Easy + Delicious No Fail Sourdough Pie Crust

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The easiest sourdough pie crust you will ever make! This sourdough pie crust recipe uses only 5 ingredients to create a buttery, flaky pie crust every time. A must try for any holiday baking!

Unbaked sourdough pie crust in a fluted edge pattern, placed in a pie dish on a wooden surface.

Pie Crust is Always a Good Idea.

Even if you are someone who doesn’t do a ton of baking, having a ready made pie crust on hand is one of the best tools in your kitchen.

It works equally well for both sweet and savory dishes, can be frozen for up to 3 months, and always turns out great.

This is a recipe that I come back to again and again, and it hasn’t failed me yet 🙂

Jump to:

Quick Recipe Snapshot

TOTAL TIME: 10 minutes prep time, about 2 hours minimum chill time in the fridge.
YIELD:
Two 9″ pie crusts.
STORAGE: Store in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
BEST SERVED:
Baked into your favorite dessert or savory dish 🙂 we love this recipe with quiche or sourdough apple pie!

This Recipe Is…


  • EASY TO PREP: I love that this sourdough pie crust utilizes staple ingredients you likely already have hanging around your kitchen. Use it with your favorite baked desserts, or for more savory options like quiche or chicken pot pie.
  • FREEZER FRIENDLY: This pie crust can be made ahead of time and then stored in the freezer for up to 3 months! Simply thaw on the counter once ready to use.
a labeled ingredient photo of ingredients needed to make sourdough discard pie crust

Key Ingredient Notes

  • Sourdough starter: I used sourdough discard in this recipe, but active starter also works just fine.
  • Butter: This is key to a flaky pie crust! Make sure it’s cold (or better yet, frozen) before adding to the crust. I use salted butter, but if you like to better control the salt added into recipes, feel free to use unsalted.
  • Flour: I prefer to use regular all purpose flour for this recipe.
  • Salt: Adds flavor.
  • Ice water: Emphasis on ice. It needs to be cold, just like the butter.

Tips for Preparing to Make This Recipe

  1. Keep it cold: Keeping the pastry dough as cold as you can during this process is key to a flaky pie crust! I highly recommend chilling the dough before baking for at least 15 minutes to help the pie hold it’s shape while baking.
  2. Troubleshooting tip: If you notice the dough is cracking or too dry, dip your fingers in cold water and smooth out any cracks. If it’s cracking, it needs some moisture. If the dough seems really sticky, don’t be afraid to add some more flour to it.

Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below!

Step by Step Instructions with Photos

a large mixing bowl  full of flour, with grated butter on top
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add in the cold cubed (or grated) butter.
a hand holds a small amount of crumbly pie dough
  1. Using a pastry blender, two forks, or your hands, begin to work the cold butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.
a large mixing bowl full of flour, with a well in the center. A water and sourdough starter mixture has been poured into the well
  1. Add the sourdough starter to the water, stirring well to combine. Pour the sourdough and water mixture over the dry ingredients, mixing together until it forms a ball.
a small disc of sourdough pie crust on a wooden surface. A hand is cupped around the outside edge of the disc
  1. Add the dough onto a work surface and begin to shape into a large disc. At this point, I then divide the dough into two discs, wrap each in plastic wrap, and then place one in the the fridge to chill, while the other gets popped into the freezer for future use.

Rolling and Baking Pie Dough

  1. Once you are ready to bake the pie crust, remove it from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, begin rolling out the dough, starting from the center and working your way out in all directions, turning the dough with your hands as you go. Make sure to rotate the pie crust often to make sure it’s not sticking to your work surface. Don’t be afraid to sprinkle on a little more flour if it’s sticking!
  2. Roll the dough into a thin 12-inch circle, which is the perfect size to fit a 9-inch pie dish. Your pie dough will be about ¼ inch thick. You will notice specks of butter in the dough; this is normal and expected! Butter pockets=flaky crust, baby.
  3. Because the dough is thin and somewhat fragile, use your rolling pin to help transfer the pie crust to the pie dish. Carefully roll one end of the circle of dough gently onto the rolling pin, rolling it back towards you, slowly peeling it off the work surface as you go. Pick it up, and carefully roll it back out over the top of the pie dish.
  4. Trim the excess dough around the edges of the pie dish using a butter knife or kitchen scissors. Crimp the edges by using your knuckle and two fingers to press around the edges of the crust, giving it that classic scalloped look. You can also crimp the edges of the crust using the tines of a fork.
  5. Proceed to bake the pie crust per your recipe’s instructions. Enjoy!

Recipe FAQs and Storage

Can I freeze pie crust?

Yes! Pie crust freezes beautifully. Prepare the pie dough through step 4 and freeze the discs for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using in your pie recipe.

Can pie crust be made ahead of time?

Yes. Pie crust is perfect for make ahead recipes! It can be prepared in advance and then stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before using.

Print
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Unbaked sourdough pie crust in a fluted edge pattern, placed in a pie dish on a wooden surface.

Sourdough Pie Crust


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

  • Author: Rachael Davis
  • Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: 2 pie crusts 1x

Description

The easiest sourdough pie crust you will ever make! This sourdough pie crust recipe uses only 5 ingredients to create a buttery, flaky pie crust every time. A must try for any holiday baking!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 ½ sticks salted butter
  • ½ cup ice water
  • ½ cup sourdough starter

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add in the cold, cubed (or grated) butter. Using a pastry blender, two forks, or your hands, begin to work the cold butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.
  2. Add water to a glass measuring cup. Place an ice cube in the water, stirring around until the ice cube has melted and the water is very cold. Remeasure the water to make sure it is at ½ cup, since the ice will have melted.
  3. Add ½ cup of sourdough starter to the water, stirring well to combine. Pour the sourdough and water mixture over the dry ingredients, mixing together until it forms a ball. 
  4. Add the dough onto a work surface and begin to shape into a large disc. At this point, I then divide the dough into two discs, wrap each in plastic wrap, and then place one in the the fridge to chill, while the other gets popped into the freezer for future use.
  5. Once you are ready to bake the pie crust, remove it from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, begin rolling out the dough, starting from the center and working your way out in all directions, turning the dough with your hands as you go. Make sure to rotate the pie crust often to make sure it’s not sticking to your work surface. Don’t be afraid to sprinkle on a little more flour if it’s sticking!
  6. Roll the dough into a thin 12-inch circle, which is the perfect size to fit a 9-inch pie dish. Your pie dough will be about ¼ inch thick. You will notice specks of butter in the dough; this is normal and expected! 
  7. Because the dough is thin and somewhat fragile, use your rolling pin to help transfer the pie crust to the pie dish. Carefully roll one end of the circle of dough gently onto the rolling pin, rolling it back towards you, slowly peeling it off the work surface as you go. Pick it up, and carefully roll it back out over the top of the pie dish.
  8. Trim the excess dough around the edges of the pie dish using a butter knife or kitchen scissors. Crimp the edges by using your knuckle and two fingers to press around the edges of the crust, giving it that classic scalloped look. You can also crimp the edges of the crust using the tines of a fork.
  9. Proceed to bake the pie crust per your recipe’s instructions. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Keep it cold: Keeping the pastry dough as cold as you can during this process is key to a flaky pie crust! I highly recommend chilling the dough before baking for at least 15 minutes to help the pie hold it’s shape while baking.
  • If you notice the dough is cracking or too dry, dip your fingers in cold water and smooth out any cracks. If it’s cracking, it needs some moisture. If the dough seems really sticky, don’t be afraid to add some more flour to it.
  • Make Ahead Instructions: This pie crust can be prepared in advance and then stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before using.
  • Freezing Instructions: Prepare the pie dough through step 4, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then freeze the discs for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using in your pie recipe.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Chill Time: Minimum 2 hours (up to 5 days)
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

If you loved this sourdough pie crust recipe, make sure to come back and leave it a 5 star rating and a comment! I would love to know how it turned out for you. Tag me on Instagram @ourhandcraftedhomeblog.

rachael

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