Sourdough Discard Pie Crust

Sourdough Discard Pie Crust is a great way to use up some of your sourdough discard to make a delicious, buttery, flaky crust that works well with any pie filling (or galette)! This recipe is for the crust only, which means you can easily use it with your favorite pie recipes.

If you're looking for other sourdough discard recipes, check out this Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough, Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls, and Sourdough Discard Apple Pull Apart Bread.

And if you're new to working with sourdough starter, check out these in-depth posts on how to feed sourdough starter, how to use sourdough discard, and tips for struggling sourdough starter.

Ingredients

There are only a few key ingredients you'll need to make Sourdough Discard Pie Crust.

• All-purpose flour: This will be the base of your light, flaky pie crust.
• Butter: You want your butter to be as cold as possible. I like to cut the butter into cubes (cold, straight from the fridge), then freeze the cubed butter for at least 15 minutes before mixing with the dry ingredients.
• Sourdough discard: The sourdough discard should be unfed, and cold, right from the fridge! Again, we want to keep ingredients as cold as possible.
• Vinegar: I prefer to use distilled white vinegar for a pie crust, but you can also use apple cider vinegar for a slightly different flavor.
• Egg wash: I recommend brushing an egg wash on the top of the pie crust (or the edges, if not making a double crust pie). This gives the crust a beautiful golden brown color and slight shine.

See full recipe below for detailed directions.

Substitutions & Variations

Since pie crust is the base of so many wonderful recipes, there are only a few variations that can be made here:

• Use active sourdough starter - While it's not needed, you can use active sourdough starter if you prefer. To do so, replace the sourdough discard with active starter in a 1:1 substitute.
• Use apple cider vinegar - Instead of distilled white vinegar, use apple cider vinegar for a slightly different flavor profile.
• Egg wash substitute - If you are not baking with eggs, you can brush the crust with a little milk or non-dairy milk. Ultimately, you can also skip the egg wash completely!

I have not tested this recipe with other variations, but if you do, let us know how it turns out in the comments! I always love to hear how you're adapting these recipes and use those as ideas for future recipes as well!

How to make Sourdough Discard Pie Crust

Working quickly and keeping the butter (and the dough) cool is key. There are just a few steps to bring this pie crust together!

1. Step 1: Mix the sourdough discard and vinegar together in a small bowl. Refrigerate until you are ready to use.

2. Step 2: Cut the butter into small cubes. Return the butter to the refrigerator (or freezer) until you are ready to use.

3. Step 3: Combine the dry ingredients, then add the butter. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to mix together until you have a coarse mixture. Butter chunks should be pea-sized; do not overmix.

4. Step 4: Add the sourdough discard mixture.

5. Step 5: Use your hands, a pastry cutter or a fork to mix. It will be shaggy and clumpy, and you should still see chunks of butter (it's a good thing!). Again, be careful not to overmix.

6. Step 6: Gather the dough into a rough ball, then use a knife to divide in half. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

7. Step 7: Roll the dough into a rough circle.

8. Step 8: Transfer the dough to your pie dish (or baking sheet, if using).

9. Step 9: Trim the edges, leaving 2 inches of excess to allow for crimping.

10. Step 10: Crimp and shape the edges. You're now ready to fill or bake per your recipe's instructions!

What should you use to mix this dough?

There are several ways to mix pie dough. None is necessarily the "correct" or a "better" way. Use what works best for you!

• Mix by hand: I love to mix pie dough by hand. It really allows you to feel the texture and leave some irregularity (different-sized butter pieces, for example) that can be wonderful. You're also less likely to overwork dough when mixing by hand rather than when using something like a food processor. That said, it can be messy, and your hands will warm the butter more than if you're using a pie cutter or fork for mixing.
• Mix with a pastry cutter: This is a great way to mix dough to minimize the warmth from your hands. You'll still get some irregularity in the butter pieces, which is ideal.
• Mix with a fork: Similar to using a pastry cutter, mixing with a fork minimizes the warmth from your hands affecting the butter.
• Mix with a food processor: This is a great option for making the dough quickly and minimizing warmth from your hands. But it doesn't allow for any irregularity (everything will be uniform) and there is the risk of overworking the dough, which is easy to do with a machine.

How should you bake this pie crust?

Ultimately, you will want to follow the directions for whatever dessert you are making in order to bake this crust. For reference, below are a few different ways it can be baked:

• Par-baking is partially baking the pie crust before filling. Par-baked crusts are for pies with fillings that need to be cooked in the oven (like a pumpkin pie).
  • Method: Use a fork to prick holes in the bottom of the crust. Line with a piece of parchment paper, then fill the crust with pie weights (or dried beans or rice). Bake at 425 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. The dough will still be pale, but will not look raw.
• Blind-baking is completely baking the pie crust before adding the filling. Blind-baked crusts are for pies with fillings that do not need to be cooked in the oven (like a banana cream pie).
  • Method: Use a fork to prick holes in the bottom of the crust. Line with a piece of parchment paper, then fill the crust with pie weights (or dried beans or rice). Bake at 425 degrees F for 15-17 minutes until the bottom is evenly browned.
• A Double Crust Pie has a crust on top as well as the bottom (like an apple pie).
  • Method: Bake at 400 degrees F for 35-40 minutes until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly.

What is sourdough discard?

Sourdough discard is what you have left over after you feed your sourdough starter. You can either literally discard it (throw it away, or compost it), or use it in sourdough discard recipes like this one.

This recipe is designed to be made with a sourdough starter that uses a 1:1 ratio (when you feed your starter, it's with 1 part flour, 1 part water). If your starter uses a different ratio, you may need to adjust some of the ingredients in this recipe.

When baking with sourdough discard, you typically want it to be unfed and at room temperature. For this recipe, we want to keep the dough ingredients as cold as possible, so you can use your discard (unfed) straight from the refrigerator.

If you're new to working with sourdough starter, check out these in-depth posts on how to feed sourdough starter, how to use sourdough discard, and tips for struggling sourdough starter.

Storage

Refrigerator Storage: You can make this pie crust in advance and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. To do so, shape the dough into a slightly flattened ball and wrap with plastic wrap. When you're ready, roll out the dough for your dessert as needed.

Freezer Storage: You can freeze pie crust for up to 3 months. To do so, shape the dough into a slightly flattened ball and wrap with plastic wrap. Then, place the wrapped dough in a freezer-safe bag (you want to prevent any freezer burn). When you're ready to use the dough, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then roll out the dough for your dessert as needed.

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