with the flour mixture until crumbly and no dry flour remains.
Add the honey and sourdough starter.
Use a spatula or your hands to work it together. You won’t have to knead it, just keep folding it together until it forms a cohesive ball of dough.
Cover with a tea towel or wrap, and allow it to sit out overnight for the grains to ferment.
The next morning, put the dough in the refrigerator, and allow it to get cold for at least 3 hours or until you’re ready to use it.
Tip: You’ll want to prepare your pie filling before rolling out your dough. The dough needs to be as cold as it can before baking.
Once you’re ready to use the dough, remove it from the refrigerator, and give it a few gentle folds just to soften it up.
Remove 1/3 of the dough and set that aside.
Flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll out the remaining 2/3 dough.
Lay it over your pie plate.
Gently press to cover your pie plate, trim off any excess with a knife, and use a fork to poke a few holes in the bottom for venting.
Add your pie filling.
Roll out the remaining dough and use it to top your pie as desired. You may choose to drape this over the entire top of the pie, or you could cut strips and do a weave pattern. Get creative and have fun with it!
Trim off any excess crust, and crimp the edges with your fingers. Cut a few slits in the top for venting if you chose to have a solid crust on top.
With the excess crust that was trimmed off, you could do a few little designs if you’d like. I chose to make a few little leaf shapes here. How fun!
Bake your pie as directed in your pie recipe instructions.
Enjoy!
Have a bit of leftover dough?
When I have a little bit of pie crust left over, I like to make a mini hand pie!
Add chocolate nut spread, peanut butter, or jam to the center of the dough, and use a fork to crimp the edges together. Bake along with your main pie until golden brown (or at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes if you’re baking alone).
I made a chocolate hazelnut one here!
What can I do with this crust?
This crust has so many uses! And if you’re creative with it, I’m sure you can come up with even more options than what’s listed here.
- Sweet pies – fruit or chocolate pies
- Savory pies – like chicken pot pie
- Quiche – like an omelet in a pie crust!
- Homemade “toaster pastries” – fill with chocolate or fruit spread, bake, and top with a sugar glaze
- Skillet crust – put on top and/or bottom of a regular skillet meal so liven it up
- Mini candy bites – press into a mini muffin pan, bake, and then fill with your favorite toppings (melted chocolate, peanut butter, nuts, etc)
- Make dippers – roll out thin, optionally sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or salt, bake until crisp and golden, and dip into a fruit dip or pie filling
- Empanadas – use instead of biscuit dough for a twist on this classic
- Hand pies (instructions above)
Do I have to pre-bake the crust?
Most of my pies have a cooking time of 30 minutes or more. I have never needed to pre-bake the crust before baking a pie! However, if you are making a pie that takes little time to bake, I would suggest pre-baking your empty pie crust for 10-15 minutes before adding your filling. Most recipes will that require this will say so in the directions though!
Can I freeze the leftover crust?
Yes! You can freeze leftovers, or even make a crust ahead of time and freeze it for later use.
Can I use sourdough discard?
Yes, you can! You may need to allow it to ferment a bit longer when using discard instead of fed sourdough starter. Either way though, overnight always does the trick for me no matter which one I’m using!
How much crust does it make?
This crust recipe makes enough for the bottom and top of a 9” or 9.5” deep dish pie crust. No need to double the recipe for that!
This will also cover the bottom and top of a 9″ square casserole dish. Or, just the bottom of a 9×13 dish.
What if I have a regular pie plate instead of a deep dish?
If you are using a regular pie plate instead of a deep dish, follow the directions but use these ingredient measurements instead!
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 sticks salted butter (16 tbsp., or 1 cup)
- 3/4 tbsp. honey (optional for savory pies)
- 3/4 cup sourdough starter
Best Sourdough Pie Crust, For Sweet or Savory Pies
Course: Natural Food8
servings30
minutes454
kcal8-12 hours
This pie crust is so delicious, you could eat it by itself! It’s also perfect for sweet or savory pies. You’ll want to try this for your next fruit pie, quiche, or chicken pot pie!
Ingredients
2 1/8 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 3/4 sticks of salted butter (which is 22 tbsp., or 1 cup plus 6 tbsp.)
1 tbsp. honey (optional if you’re making a savory pie)
1 cup sourdough starter (fed or discard)
Directions
- In a medium bowl, add the flour and salt, and stir thoroughly to combine.
- Cut the butter into smaller pieces. You could choose to cube the butter with a knife, grate the butter with a cheese grater, or use a pastry butter cutter. You just want it to be in small pieces so that it’s easier to combine with the flour.
- Incorporate the butter with the flour mixture until crumbly and no dry flour remains.
- Add the honey and sourdough starter, and use a spatula or your hands to work it together. You won’t have to knead it, just keep folding it together until it forms a cohesive ball of dough.
- Cover with a tea towel or wrap, and allow it to sit out overnight for the grains to ferment.
- The next morning, put the dough in the refrigerator, and allow it to get cold for at least 3 hours or until you’re ready to use it.
- Tip: You’ll want to prepare your pie filling before rolling out your dough. The dough needs to be as cold as it can before baking.
- Once you’re ready to use the dough, remove it from the refrigerator, and give it a few gentle folds just to soften it up.
- Remove 1/3 of the dough and set that aside. Flour your work surface and rolling pin, roll out the remaining 2/3 dough and lay it over your pie plate.
- Gently press to cover your pie plate, trim off any excess with a knife, and use a fork to poke a few holes in the bottom for venting. Add your pie filling.
- Roll out the remaining dough and use it to top your pie as desired. You may choose to drape this over the entire top of the pie, or you could cut strips and do a weave pattern. Get creative and have fun with it!
- Trim off any excess crust, and crimp the edges with your fingers. Cut a few slits in the top for venting if you chose to have a solid crust on top. With the excess crust that was trimmed off, you could do a few little designs if you’d like.
- Bake your pie as directed in your pie recipe instructions.
Notes
- If you are using a regular pie plate instead of a deep-dish, follow the directions but use these ingredient measurements instead. 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp. salt, 2 sticks salted butter (16 tbsp., or 1 cup), 3/4 tbsp. honey (optional), 3/4 cup sourdough starter
- Approximate Nutritional Information Per Serving: 454 calories, 37g carbs, 31g fat, 5g protein, 7g sodium, 2g sugar
I love this pie dough recipe so much. I used it with your pot pie recipe and I think it’s my favorite meal I’ve ever made. The sourdough discard adds the perfect amount of tang and it’s so buttery and flaky. 10/10 I’ve pinned this and will make it over and over.