Description
This flaky and tender sour cream pie crust is an easy-to-make, buttery pastry that delivers bakery-quality results at home. The addition of sour cream enriches the dough and prevents it from becoming tough, making it ideal for both sweet and savory pies. Chill the dough before rolling for the best texture and handling.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (optional, for sweet pies)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
- ½ cup full-fat sour cream, very cold
- 1–2 tablespoons ice water, only if needed
- 1 large egg (for egg wash, optional)
Instructions
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar (if using), and fine sea salt until evenly distributed.
- Cut in Butter: Using a pastry cutter or food processor, cut the cold, cubed unsalted butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
- Add Sour Cream: Gently mix in the very cold full-fat sour cream until the dough just begins to come together. If the mixture feels too dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of ice water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough forms a cohesive ball.
- Chill the Dough: Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to firm up the butter and make rolling easier.
- Roll Out Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to fit a 9-inch pie plate or tart pan, about ⅛ inch thick. Handle the dough gently to maintain flakiness.
- Fit and Trim: Transfer the dough to the pie plate, trimming any excess dough around the edges. Crimp the edges decoratively with your fingers or a fork.
- Prepare for Baking: Dock the bottom of the crust with a fork to prevent bubbling. For blind baking, line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
- Bake or Fill: Blind bake as required for your recipe until golden, or fill with your desired pie filling and bake according to that recipe’s instructions.
Notes
- Use cold butter and sour cream to achieve a flaky texture.
- Chilling the dough before rolling is essential to prevent shrinkage and toughness.
- The sugar is optional and can be omitted for savory pies.
- Blind baking prevents soggy crusts when using wet fillings.
- Nutrition info is an approximation and can vary based on ingredients used.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes (blind baking time, if applicable)
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
