Pie season is here. Well, pie season is always here for us. Pie is one of those nostalgic desserts that bring on the feelings of old fashioned, country living. Can’t you just picture a warm pie cooling in the windowsill of an old farmhouse with a sunflower patch in the background? Or maybe a bed of snow? Pies are the easiest food to stretch in any season, for any meal. Ours always start with a sourdough pie crust.
We love pie during any season. Creamy pot pie, apple pie, even quiche is great year round. And my favorite part of Fall and Winter is baking all of the pies and treats. We have a function called a holiday market at our church every Fall season. It is hosted by our WMU ladies (Woman’s Missionary Union) and it is absolutely one of my favorite events we have. Not just because of the holiday fun and baked goods, but also seeing the faces of our community and fellowshipping. However, the pies do not hurt and many of our WMU ladies make homemade, from scratch pies (among other treats) to sell to support our missionaries, both local and around the world. For the past few years, my mom and I have made a few different pies for the market and they all start with this sourdough pie crust.
While it is still pretty warm here, I can tell that Fall is coming. The days are getting shorter, the temperatures are not as high, and the deer are starting to come out and play more. The joys of late Summer turning to Fall! Talk of the holiday market has also started.
I love the feelings associated with Fall. The leaves start to turn and the change in the air is so cozy. Fall is definitely my favorite season and I start to get so excited this time of year. Best of all, I love the food. Pumpkin and apple dishes, soups and stews, warm drinks… ahhhh.
One of our favorite Fall meals is any kind of pie. It is just oh so comforting and can be made anyway you like and with practically anything in your kitchen. But I really struggled with enjoying pie crust. Every recipe I tried never turned out and was always too dry or too hard to work with. So I tried and tried and ended up creating my own recipe and I truly think it is the best recipe I have tried. It is not hard to work with, it makes plenty of crust (and even a little left for decorating!) and it is so delicious. But then I decided to take it a step further and convert it to sourdough because I love anything sourdough for the taste and health benefits.
I made my sourdough starter a while back. I have shared about how to make a sourdough starter and you can buy some of mine as well.
Sourdough Pie Crust
This recipe makes two sourdough pie crusts.
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup sourdough starter
1 tablespoon sweetener (I use honey or sugar usually)
1/2 cup ice water
First, I like to feed my starter and leave it in a warm spot for several hours, until it is bubbly. For this crust, you do not have to do this, but I like the way it turns out better. You can use unfed starter out of the fridge and believe me, I have.
Once bubbly, I mix flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Then I add in cubed butter and work in until pea sized. I use my hands but a pastry cutter or even a food processor would do this too.
Then I add in sourdough starter and sweetener (unless I’m making a savory pie, then I leave out the sweetener). Mix well and add enough water for the dough to come together into a ball.
I use the same bowl and place the dough back into bowl and cover, allowing to ferment at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
After the dough has fermented, I like to refrigerate dough for 2-4 hours before rolling out to allow everything to get nice and cold. This makes the flaky crust! Now, you have options here. Fully fermented is my favorite way but I have also used the crust immediately with no fermenting/chilling and I have just left it out for an hour or two before chilling. All are great however, I would definitely chill the dough before using it if you let it ferment on the counter at all. Otherwise it just will not be as flaky and delicious.
When I am ready to make my pie, I roll out the dough on a floured work surface. Sometimes, I put parchment paper down to help with transferring the dough to the pan. When rolling, I like to roll the dough and then turn it slightly. Roll again, turn, roll, turn… You get the idea. This just keeps it as round as possible for a better fit.
If I don’t use parchment, I just roll the dough onto my rolling pin, move it to the pan and roll it back out. I do this most often. I use butter on my pans before adding the crust. Then I just use a fork to poke a few spots on the bottom and sides of the crust.
If I need to blind bake the pie, I will add parchment then beans and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. This is just enough to help it set up some and not become soggy if I am make a pie with a liquid filling. I also do this if I am making a filling that is not cooked like certain custard pies.
Then I add filling to either the baked or unbaked crust. If I am using a top crust, I will roll it out and add it now. I like to crimp the edges with my fingers but there are different ways to finish the edges of your pie. I like to also cut slits in the top of the pie. It helps with ventilation but I also think it just makes for a pretty pie.
I like to bake my pies at 350 and the time is dependent on the pie recipe.
This sourdough pie crust is my staple for all of my pies. It is flaky and browns really nicely in the oven. If you like this recipe, please be sure to leave a 5 star rating and share this with friends. Nothing is better than passing your favorite recipes to friends and family!
Here on the blog and on my YouTube channel, I regularly share recipes like this recipe for sourdough pie crust along with other old fashioned and simple living topics. Take it a step further by joining the country community and gain access to the country community page. Free recipe cards, ebooks and more made just for you. And don’t forget a letter delivered to your inbox each week with the newest goodies and country fun. Come on in and let’s be friends!
Sourdough Pie Crust
Pie season is here. Well, pie season is always here for us. Pie is one of those nostalgic desserts that bring on the feelings of old fashioned, country living. Can't you just picture a warm pie cooling in the windowsill of an old farmhouse with a sunflower patch in the background? Or maybe a bed of snow? Pies are the easiest food to stretch in any season, for any meal. Ours always start with a sourdough pie crust.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sourdough starter
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks), cubed
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon honey, optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt.
- Add in cubed butter and work in until pea sized.
- Next, add in sourdough starter and honey (omit honey if making a savory pie). Mix well and add enough water for the dough to come together into a ball.
- Place dough back into bowl and cover, allowing to ferment at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
- After the dough has fermented, refrigerate dough for 2-4 hours before rolling out to allow everything to get nice and cold. This makes the flaky crust!
- When ready to make pie, roll out the dough on a floured work surface. I put parchment paper down to help with transferring the dough to the pan. When rolling, I like to roll the dough and then turn it slightly. Roll again, turn, roll, turn... You get the idea. This just keeps it as round as possible for a better fit.
- Place crust in buttered pie dish and press into dish. If you would like to blind bake, add pie weights (or beans) and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Just enough to help it set up some.
- Add filling and roll out your second crust if doing a double crust.
- Add second crust to top, trim the excess and crimp the edges together. I like to also cut slits in the top of the pie. It helps with ventilation but I also think it just makes for a pretty pie.
Notes
- You can get away with pulling starter straight from the fridge, unfed!
- If doing a double crust (the full recipe) blind baking will help the final outcome of your pie even if baking the full pie. But you can also skip this step and it will still come out great!
- Do not overwork this dough or it will become tough.