Sourdough Pie Crust

This buttery, flaky Sourdough Pie Crust is simple to make with no special equipment and is such a fun way to use up that sourdough starter. You can make this with an active starter or use your sourdough discard. The dough can be made days, weeks, or months in advance - I'll give you all the delicious details below!

Pie is such a sign of Thanksgiving to me. Of course it is welcome anytime of year, but it just would not be Thanksgiving without a few slices of pie in our tummies. When I set out to make a sourdough pie crust I have to admit I was a little skeptical. Would it be tender and flaky with that thick, dense sourdough starter mixed in? Well, needless to say, I was quickly convinced! The sourdough starter and the grated butter work together to make this pie crust so flavorful, flaky, and tender. It bakes up beautifully and my whole family loves it. Use it to make any of your favorite pies or give my Rhubarb Galette, Berry Hand Pies, Mulberry Pie, and Pear Galette a try!

Ingredients (and substitutions)

You only need 4 ingredients to make this easy sourdough pie crust.

• all purpose flour: I do think all purpose flour is best here, but I have to admit that I accidentally made this with bread flour once during my testing and it turned out great. So just know that if you find yourself in a pinch, bread flour will work out!
• sugar: a little bit of sweetness is nice to balance the tanginess, but you can omit it if you want.
• butter: I like to use salted but you can use unsalted and add a small pinch of salt to the recipe. I have not tested this recipe with other fats, but if you like to use lard or shortening I imagine they would work just fine here.
• sourdough starter: you can use active starter or discard. I give long fermentation instructions below if you want to make this a true sourdough pie crust.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

I don't break out the heavy machinery for this easy dough, but if you prefer to use a food processor, feel free. Just be careful not to overwork the dough or your crust will be tough.

Combine flour and sugar in a mixing bowl and add grated butter.

Mix until all butter is coated in flour.

add sourdough starter and mix well to combine.

Mix well to combine.

squeeze dough into a ball and divide in half.

shape each half into a flat disk. Cover and either let ferment at room temp for 8 hours or place in refrigerator until chilled.

When dough is chilled, roll out on floured surface.

Place in pie pan, fill, and bake according to the pie recipe you are following.

What to do with Leftover Pie Dough Scraps

My grandma always re-rolled her pie dough scraps, sprinkled them with cinnamon sugar, and baked them for about 10 minutes alongside the pie. It is such a nice little pre-pie treat and it always transports me to her kitchen. Will you look at those flaky layers?? It's worth making extra dough just so you can make these little granny-inspired pie scrap cookies!

How to Long Ferment Sourdough Pie Crust

This recipe can be made with active, bubbly starter or unfed starter aka sourdough discard. If you want to long ferment this pie dough, be sure to use an active starter in this recipe and allow the dough to sit at room temperature for up to 8 hours before transferring to the refrigerator for at least an hour before rolling out. You will have more tanginess if you choose to long-ferment, but I really love the tanginess with the sweet pie filling. And it is especially good in savory recipes like chicken pot pie or savory galettes.

Make Ahead and Storage

Related - more sourdough and sourdough discard recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Sourdough Pie Crust Recipe

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This buttery, flaky Sourdough Pie Crust is simple to make with no special equipment and is such a fun way to use up that sourdough starter. You can make this with an active starter or use your sourdough discard. The dough can be made days, weeks, or months in advance 

• Total Time: 20 minutes active plus fermenting and chilling
• Yield: two 9-10 inch pie crusts

Ingredients

270 grams (2 ¼  cups) all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

226 grams (8 ounces) salted butter, grated and kept very cold

280 grams (1 cup) sourdough starter, stirred down before measuring

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Instructions

1. Place flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
2. Add grated butter and mix well so that the butter is evenly distributed and coated in the flour.
3. Add sourdough starter and stir well to combine - I like to use a fork for this. Once the starter is stirred in, use your hands or a dough scraper to squeeze and squish the dough together trying to incorporate any dry bits into the dough. *Because all starters and butter brands are different, or if you are measuring by cups rather than grams, you may need to add a touch more starter or a tiny bit of water if you find you still have a lot of dry flour in the bowl. Do not add too much - a wet pie dough will become a tough pie once it is baked. 
4. Once your dough comes together, divide it into two equal portions. Flatten each piece of dough into a flat, round disk and cover with plastic wrap or place in a resealable bag.
5. Refrigerate dough for at least one hour and up to a week before proceeding with your pie recipe. If you are chilling for a week be sure it is tightly wrapped so it doesn't dry out. See freezing instructions below.

Notes

I use salted butter. If you want to use unsalted add a pinch of salt to the dry ingredients.

to long-ferment dough, use active starter and after step 4, leave dough at room temperature for 8 hours before placing in refrigerator to chill before rolling.

to freeze dough, cover tightly and store in freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator.

• Author: anita | wild thistle kitchen
• Prep Time: 20 minutes plus chilling
• Cook Time: varies
• Category: desserts, sourdough
• Method: baking, sourdough
• Cuisine: American