Sourdough Apple Pie

Total Time: 4 hours (includes 2 hours inactive chilling time)
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Chilling Time: 2 hours
Servings: 8 slices

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Next-Level Flavor: The sourdough crust adds a delightful, nuanced tang that cuts through the sweetness of the apples, creating a perfectly balanced dessert.
Incredibly Flaky Texture: The combination of butter and the acidic starter creates steam pockets in the oven, resulting in a crust that is tender, flaky, and impossibly crisp.
Easier Dough to Handle: Sourdough crust is famously more pliable and less prone to cracking than standard pie dough, making it a dream to roll out, even for beginners.
Perfect for Starter Discard: This is a delicious and rewarding way to use up that unfed starter you might otherwise toss away.

Ingredients

For the Sourdough Pie Crust (Makes one double crust)

2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon (12g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (6g) fine sea salt
1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, very cold, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ cup (120g) sourdough starter discard, cold and straight from the fridge (unfed)
¼ cup (60ml) ice water, plus more if needed

For the Apple Pie Filling

2 ½ lbs (about 1.1kg) mixed baking apples (such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Braeburn), peeled, cored, and sliced into ¼-inch thick slices
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons (16g) cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

For the Egg Wash and Topping

1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk or water
Coarse sugar (like turbinado or demerara), for sprinkling

Instructions

Part 1: Make the Sourdough Crust (45 mins active + 2 hours chilling)

Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
Cut in the Butter: Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, quickly work the butter into the flour until the pieces are mostly pea-sized with a few larger, flat pieces remaining. It’s okay if some butter is still in bigger chunks—this is what creates flakiness.
Add Wet Ingredients: Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the cold sourdough starter discard and the lemon juice. Stir with a fork or your hands to incorporate.
Bring Dough Together: Drizzle the ice water over the mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix gently with a fork or your hands until the dough just begins to come together. It should look shaggy and hold together when squeezed in your fist. You may not need all the water.
Form Disks and Chill: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gather it into a ball, then divide it in half. Flatten each half into a 1-inch thick disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days. This resting period is crucial for relaxing the gluten and allowing the flavor to develop.

Part 2: Make the Filling & Assemble the Pie (30 mins active)

Prepare for Rolling: On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough into a 12-inch circle. Gently transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate, letting the excess dough hang over the edge. Place the pie plate in the refrigerator to keep the dough cold while you prepare the filling.
Preheat Oven: Place a baking sheet on the middle rack of your oven and preheat to 425°F (220°C) . The hot baking sheet will help crisp the bottom crust.
Make Apple Filling: In a very large bowl, combine the sliced apples, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Toss thoroughly until every apple slice is evenly coated.
Fill the Pie: Remove the bottom crust from the refrigerator. Pour the apple mixture into the crust, mounding it slightly in the center. Dot the filling with the small cubes of butter.
Roll Top Crust & Assemble: Roll out the second disk of dough into an 11-inch circle. You can place it whole over the filling, or cut it into strips to create a lattice top (see note below for a simple lattice guide). If using a whole top crust, cut a few slits in the center to allow steam to escape.
Seal and Crimp: Trim the overhang from both crusts to about ½ inch beyond the rim of the pie plate. Tuck the overhang under itself and crimp or flute the edges as desired.
Chill Again: Place the assembled pie in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes while the oven finishes preheating. This ensures the butter is very cold for the flakiest results.
Egg Wash and Sugar: Just before baking, whisk together the egg and milk. Lightly brush the entire surface of the top crust (and the crimped edges) with the egg wash. Sprinkle generously with coarse sugar.

Part 3: Bake the Pie (1 hour 15 mins)

Initial Bake: Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet in the oven. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 20 minutes.
Reduce Heat & Finish: Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) . Bake for an additional 45-55 minutes, or until the crust is deeply golden brown and the filling is bubbly and thick. If the edges start to brown too quickly, loosely cover them with strips of foil or a pie shield.
Cool Completely: This is the hardest step! Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let it cool for at least 4 hours before slicing. This allows the filling to set properly; slicing too early will result in a runny pie.

A Note on Lattice Tops

For a classic lattice, roll out your top crust and cut it into 10-12 strips, about ½-inch to ¾-inch wide. Lay half the strips parallel across the pie, with space between them. Fold back every other strip and lay a perpendicular strip across. Unfold the folded strips over it. Then, fold back the alternate strips and lay the next perpendicular strip. Repeat until the lattice is complete. Trim the ends and press them into the bottom crust edge.

Nutrition Information (per serving, based on 8 slices)

Calories: 528
Total Fat: 26g
Saturated Fat: 16g
Cholesterol: 80mg
Sodium: 380mg
Total Carbohydrates: 72g
Dietary Fiber: 4g
Total Sugars: 38g
Protein: 6g

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