Sourdough Pie Crust, where have you been all my life? This pie crust is tender, flaky and tastes amazing. This just might become your go-to pie crust recipe.
If you’re a sourdough-bread baker, you know how painful it is to throw away a whole cup of hard-earned yeasty goodness every time you need to replenish your starter.
This recipe is a great way to use that discard to make an incredible pie crust. Yes, it is convenient and satisfying to use the discard in this recipe rather than tossing it in the trash. But that’s not why you should make this recipe.
Make this recipe because that little bit of sourdough discard does amazing things for the flavor and texture of a basic flaky pie dough.
If you don’t have one, you can learn How to Make a Sourdough Starter. Then I can show you how to Feed and Maintain Sourdough Starter or How to Keep a Small Sourdough Starter.
Why Sourdough Pie Crust is so good:
- Each time you “feed” your sourdough starter you need to discard a portion of that starter. Obviously, this recipe is a great way to use sourdough discard.
- I based this recipe on my starter which is fed with equal weights of starter, flour and water (that is 100% hydration). You may need to adjust the amount of starter in the recipe based on the moisture of your starter.
- Sourdough starter is acidic. Acidic ingredients tenderize gluten. Sourdough discard helps keep this pie crust tender. No one likes a tough pie crust.
- As the crust bakes there is a tiny bit of lift from the natural yeast in the sourdough starter. I find that lift helps make the crust even flakier as the air pockets in the dough poof up a bit and separate the layers of dough.
- Sourdough Pie Crust smells amazing as it’s baking in the oven. The yeasty, bready smell is totally tempting.
Scroll through the step by step photos to see how to make Sourdough Pie Crust:
I used Sourdough Pie Crust to make a sensational Vanilla Pear Pie and the best Chicken Pot Pie ever.
Since you’ve got your starter fed, peruse the entire list of My Best Sourdough Recipes. Have fun!
I know you hate to throw away that sourdough discard. Check out these recipes that use sourdough discard.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, I’d really appreciate a 5-star review.
Sourdough Pie Crust
A Perfect Pie Crust is a thing of beauty. The addition of a little sourdough discard adds an intriguing depth of flavor to a basic pie dough.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (7.5 oz, 210g) all purpose flour (see note)
- 2/3 cup (3.5 oz, 100g) cake flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (4 oz, 115g) vegetable shortening, cold
- 1/2 cup (4 oz, 115g) butter, very cold and sliced into 1/4" thin slices
- 1 cup (8 oz, 224g) sourdough discard, see note (100% hydration)
Instructions
- Combine the all purpose and cake flour with the salt and sugar. Whisk together to mix the ingredients evenly.
- Using your fingers, cut the shortening into the flo7aur mixture until it resembles coarse corn meal. Using your fingers, toss the butter into the flour mixture. Allow the slices of butter to break up into slightly smaller pieces into the flour. Work quickly so the butter doesn't get warm. Don't break the butter down completely. There should be some large flakes remaining.
- Pour the sourdough discard onto the flour all at once and toss to combine. Gently press the dough just until it comes together. It will look a little dry in spots. The moisture will redistribute in the dough as it rests.
- Wrap the dough and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours before using.
Notes
I based this recipe on my starter which is fed with equal weights of starter, flour and water. You may need to adjust the amount of starter in the recipe based on the moisture level of your starter.
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Ryan
Hello! I’m a huge sourdough starter fan and am so happy I found your website! One of my cookbooks is a book all about bacon and one of the recipes in the cookbook calls to use clarified bacon fat to make a pie crust. I’d love to make a pie crust using both sourdough starter and bacon grease! In your opinion, do you believe replacing the vegetable shortening for clarified bacon fat (cold) could work?
Eileen Gray
Yes. I almost always use leaf lard instead of vegetable shortening when I make pie dough.
Jenn
I’m ‘babysitting’ the sourdough starter from work and need some discard recipes to try.
This looks simple and delicious.
Is it possible to make without the shortening, just substitute more butter?
Thanks!
Eileen Gray
Yes!
Alexandra Moellmann
Looks good and I’m about to try your recipe. But why perpetuate the myth that you need to discard starter? Sure there’s a period in the beginning when it makes sense not to feed the whole developing starter, but after that, there’s no reason to throw any starter away. Just keep the amounts small and then there’s no waste. Make more if you want unfed starter.
Eileen Gray
There are a million ways to make and keep starter. For those who prefer not have less discard I recommend keeping a small starter.
Alexandra
Update: this was easily the absolute best pie crust I have ever made both taste-wise and because of flakiness. Thanks for the recipe!
Alison Wotherspoon
This recipe sounds great! I’m making a Savoury pie do i newsroom add the sugar or could I reduce the amount of sugar?
Eileen Gray
The sugar doesn’t make the crust sweet, just helps with tenderizing and browning. I always use the sugar even for savory pies.
Timesaflyin
Am I overlooking the directions for baking this crust? I don’t see a recommended time or temperature. My recipe uses a store bought crust.
Eileen Gray
I don’t include baking directions here because the time and temperature will be specific to the recipe you are making. Use the time and temperature listed in the recipe, even if it uses store bought crust. The time will be shorter is you’re using an aluminum pie plate and longer if you’re using ceramic or glass. What type of pie are you making?
Robin
Hi Eileen. Thanks for the recipe. I made a rhubarb pie this afternoon that we plan on having for dinner and it smells heavenly. I followed the recipe closely and wound up with a very dry dough that was difficult to roll out. So, I’ve come back to reread your directions. Just a note to anyone else trying this: pay attention to the hydration of your starter. I needed more water, which I should have added but didn’t because I failed to take my starter hydration into account (it’s 100%). I’ll know next time. Thanks again.
Wolfe
Great idea. Thanks for the details.
I have started refrigerating my starter for 1/2 week so I don’t have to feed it daily. I am wondering though of any recommendations for freezing the pie crust dough and how long it could keep that way.
Eileen Gray
Sorry for the delayed response, I was on vacation. I freeze unbaked pie dough all the time. Wrapped tightly, it will last several months in the freezer.
Gloria
I am excited to try this recipe. One question though. The only discard I have right now has been in the refrigerator fof s while and has Hooch on top of it. I usually mix the hooch in. Do you think I could use that or would it be too acidic? My discard has been in the refrigerator for weeks.
Eileen Gray
The discard is really just used as the liquid (and some flour) in this recipe. So the ripe starter would work fine unless it has an unpleasant or “off” smell/flavor. Mix in the hooch and if it smells pleasant enough then go ahead and use it.
Lisa
Hi! The longer I ferment my dough, the better Im able to digest wheat. I’m somewhat gluten intolerant. Could I use fed starter then let the mixed recipe sit out for awhile before the refrigerator process? Or would the unfed starter be used as per recipe and mixed recipe sit out before refrigeration. Do you think I would have the same benefit with unfed?
Eileen Gray
I can’t speak to the health benefits. But I would say the best option would be to mix the dough with the discard then leave the dough in the refrigerator for a day or two before using. Just like any other pie dough, you do want to keep the fat cold so you don’t loose the flakes.
Lily
Hi! How long should the pie crust cook in the oven and on what temperature?
Eileen Gray
It depends on how you’re using it. Bake it according to the directions of the pie you are making.
Amanda
I’m also curious about the bake time, i want to make a cranberry curd pie and don’t want to overbake it! It sets in 10 min at 350
Eileen Gray
The bake time will depend on what type of pie you make. If you are baking an empty crust it will bake much more quickly than if it is filled with fruit. Follow the baking time for whichever recipe you are using for the filling.
Sherrille Gooch
My sourdough starter is different. It is a potato flake starter and is more liquid than yours. How would I adapt this recipe to use it? I hate to throw it away if it can be used for other recipes!
Eileen Gray
Figure out how much water is in 8 oz of starter and adjust accordingly. My 8 oz of starter includes 4 oz of water. So if your starter would have 6 oz of water maybe use a bit less than the recipe.
Sherrille Gooch
Thank you! I just poured the starter in until I got to the desired texture. The crust was wonderful on my Tomato Tart!!
Eileen Gray
Perfect.
SYuen
Hi… Do I need to half
bake the pastry first before putting in the fillings
Eileen Gray
Depends on the filling. If it’s something that need to cook (like a fruit filling) you can put it into the unbaked crust. If the filling is already cooked (like chicken stew for chicken pot pie) you can prebake the bottom crust.
Ms. Stacy Fletcher
Sounds amazing & I would love to make a apple pie or a fruit pie of some kind with this recipe, however I have a important question, surprised nobody asked already , is the starter supposed to be fed or unfed and if Fed how long prior to using it to mix this crust up?
Thanks
Eileen Gray
When the ingredient says “sourdough discard” that means it a starter that hasn’t been fed. “Discard” means the portion of the starter that you would throw away when you need to feed the starter.
Jennifer Stevenson
Do you warm the dough after it has been refrigerated for hours? My first try was rested in the fridge overnight for 12 hours and came out like a brick. Second try, I refrigerated for 1 hour, still a brick, warmed it another hour. Still kind of a brick.
Eileen Gray
I’ll often chop the dough into chunks and smush it up a bit to soften enough to roll. Just be careful not to let the butter melt or you’ll loose the flakes. Also, if you form it into a not too thick disc before refrigerating it’s a little easier to work with than if it’s a thick brick.
Jamaica
I am so excited to try this recipe for tomorrow, and just wanted to suggest for others who might be reading comments and thinking about this for the holidays: grate the pie crust into the pie pan. Once it’s all grated, use your fingers to press it into shape in the pan. The technique has been heralded as the best way to keep the flakiness of the pie crust (as seen in New York Times Cooking), and is perfect for this, as it’s meant for cold dough. If you’re doing a two-crust pie, leave the other crust out while you grate the first into the pan, and it should be soft enough to roll out by the time you’ve finished pressing the grated crust into the pan. I’m making this this afternoon and putting into the fridge for tomorrow (I’ll let it sit for an hour out and refrigerate for 14 hours), since my sister (like the reader above) is sensitive to gluten but does very well with sourdough/fermented wheat. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Eileen Gray
I haven’t tried the grating technique. My only concern would be a using your hands to press the bits into the plate might warm the dough up too much. Just be careful not to over handle the dough to the point the fat melts out.
Ehlisha Meerdink
Would this crust be good for pot pies?
Eileen Gray
Absolutely! I made a chicken pot a pie a couple of weeks ago with a double sourdough crust.
Tieneke Oskam
Great recipe! I used it for twee rhubarb frangipane galettes en they turned out very tasty. The dough was really flaky and good. Thanks!
Eileen Gray
Twee rhubarb galettes! They sound perfect.
SYuen
Making chicken pot pie for my dinner today.. Would like to know if I need to bake the bottom layer for 5 mins first
Eileen Gray
Because the filling is already cooked, I do blind bake the bottom layer when I make chicken pot pie. You can see photos in my Heirloom Tomato Pie post how to blind bake a pie crust.
Virginia
I don’t have cake flour. will all AP work?
Eileen Gray
Yes. You can use all AP flour.
saba
If you don’t use the cake flour and shortening, how much flour and butter should you use?
Eileen Gray
If you don’t use shortening just use the same amount of butter in place of it. You can replace the 2/3 cup of cake flour with 1/2 cup of all purpose flour plus a tablespoon + a teaspoon of corn starch. If you don’t have corn starch just go ahead and use all purpose flour in place of the cake flour.
Linda
I’d love to try sourdough pie crust, except I do not like to use shortening. What effect would using all butter or some oil have on the recipe?
Eileen Gray
All butter would work just fine.
Jennifer Duffy
Could you make this pie crust dough ahead of time and freeze it?
Eileen Gray
Yes.
SYuen
Thank you Eileen Gray… Used your recipe… I did change the amount of the shortening… Less shortening n more butter… The pastry was good…would like to know how long can I keep the left over pastry in the fridge.