This buttery, flaky, and tender sourdough pie crust can serve as the base for savory pies and tarts. It's sturdy enough to hold a free-standing tart, and it's a great way to use sourdough starter discard!
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Why this recipe works
- Sourdough starter discard adds a lovely tang to a pie crust recipe for savory pies and tarts
- A buttery, flaky, and sturdy pie crust that's perfect in free-standing tart recipes
- Includes a method for blind baking pastry dough without pie weights
I'm forever tinkering with recipes to use my unfed sourdough starter. Yes, there's gingerbread, pumpkin cake, dinner rolls, bagels (both basic and no-boil), and pretzels.
But what about pies and tarts? Adapting a simple shortcrust pastry recipe to use unfed sourdough starter produces this flaky Sourdough Pie Crust. It's perfect for savory pies and tarts, and is a flavorful way to use your weekly sourdough starter discard!
The aroma of the blind-baked crust reminds me of sourdough bread. This sourdough crust is sturdy, yet flaky, buttery and delicious. It's well able to hold the quiche, and the subtle tanginess of the sourdough lends a nice backdrop to the savory tart.
If you're looking for ideas to use your weekly sourdough starter discard, here's another arrow in your quiver. You can make a sourdough discard pie crust, and charge into the world knowing you have a delicious savory tart in your future!
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make this sourdough pie crust recipe:
Ingredient Notes
Pie crusts are very versatile, and can be used for both sweet and savory preparations. A shortcrust recipe is similar to pie dough, except that an egg yolk is added to strengthen the dough (that's especially helpful for free-standing tarts).
The ingredients for a sourdough discard pie crust recipe are mostly the same as your typical pie crust recipe (flour, butter, and salt).
Sourdough discard: Sourdough discard is unfed sourdough starter, i.e. the amount you remove from your crock before feeding the remainder (I do this weekly). Since it's not active starter, it's used for just to add a tangy flavor.
Sugar: There's no sugar in this recipe. Here the sweetness would be covered up by the tanginess of the sourdough starter. Save the sweet uses for a normal shortcrust pastry recipe.
Vinegar: Shortcrust recipes sometimes includes vinegar in the dough. The acid tenderizes the dough so it's not too hard or chewy. Here, the sourdough starter is acidic enough to take care of this for us.
Salt: There's less salt in this sourdough pie crust recipe. Again, the starter adds its flavor instead.
Water: The water is replaced by the liquid already in the starter discard.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make sourdough pie crust
Step 1: Make a shaggy sourdough pie dough
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
Grate frozen butter with a box grater and toss it directly onto the flour mixture, mixing it up as you go. After all the butter is grated, use a pastry blender to cut it into the flour until coarse, pea-sized crumbs appear. If you prefer to use chilled butter instead of frozen, cut it into small cubes and toss it into the flour, then blend it into the flour as usual.
In a small bowl, whisk the sourdough starter and egg yolk together. Pour the liquid into the flour mixture and fold in until the dough just holds together (photo 1).
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and push together into a rough ball. Knead a few times to combine. Squeeze a small amount of dough between your fingers. If it is very crumbly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time (photo 2).
Pastry Dough Tip
You can use a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a food processor to make the dough. Just be mindful to pulse the ingredients quickly and so as not to overwork the dough. You want that butter to stay cold and to keep the flour from developing too much gluten so the crust will be flaky.
Divide the dough into two equal balls (keep it whole if you're making a large tart). Flatten each ball into a disk with smooth edges, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to overnight. You want that butter to get cold again from all that manipulation.
Step 2: Roll out the dough
If you refrigerate the dough for more than 30 minutes, you may have to rest it for a few minutes at room temperature before it will be soft enough to roll out.
Lightly dust your rolling surface with flour. Use even pressure to roll the dough out front to back and on the diagonals. Turn and loosen the dough occasionally as you continue to roll the pastry out into a circle about 2 inches larger than your pan with a thickness of approximately ¼-inch (about the height of two stacked quarters), unless otherwise directed by your recipe (photo 3).
Step 3: Transfer the dough to the pan
Transfer the dough to the pan you're using. Here I'm using a 9-inch tart pan to make a quiche tart.
Ease the crust into the pan, pressing up on the sides and leaving the dough overhanging the rim (photo 4). Don't forget to save the dough scraps to repair the crust later if needed.
- For a tart pan: Use your rolling pin to roll over the rim to create a neat edge.
- For a pie pan: Trim the overhang to 1-inch, then turn the overhang inward and crimp as desired.
How to blind bake the crust
You can successfully blind bake pie dough and shortcrust pastry without needing to use pie weights or dried beans using this frozen-foil method (photo 5).
- Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork.
- Tear off a piece of foil that fits over the entire pan with overhang (or add extra foil as needed).
- Spray the foil with baking spray to keep it from sticking to the dough.
- Press the foil into the pan and tightly up against the sides. Bring the foil up over the rim and mold it to the sides of the pan.
- Freeze the crust for 15 minutes.
- Bake the crust at 375˚F with the foil on for 20 minutes. At this point the crust is par-baked.
- Carefully remove the foil from the crust. If the crust has puffed up, gently press it back down. Any tears or cracks in the crust can be repaired with dough scraps. Return the crust to the oven and bake the crust until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes more.
There you have it. No more slumping sides or messing around with dried beans. Oh, and the leftover egg white can be whisked with a teaspoon of water and a pinch of salt for use as an egg wash before par-baking. It won’t result in quite as golden a crust as a whole-egg wash, but it’s a great way to avoid waste.
Storage instructions
Shortcrust pastry dough can be stored in the refrigerator after shaping into disks, wrapped in plastic wrap, for 2 to 3 days. For longer storage, place in an airtight bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Just defrost the dough overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding with rolling it out.
The dough can also be frozen directly in the pan, wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in an airtight bag. There's no need to defrost it before starting the blind baking process.
Yield Notes
Makes one 11-inch crust (with extra left over), two 8-inch crusts, or 48 mini crusts.
How to make mini tartlets
For mini tartlets, spray the cups of two mini muffin pans with baking spray. Roll out the chilled shortcrust pastry and cut rounds using a 2½-inch round cookie cutter. Using a pastry dough tart tamper, push the rounds into the muffin pan cups. Chill the dough for 15 minutes in the freezer or 30 minutes in the refrigerator to firm up (you don’t want slumped tartlet shells). Bake for 10 minutes at 400°F for par-baked shells or 20 minutes for fully baked shells. Allow to cool before proceeding with filling.
Questions asked and answered
Here are some questions you might have...
Shortcrust pastry at its core is an enriched pie crust. That is to say pie crust that has an egg whisked into the liquid before adding it to the flour and butter mixture.
What enriching the pastry dough does is give it sturdiness. That’s why a tart can be released from a tart pan and still stand up…a pie crust can’t. So, shortcrust pastry is used for any type of filled item that’s going to be free-standing. Think tarts, pasties (hand pies), and quiches.
A good thickness starting point is approximately ¼-inch thickness, about the height of two stacked quarters. You can go thicker or thinner based on your recipe.
The best way to roll out pie dough is to use even pressure and roll out from the center in all four compass directions, north, south, east and west. Turn and loosen the dough occasionally as you continue to roll the pastry out into a circle or square shape (unless, like me, you end up with a blob-shape).
I hope you like this recipe! Let me know if you have any questions, and don't forget to leave a comment and rating. Thanks!
Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!
- Tammy
More recipes featuring sourdough discard to try
Good news for sourdough bakers!
Discover a new method to feed your starter with less flour, making your baking both sustainable and scrumptious.
Plus, get my bonus recipe for naturally-leavened sourdough bread using unfed starter for fresh bread any time.
Recipe
Sourdough Pie Crust (Shortcrust Pastry)
Equipment
- rolling pin
Ingredients
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, frozen, see Recipe Notes
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 cup sourdough starter discard, chilled
- 1 to 2 tablespoons water, as needed
Instructions
- Measure your ingredients using a kitchen scale. It's the most accurate and will give the most consistent results.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
- Grate the frozen butter with a box grater and toss it directly onto the flour mixture, mixing it up as you go. After all the butter is grated, use a pastry blender to cut it into the flour until coarse, pea-sized crumbs appear. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk the sourdough starter and egg yolk together. Pour the liquid into the flour mixture and fold in until the dough just holds together. Squeeze a small amount of dough between your fingers. If it is very crumbly, add some ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time (2 tablespoons maximum). Try not to over mix the dough. You want to keep that butter cold and separate from the flour.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and push together into a rough ball. Knead a few times to combine, then divide into two equal balls (keep it whole if you're making a large tart). Flatten each ball into a disk with smooth edges, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to overnight. If you refrigerate the dough for more than 30 minutes, you may have to rest it for a few minutes at room temperature before it will be soft enough to roll out.
- Lightly dust your rolling surface with flour. Use even pressure to roll the dough out front to back and on the diagonals. Turn and loosen the dough occasionally as you continue to roll the pastry out into a circle about 2 inches larger than your pan with a thickness of approximately ¼-inch (about the height of two stacked quarters), unless otherwise directed by your recipe.
- Transfer the dough to the pan you're using. Ease the crust into the pan, pressing up on the sides and leaving the dough overhanging the rim.
- For a tart pan: Use your rolling pin to roll over the rim to create a neat edge.For a pie pan: Trim the overhang to 1-inch, then turn the overhang inward and crimp as desired.
- Continuing: Save the dough scraps to repair the crust later if needed. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork.
- To blind bake the crust: Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Tear off a piece of foil that fits over the entire pan with overhang (or add extra foil as needed). Spray the foil with baking spray to keep it from sticking to the dough. Press the foil into the pan and tightly up against the sides. Bring the foil up over the rim and mold it to the sides of the pan. Freeze the crust for 15 minutes. You don't need to use pie weights or dried beans using this frozen-foil method.
- Bake the crust with the foil on for 20 minutes. At this point the crust is par-baked.
- Carefully remove the foil from the crust. If the crust has puffed up, gently press it back down. Any tears or cracks in the crust can be repaired with dough scraps. Return the crust to the oven and bake the crust until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes more.
- The crust is now ready to be filled and baked as desired.
- Storage instructions: Shortcrust pastry dough can be stored in the refrigerator after shaping into disks, wrapped in plastic wrap, for 2 to 3 days. For longer storage, place in an airtight bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Just defrost the dough overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding with rolling it out.The dough can also be frozen directly in the pan, wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in an airtight bag. There's no need to defrost it before starting the blind baking process.
- Makes one 11-inch crust (with extra left over), two 8-inch crusts, or 48 mini crusts.
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