Learn how to make sourdough pie crust that is buttery and flakey and perfect for your apple pie. This recipe took me several tries to perfect, because I wanted to make pies with our sourdough starter. We have gotten so good at this now that we throw just about any fruit in the dutch oven and get the pie crust ready!
The Art of the Pie Crust
Sourdough has been a favorite of mine for over a year now. I don’t know how I lived without it in the past!
I had been wanting to make a sourdough crust recipe, since we make so many pies in the fall time.
Pie crust is hard to master in the first place, but add in sourdough and it can get confusing.
There are a few tips and tricks to working with pie crust.
First, lots of butter. Pie crust is best formed with butter.
Second, monitor the temp of the dough. Too cold and you won’t be able to roll it, too warm and you won’t be able to form it. I find it’s best right out of the fridge, warmed with just the touch of your hands and the rolling pin.
And of course, lots of flour for rolling.
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What is Sourdough Starter?
If you’re wondering why I’m even talking about sourdough, this is for you.
Sourdough starter is made by mixing flour and water and letting it sit. This allows the creation of live cultures and good bacteria, which then feed off of the sugar in the gluten. As you continue to feed and take care of your starter, you will have a strong culture of bacteria that are strong enough to make bread rise. A sourdough starter can kept alive for years to come if given proper care.
How is Sourdough Starter Healthy for you?
When you feed your starter with flour and water, the live cultures are feeding off the sugar in the gluten. As they do this, something called phytic acid is being reduced. This is the acid that exists on non-fermented grains that can make grain difficult to digest.
This goes for all fermented foods like fermented milk kefir, soaked oats, sauerkraut, etc.
How to Make Fresh Blackberry Pie
How to Make Homemade Apple Pie
New to Sourdough?
If you are brand new to sourdough, you will love crafting homemade, gut-healthy bread products like this pie crust!
You can learn how to make your own sourdough starter from scratch to make homemade bread, sourdough pizza, bagels, and more.
Put all your sourdough recipes in one spot!
Download and print off this NEW sourdough recipes ebook and keep your favorite sourdough recipes on your counter for easy, every day cooking.
Sourdough Pie Crust Ingredients
3/4 cup sourdough starter
One and 3/4 cup flour
Half teaspoon salt
1-2 TB wild honey
16 TB (two sticks) cold butter, chopped
Two TB ice cold water
Extra flour for rolling out the dough
How to Make Sourdough Pie Crust from Scratch
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients except the cold water. You want to make sure you keep the butter as cold as possible, only bringing it out of the fridge as soon as you’re going to use it. Process the ingredients until the butter is made until small pieces about the size of a pea, but making sure not to over mix.
Remove the batter from the food processor and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add 2-3 tablespoons of ice cold water, and with your hands mix the dough gently so that all ingredients are combined, about 30 seconds.
Divide the dough in two and wrap each one in BPA-free plastic.
Place in the fridge and let ferment overnight or up to two days. You can also let the dough ferment for as little as 4 hours, if you don’t mind it not having all the benefits of long fermentation. If you didn’t plan at all in advance and you find yourself needing this pie ASAP, you can also throw it in the freezer for a few minutes.
When you’re ready to make the pie, take the dough out of the fridge. One at a time on a clean, cold, and floured work surface, roll the pie crust out with a rolling pin. Add as much flour as you need so the dough doesn’t stick, flipping it over every 10 seconds or so (see video for how I do this).
You can make a lattice top or a regular scored pie crust top. Either way, add your filling to the pie crust, then add your pie crust top, then bake according to your pie instructions. Enjoy your flakey, buttery, homemade sourdough pie crust!
Tips for Making Sourdough Pie Crust
Only pull the butter out of the fridge as soon as your’e going to chop it up and avoid using your hands too much during chopping. Pretend like you are in a professional kitchen and sous chef has given you 30 seconds to chop and get the butter in the food processor. Go, go, go!
Do not over-process the dough! Just process it enough until the butter has been divided up into small, pea-like pieces. You may notice the butter getting clumped in one area and stuck. If that happens, simply put it back when your hands and continue processing. If you notice a solid dough start to form, it means your processing is done.
Always work with a lot of flour and a clean, cold work surface.
If you don’t get the dough right on the first try, just try again. Rolling out pie crust dough took me a while to get good at, and I’m still not perfect. So don’t get discouraged.
How to Make a Lattice Crust
Start by rolling out your second piece of dough. You should already have your crust base and your crust filling all in the pie dish and ready to go.
Roll the dough into a circle shape as best you can. Use lots of flour and a rolling pin. Make sure there is flour underneath the dough so it’s not sticking to the counter.
With a knife, cut about 10 dividing lines down the center of the dough. See photos below.
Place five stripes of dough over your pie filling.
Next the middle two strips backwards so they are only halfway covering the pie.
Lay one piece of the remaining strips in the center of the pie, perpendicular to the other strips. Flatten the folded strips and this time, bend the other 3 strips in half. Lay another strip towards the end of the pie and then lay the 3 strips back down.
You repeat this process on the other side, until all the strips have been placed on the pie top.
Things to Make with Pie Crust
Pie crust is soft, buttery, and sour if you’re using sourdough. So to me, the more things I can make with it the better.
Try this fresh blackberry pie with foraged blackberries or homemade apple pie if you visited the orchard this year.
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Or grab a pumpkin and make this breakfast pumpkin pie.
Really you could add any fruit to make a pie. All you have to do is add your flour depending on how watery the fruit is. The basic process is the same – cook the fruit on the stove, add seasonings, add thickening agent, and let cool before putting it in the pie!
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Recipes you May like to Serve this With…
Try some of these cozy recipes for your fall dinner!
Homemade Rustic Sourdough Bread
Instant Pot Sausage Soup with Bone Broth
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Sourdough Pie Crust
This buttery and flakey sourdough pie crust is perfect for your fall and holiday baking. It has all the benefits of fermented grain plus that sour that you'll enjoy with each bite of pie. And since we don't use processed sugar much at our homestead, it's naturally sweetened too. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sourdough starter
- 1 3/4 cup flour
- Half teaspoon salt
- 1-2 TB wild honey
- 16 TB (two sticks) cold butter, chopped
- Two TB ice cold water
- Extra flour for rolling out the dough
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine all the ingredients except the cold water. Process the ingredients until the butter is made until small pieces about the size of a pea.
- Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl. Add 2-3 tablespoons of ice cold water, and with your hands mix the dough gently so that all ingredients are combined, about 30 seconds.
- Divide the dough in two and wrap each one in BPA-free plastic.
- Place in the fridge and let ferment at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- When you’re ready to make the pie, take the dough out of the fridge. One at a time on a clean, cold, and floured work surface, roll the pie crust out with a rolling pin. Add as much flour as you need so the dough doesn’t stick, flipping it over every 10 seconds or so (see video for how I do this).
- For our pie recipes, we bake at 350 degrees F for 60 minutes. See those recipes on the blog. Enjoy your flakey, buttery, homemade sourdough pie crust!
Notes
You can also make this recipe in a hurry if you don't have the time to let it ferment. Just throw the dough in the freezer for a few minutes to cool it instead of the fridge for several hours. It just won't have the benefits of that long fermented grain, but you will still have delicious sourdough pie!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 544Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 435mgCarbohydrates: 60gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 7g
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