• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Kneaded That
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Subscribe
×
Home

The Best Homemade Sourdough Pie Crust

Updated: Dec 8, 2024 · Published: Oct 6, 2023 by Audrey · This post may contain affiliate links · 7 Comments

This Sourdough Pie Crust is going to be a staple in your house. A quick and easy way to use up ½ of a cup of sourdough discard and can be used for sweet and savory recipes. This recipe is perfectly buttery and flaky and comes out perfect every time!

If you happen to have a food processor on hand, you can have this ready to roll out in under 2 minutes. I know the idea of making a homemade pie crust can sound intimidating, especially for those of us who are busy with work and/or kids, but trust me, this takes no time at all and is easy to incorporate into your regular kitchen rotation. 

Keep reading to learn more about how you can start enjoying homemade pie crust regularly!

Homemade Sourdough Pie Crust Overview

Equipment 

  • Food processor (HIGHLY recommend! It will make cutting in the butter so much easier.)
    • This food processor is the perfect size for this recipe! 
  • Pastry blender (if not using a food processor) 
  • Pastry mat (optional)
  • Rolling pin
  • Pie Crust Shield

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup cold unsalted butter (cubed)
  • ½ cup cold sourdough discard (use it straight from the fridge!)
  • 1 Egg (cold and separated)
  • 1 teaspoon Apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
  • ½ teaspoon salt 
  • ½-1 teaspoon sugar (I prefer more for savory pies)

Instructions 

  1. Cube COLD butter
  2. In the bin of your food processor (or in a mixing bowl) add 1 cup of flour and 1 stick (½ cup) of butter.
  3. Pulse until butter and flour form pea-sized balls. If you aren’t using a food processor, add COLD cubed butter to a bowl with flour and either cut in with a fork and knife or use a pastry knife. 
  4. Add in COLD sourdough discard, a COLD egg yolk (save the egg white to brush the pie before baking), salt, sugar, and vinegar. 
  5. Pulse until just combined (you will see butter and egg spots throughout— this is GOOD! We don’t want the ingredients to be fully incorporated in a dough like this. When the crust is baking, the butter will melt, creating pockets of deliciousness and a super flaky crust. AKA heaven in the form of food. If you think it isn’t mixed well enough, it probably is! 
  6. Turn dough over onto a floured surface (or floured pastry mat for easy cleanup). It will be crumbly — don’t expect a solid dough ball. Gently flatten the dough into a round disk, cover it with cling wrap, and set it in the fridge until you are ready to roll it out and use it. I’d recommend placing it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes anyway, just so that it can be nice and firm for when you roll it out. 
  7. When you are ready to use your dough, place it on a lightly floured surface, sprinkle flour lightly on the top, and roll it out with a floured dough roller. I know— so much flour! The standard thickness for pie crust is about ⅛ inch thick, but just roll it out until it covers your pan with a bit of an overhang. Poke holes in it with a fork and lightly coat it with your saved egg white. 
  8. Style to your taste and bake according to your recipe's instructions! On top of pie filling, this typically takes around 45 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. If blind baking, this will probably only take around 20-25 minutes at the same temperature. I haven’t tried blind baking with this yet, so if you do be sure to keep an eye on it and let me know how it turns out! 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this without sourdough?

You absolutely can! Just add an extra ¼ cup of flour and add ICE water in a tablespoon at a time until the dough forms.

Why do you use vinegar?

I don't always put vinegar in my pie crust recipes, but I've found it to be really useful when making a sourdough crust. Sourdough is a natural leaven which can sometimes make the crust a bit more "bread-y". The vinegar is thought to help prevent the formation of gluten, giving you an ideally textured crust.

Can you make the crust ahead of time?

Of course! Just wrap it up nicely with cling wrap and place in the fridge for a day or two or in the freezer for 4-6 months. If freezing, I recommed cling wrap AND a freezer bag. Note: If storing it in the fridge, you run the risk of the sourdough "proofing" which could make the crust take on a bready texture. Not a bad thing! But not great either. The vinegar should help prevent this, but if you can, I'd either freeze it or make it the day of since it is so quick to make.

Why do the ingredients need to be cold?

This is SUPER important to making a great pie crust. The goal with crusts like these is to use barely incorporated dough with lots of butter specks throughout. These specks will melt in the oven and make your crust super flaky and yummy. If you use warm ingredients, you will melt your butter and be left with an over-mixed dough and a not-so-flaky crust. Hard Pass!

TRY OUT SOME OF MY OTHER FALL FAVORITES!

  • Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew Overnight Oats
  • Sourdough Malted Chai Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Same-Day Sourdough Dinner Rolls
  • The Best Sourdough Sandwich Bread You Will Ever Have
  • Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte Breakfast Muffins

Homemade Sourdough Pie Crust

This Sourdough Pie Crust is perfectly buttery, flaky, and sourdough-tangy. It will be a staple in your household!
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 2 minutes mins
Servings 1 Crust

Equipment

  • Food processor (HIGHLY recommend! It will make cutting in the butter so much easier.)
  • This food processor is the perfect size for this recipe!
  • Pastry knife (if not using a food processor)
  • Pastry mat (optional)
  • Rolling Pin

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup cold unsalted butter or butter of choice cubed
  • ½ cup cold sourdough discard use it straight from the fridge!
  • 1 Egg cold and separated
  • 1 teaspoon Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½-1 teaspoon sugar I prefer more for savory pies

Instructions
 

  • In the bin of your food processor (or in a mixing bowl) add 1 cup of flour and 1 stick (½ cup) of butter. Pulse until butter and flour form pea-sized balls. If you aren’t using a food processor, add COLD cubed butter to a bowl with flour and either cut in with a fork and knife or use a pastry knife.
  • Add in COLD sourdough discard, a COLD egg yolk (save the egg white to brush the pie before baking), salt, sugar, and vinegar.
  • Pulse until just combined (you will see butter and egg spots throughout— this is GOOD! We don’t want the ingredients to be fully incorporated in a dough like this. When the crust is baking, the butter will melt, creating pockets of deliciousness and a super flaky crust. AKA heaven in the form of food. If you think it isn’t mixed well enough, it probably is!
  • Turn dough over onto a floured surface (or floured pastry mat for easy cleanup). It will be crumbly — don’t expect a solid dough ball. Gently flatten the dough into a round disk, cover it with cling wrap, and set it in the fridge until you are ready to roll it out and use it. I’d recommend placing it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes anyway, just so that it can be nice and firm for when you roll it out.
  • When you are ready to use your dough, place it on a lightly floured surface, sprinkle flour lightly on the top, and roll it out with a floured dough roller. I know— so much flour! The standard thickness for pie crust is about ⅛ inch thick, but just roll it out until it covers your pan with a bit of an overhang. Poke holes in it with a fork and lightly coat it with your saved egg white.
  • Style to your taste and bake according to your recipe's instructions! On top of pie filling, this typically takes around 45 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. If blind baking, this will probably only take around 20-25 minutes at the same temperature. I haven’t tried blind baking with this yet, so if you do be sure to keep an eye on it and let me know how it turns out!

Notes

Always use COLD ingredients when making pie crust! Warm ingredients lead to melted butter which makes for an over-mixed dough and a not-so-flaky crust!
Store in the fridge for 1-2 days or in the freezer for 4-6 months. Note: if you store it in the fridge, the sourdough might "proof" a bit and lead to a chewier (but still flaky) dough.
If not using sourdough in this recipe, replace it with an additional ¼ cup of flour and add in ICE water a tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
If using dairy-free butter (such as country crock plant butter), I'd recommend freezing it a bit ahead of time to give it the cold-butter consistency.
Keep an eye on the edges of your crust while baking. If it starts to brown too much, cover it with a ring of aluminum foil or a pie crust shield. 

ALSO, BE SURE TO GRAB A COPY OF AT THE END OF THE DAY WRITTEN BY MY WONDERFUL MOM, STEPHANIE HAWKINS.

  • Picture of Sourdough Chocolate Sheet Cake with Brown Butter Frosting topped with sprinkles.
    Sourdough Chocolate Sheet Cake with Brown Butter Buttercream
  • Overhead picture of sourdough discard pretzel bites topped with pretzel salt.
    Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bites
  • Chewy Brown Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Overhead picture of sourdough coffee cake topped with cinnamon streusel and vanilla glaze.
    Sourdough Discard Coffee Cake

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marsha Smith

    November 06, 2024 at 1:03 pm

    5 stars
    I'm no chemist, but I have read where 1/2 tsp of cream of tartar helps make a flaky crust. I'm loving your recipe!

    Reply
    • Audrey

      November 08, 2024 at 7:52 am

      Ohh! I'll have to try this. The flakier the better! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂

      Reply
  2. Elizabeth

    December 06, 2024 at 12:09 pm

    It’s doesn’t say, but the picture shows the crust being on the top AND bottom of the pie. Does this recipe make enough for that or would this have to be doubled to create a top layer for say, a chicken pot pie

    Reply
    • Audrey

      December 08, 2024 at 9:33 pm

      Hi there! This makes one crust and will need to be doubled in order to make a two crust pie. The picture shown is of my sourdough chicken pot pie which only uses one crust on the top. I hope it turned out well for you!

      Reply
  3. Dorothy Fink

    February 03, 2025 at 1:41 pm

    5 stars
    This is absolutely the flakiest best pie crust I have ever made.and Is now my go to.Thankyou!!

    Reply
    • Audrey

      February 05, 2025 at 9:30 am

      Wow, Dorothy! Thank you for the compliment, I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂

      Reply

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Picture of Kneaded That Author Audrey Hawkins Grubb.

Hi, I'm Audrey! I’m a self-taught baker, mama of two boys, and artist at heart. I started baking during the 2020 pandemic and fell in love with creating sourdough discard recipes, breads, cookies, and cakes. This blog grew from quiet moments in the kitchen during my husband’s deployment—and now it’s where I share the joy (and mess) of baking with others. So glad you’re here!

More about me →

Popular

  • Picture of brown butter chocolate chipless cookies.
    Brown Butter Chocolate Chipless Cookies
  • Overhead picture of banana blackberry muffins cut in half.
    Bakery Style Banana Blackberry Muffins
  • Overhead picture of sourdough discard garlic butter dinner rolls.
    Sourdough Discard Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls
  • Overhead picture of chocolate chunk banana muffins cut in half.
    Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffins

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31

Footer

  • Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 Kneaded That on the Foodie Pro Theme