Easy Sourdough Pie Crust Recipe (Step-by-Step Photos)

Come along and learn how to make a flaky, buttery, absolutely delicious homemade sourdough pie crust. Once you know a few “secrets” it’s actually quite easy to make, and requires just a handful of ingredients! If you’re new to making pie crust from scratch, our clear step-by-step photos and tips should be a big help.

This sourdough pie crust creates the perfect “home” to hold any of your favorite sweet or savory pie fillings – from apple or pumpkin pie to quiche or pot pies. Our recipe makes a single pie crust (to fit about a 9 to 10” pie pan). So, if your pie needs both a top and bottom crust, be sure to double the recipe and then split it into two at step 2 in the instructions below.

Should I use active starter or discard to make sourdough pie crust?

Since a tall rise isn’t the goal, sourdough pie crust can be made with either active sourdough starter or discarded (inactive) starter. Either way, I recommend using starter that has been fed within the last couple of weeks – not the discard from a severely neglected and hoochie starter. Using discard will result in a slightly more sour-flavored pie crust.

We use a 100% hydration starter for this recipe, meaning it’s been fed equal parts of water and flour by weight. If you follow our starter feeding and maintenance guide, this is the usual way we feed starter! And if you happen to need one, you can snag an organic sourdough starter from our shop here.

See notes about chilling your starter in the section to follow.

The secret to getting a flaky pie crust

The key to achieving a stellar flaky sourdough pie crust is to keep the dough and butter as cold as possible before baking. The main goal is to prevent the butter bits within the dough from melting until the pie hits the oven, where the butter clumps then explode with steam to create flaky air pockets as the pie bakes. So, simply keep that in mind as you’re making your pie! Have your ingredients ready and work quickly to avoid leaving the dough out any longer than necessary. Also don’t handle the dough any more than needed.

Some pie aficionados even refrigerate their flour before mixing it with butter! While I don’t think that is necessary, I do recommend refrigerating your sourdough starter for about an hour (or longer) before mixing the dough – especially if your home is warm. I also put my butter in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes before starting.

When using active starter for this recipe, we feed it at room temp like ususal, let it rise, and then pop it in the fridge just as it’s reaching peak activity. If you’re using discard, it’s probably already in the fridge – so no need to let it warm up first!

Looking for other ways to use discarded starter? See our list of the 15 Best Sourdough Discard Recipes here.

Ingredients for Sourdough Pie Crust

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour (optional). It’s okay to just use 1 full cup of all-purpose flour instead, but I really love the addition of the pasty flour! Whole wheat pastry flour makes the crust more tender and delicate, and also just a wee bit healthier for you too, since whole wheat flour has more fiber and a slightly lower glycemic index than all purpose flour. (Do not substitute with regular whole wheat flour.)
• 10 Tbsp cold butter, straight from the fridge (or lightly frozen)
• ½ cup sourdough starter – active or discard, ideally cool temperature
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar or coconut sugar
• ½ tsp sea salt

Supplies Needed

• Pie pan
• Mixing bowl
• Rolling pin
• Box cheese grater (optional)
• Pastry blender or bench scraper (optional but handy for cutting butter into flour)
• Parchment paper or plastic wrap
• Crust shield (optional)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Mix the Dough

Start by combining the called-for flour, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Next, grate the cold butter into the same bowl using a box cheese grater. I find this is the easiest way to evenly cut cold butter into the dough without needing to over-mix it! If you don’t have a grater, simply cut the butter into thin slices. I cut up the very ends of the butter stick (that are too difficult to hold to grate) into slightly larger chunks to add at the end.

Mix and cut in the dry ingredients with the butter until it resembles coarse crumbly sand with some bean-sized butter bits. Do not over-mix or break up all the butter chunks. I usually start by tossing everything with a fork and then switch to a pastry blender to finish cutting the butter in. A bench scraper can also be used to cut butter into flour. Keep in mind it will be quite dry at this point still.

Now add the cold sourdough starter to the mixture. Start mixing with a fork, then use your hands to finish mixing until combined. Form the dough into a shaggy ball. There shouldn’t be any crumbles or dry bits left in the bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of cold water if the dough seems too dry.

Step 2: Form and Chill Dough 

Using your hands, quickly form the sourdough pie crust dough into a round flat puck (about 1 to 2 inches thick and 4 inches around) with smooth edges. To prevent it from drying out, wrap the dough puck in plastic wrap, or like we did, in parchment paper and then inside a ziplock bag. Split the dough in half and form 2 equal individually-wrapped pucks if you doubled this recipe.

Chill the wrapped sourdough pie crust dough for a minimum of two hours prior to baking, or for up to three days. The longer it sits, the more the dough can mingle with the starter to ferment. One of the main perks of sourdough (IMHO) is the very fact that it’s fermented, which makes it more nutritious and easier to digest! So, I don’t like to rush this step. We usually refrigerate our pie dough for at least 12 hours (overnight).

You can also make sourdough pie crust dough ahead of time and freeze it for up to several months. Be sure it’s tightly wrapped to prevent freezer burn, and then defrost it in the refrigerator for a day or two prior to use.

Step 3: Roll, Fill and Bake

When you’re ready to bake your pie (and have your filling all ready to go), take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it rest on the counter for 10 minutes. This makes it easier to roll out without cracking.

Place the dough puck on a generously floured work surface and sprinkle a light dusting of flour on top. Then proceed to roll it out with a floured rolling pin. 

Start in the middle of the dough puck and work your way outwards, rotating the direction you’re rolling each time to maintain an evenly round shape. If the dough is resisting or cracking a lot at first, let it sit for another couple of minutes to warm more. Continue to roll out the dough until it’s about ⅛–inch thick and large enough to cover the bottom and sides of your pie pan.

Now, gently ease the flattened dough into your pie pan. Either gently fold it in half twice (into quarters) or loosely roll part of it up around the rolling pin to help lift and transfer it without tearing. Press the crust into the sides and edges of the pan, and form the outer edge as you see fit. Cut or tear off any excess dough if necessary.

Immediately proceed to fill and bake following the pie recipe you’re using (including any par-baking requirements).

How to make sourdough pie crust shiny

It’s easy to make a sourdough pie crust shine by lightly brushing the crust with milk or egg before baking. I don’t always bother with a single crust pie, but do like to brush the top of our double-crust pies.

According to Taste of Home, create a shine with light browning by brushing the crust with an egg white beaten with 1 tsp of water. Or, use an egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp of water for a glossy golden appearance. Using whole milk, half-and-half, or heavy whipping cream will offer a slight shine. On the other hand, brushing the crust with water alone will lead to a brown crisp crust. Finally, add a sprinkle of sugar on top to give it a pretty sparkle.

And that’s how to make homemade sourdough pie crust!

Did that make you hungry? I sure hope so. 😉 I also hope this step-by-step tutorial gives you all the tips and confidence in the world to go make a wonderfully delicious, flaky, homemade sourdough pie crust of your own. Please pop back by to leave a review once you give it a try! Also feel free to ask any questions you may have in the comments below. Now excuse me while I go eat a slice of apple pie… Happy baking!

You may also enjoy:

• How to Make a Pumpkin-Shaped Sourdough Loaf
• Delicious Butternut Squash Pie Recipe
• Basic No-Knead Sourdough Bread Recipe
• Simple Sourdough Focaccia Recipe
• Sourdough Pancakes recipe (discard or active starter)
• Healthy Sourdough Pumpkin Spice Bread (or muffins)
• Cinnamon Spiced Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Soft and Chewy Sourdough Ginger Molasses Cookies
• Herb and Whole Wheat Sourdough Crackers
• Sourdough Cornbread