Flaky and buttery, this sourdough pie crust is the perfect base for your favorite sweet and savory pies. Sourdough starter adds a unique, robust flavor to a classic crust.
Key Takeaways: Sourdough Pie Crust
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Chill Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
- Servings: 2 crusts
- Cook Method: Baked in a pie pan.
- Flavor & Texture: Buttery with a mild, tangy sourdough flavor and a crisp, flaky texture.
- Difficulty: Easy. This recipe is straightforward and offers a simple, hands-off long-fermentation period.
- Why this Recipe? This simple pie crust offers delicious sourdough flavor and a rich, tender, flaky crust perfect for any sweet or savory pie.
Sourdough pie crust is the perfect foundation for your favorite fillings. Whether you’re planning a homemade apple pie or a savory chicken pot pie or savory tomato galette, sourdough discard enhances the tenderness and flavor of the crust, and using all butter gives rich flavor and a golden-brown, crisp crust.
When I first started making pie crust, I had a hard time rolling it out without it breaking apart. This recipe changed all that. The addition of the sourdough starter makes it very beginner-friendly. When my daughter Johanna started baking, she had immediate success rolling this sourdough pie crust. It’s still all she makes to this day, even though she is a seasoned baker now.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Simple ingredients – Pantry staples and sourdough discard keep this recipe simple and accessible, while also offering the flavor and fermented benefits of discard. Between the butter and discard, this crust turns out tender, flaky, and rich.
Sourdough benefits – This recipe may be long-fermented in the refrigerator for up to three days, softening the grains, increasing bioavailability, and improving the tenderness and texture of the crust. You can also use it directly after the two-hour chilling period, reducing the fermentation time.
Versatile – This recipe works well in sweet or savory recipes. It works great as a make-ahead option to store in the refrigerator for several days, too.
Ingredients
Flour – All-purpose flour works great in this recipe. I buy grain in bulk and freshly mill it for the most flavor and health benefits. Learn how to convert any recipe to freshly milled in my how-to post.
Sourdough starter – Either active or discard works great. Sourdough discard adds the most flavor if you’re not going to long-ferment, while active starter is more mildly flavored. Check out more ways to use up your sourdough starter in my guide.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Sourdough Pie Crust
Step 1: In a large bowl or a food processor, mix the flour, sugar, and salt.
Step 2: Cube the butter and add it to the flour mixture. You can cut the butter into the flour mixture most easily with a food processor, or you can use a fork or pastry blender to cut it in by hand. Work the butter into the flour until the mixture has a sandy texture.
Step 3: Add the sourdough discard and stir just until combined.
Step 4: Divide the dough in half, then shape each half into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. For longer fermentation, I find that 8 hours or overnight is a good amount of time to develop the flavor and ferment the dough.
Step 5: Sprinkle a clean countertop with flour and roll out one ball of dough until it is approximately 12” in diameter. I like to press my rolling pin down into the middle of the dough ball and roll it back and forth, turn the disc about a quarter turn, then roll back and forth again, continuing to do so until I have a circle. You can add a touch more flour to the workspace if the dough starts to stick.
Step 6: Drape the dough over a 9″ pie plate, gently pressing it into the bottom and sides. Add your filling of choice. Roll out the other half and drape it over the filling. Trim the excess and press the edges together. Bake according to your specific recipe.
Lisa’s Expert Tips
- You want everything cold before baking. Keep the dough refrigerated until ready to roll out and bake.
- If you are new to sourdough and need a starter, you’ll find that sourdough friends are always eager to share, or I have a recipe for making your own starter from scratch. You’ll also find recipes on the blog for 6+ different types of starters and instructions for how to use your starter.
- This recipe makes a double crust. If you only need a single crust, just wrap the extra half in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer until you need it. You’ll be glad you did!
- I like to double this recipe and stick the extras in the fridge. This gives them more time to ferment, and I can pull them out at any time throughout the week to make easy hand pies, sourdough galettes, and ground beef pot pie.
- Crimp the edges and add a design to the middle to release steam. You can make slits in the top or use cookie cutters for a design in the top crust before placing it over the filling.
Sourdough Pie Crust FAQs
If storing unbaked pie crust dough, wrap it well and refrigerate for several days, or freeze for several months. A baked pie shell can be kept at room temperature, covered, for several days, or refrigerated, covered, for several days. If filled, store according to the filling recipe.
A long-fermented sourdough crust offers easier digestion, lower gluten content, and more robust flavor. Adding sourdough discard but skipping the long-ferment still has benefits, namely in flavor and texture, but digestion remains about the same.
Yes, the recipe allows for active starter or discard.
A chewy, rather than tender, flaky crust tends to be the result of overworking the dough or adding too much flour. Once the butter is cut in and the discard added, working the dough should be minimal. Simply, bring the ingredients together into a ball before chilling and rolling out. Additional flour added while rolling the dough out should also be minimal.
More Recipes from the Farmhouse
- Whole Wheat Blueberry Cobbler
- Homemade Sourdough Oatmeal Cream Pies
- Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
- Baked Apple Cider Donuts
- One Bowl Lemon Olive Oil Cake
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
Sourdough Pie Crust
Equipment
- Food Processor or pastry cutter
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour, 280 grams
- 2 teaspoons sugar, 8 grams
- 1 teaspoon salt, 5 grams
- 1 cup cold butter, 227 grams, cubed
- 1 cup sourdough starter discard, 250 grams
Instructions
- In a large bowl or a food processor, mix the flour, sugar, and salt.
- Cube the butter and add it to the flour mixture. You can cut the butter into the flour mixture most easily with a food processor, or you can use a fork or pastry blender to cut it in by hand. Work the butter into the flour until the mixture has a sandy texture.
- Add the sourdough discard and stir just until combined.
- Divide the dough in half, then shape each half into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. For longer fermentation, I find that 8 hours or overnight is a good amount of time to develop the flavor and ferment the dough.
- Sprinkle a clean countertop with flour and roll out one ball of dough until it is approximately 12” in diameter. You can add a touch more flour to the work space if the dough starts to stick.
- Drape the dough over a 9″ pie plate, gently pressing it into the bottom. Add your filling of choice. Roll out the other half and drape it over the filling. Trim the excess and press the edges together. Bake according to your specific recipe.
Notes
- This recipe can be long-fermented with an extended chill time in the refrigerator. If you need to make it more quickly, it may be prepared, chilled, and baked without the longer fermentation time.
- For sourdough flavor, a longer fermentation will develop a more pronounced tang to the crust, or if you don’t plan to long-ferment, sourdough discard will give a stronger flavor than active starter.
- You want everything cold before baking. Keep the dough refrigerated until ready to roll out and bake.
- If you are new to sourdough and need a starter, you’ll find that sourdough friends are always eager to share, or I have a recipe for making your own starter from scratch. You’ll also find recipes on the blog for 6+ different types of starters and instructions for how to use your starter.
- This recipe makes a double crust. If you only need a single crust, just wrap the extra half in plastic wrap and place in the freezer until you need it. You’ll be glad you did!
- I like to double this recipe and stick the extras in the fridge. This gives them more time to ferment and I can pull them out at any time throughout the week to make easy hand pies, sourdough galettes, and ground beef pot pie.
- Crimp the edges and add a design to the middle to release steam. You can make slits in the top or use cookie cutters for a design in the top crust before placing it over the filling.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Could I use half lard and half butter?
Yes…
Lisa i notice you use all purpose flour for your pie crust. Could I use soft white wheat in replace of all purpose? I love all your recipes and excited to try the pie crust
You can use my whole wheat pie crust recipe as I have several..https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/whole-wheat-pie-crust-with-butter/
Do you have to let warm up again after being in the fridge? It seems pretty hard to roll out now?
• Let it rest: Take the chilled dough out of the fridge and let it sit on a floured countertop for 10 to 15 minutes before rolling.
• Check the texture: The dough should feel slightly pliable and yield to gentle pressure, but it must still feel cool to the touch so the butter doesn’t melt.
• Fix cracking edges: If the edges split while rolling, simply press them back together with your fingers and let the dough rest for another minute or two before continuing.
How many crusts does this make? I am trying to make the apple pie
This is a double-crust recipe, meaning it provides exactly what you need for a standard 9-inch apple pie: one crust for the bottom and one crust for the top (or to cut into strips for a lattice top)
If I wanted to add 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar to the recipe would I have to remove 1 tbsp of the sourdough starter so its not too wet?
I haven’t tried it but it would probably be fine as this dough tends to be on the drier shaggier side and can easily take another tablespoon of ice water so I would assume it could take vinegar…
I love this recipe and have used it so many times! I want to make a pumpkin pie that only calls for 15 minutes bake time at 425. How long should I cook the crust for before adding the pumpkin filling?
I have not tested it to say exactly but my guess would be 15-18 min…then pull it out of the pan and put it back in the oven for another 3-5 min until it does not have that raw look on the bottom…let it slightly cool before adding it back to the pan and adding the filling. Again, I have not tried it, but that would be my approach….
Made with 100% wholewheat and it turned out lovely. Thanks for the recipes
This made great crust for a quiche! So delicious!
Curious, Lisa, is there anything else we could use the pie crust to make? I only needed one quiche and have extra. Empanadas or chocolate-filled pastry? The dough felt a little heavier for a pastry. Just curious.
I’d recommend my tomato galette! https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/easy-tomato-galette-with-buttery-crust/ I use it for all my pie recipes as well.
Used this crust to make small hand pies. Worked perfectly, I cut circles while about 1/4 inch thick and then went ahead and rolled those circles out to be more like 1/8 inch before filling and crimping the edges. I topped with butter and a sprinkle of corse sugar. Was delicious and perfectly balanced flavor of tangy sourdough crust and sweet filling/topping not too sweet and perfect. I am going to make more this weekend to make a quiche and more hand pies! The half section made us 7 hand pies which was one for each person in my family, worked perfectly.
Definitely will try this for quiche. Does the other half need to be fermented before or after freezing?
I would ferment it before freezing!
You mention a grain mill. Do you use fresh ground flour for this recipe? I know the recipe itself says all purpose flour. If so, do you recommend hard wheat or soft wheat for this recipe?
Yes, you can! I sub the flour for soft white wheat and measure it out at 140 grams per cup of flour.