It is flaky, it is buttery, it is un-fussy, and it needs no difficult-to-clean equipment—just your clean hands and a large bowl. The secret? Sour cream. No added water, instead you add sour cream. I’m not kidding. This method works and it couldn’t be easier. The recipe comes from my friend, former Zuni Cafe chef Kathi Riley, who has been using it as her go-to pastry crust recipe for 25 years and who graciously shared it with me to share with you.
Why Does This Pie Crust Recipe Work?
The biggest issue with flour-based pie crusts is toughness. Toughness develops when protein strands in gluten form when the flour and water come together. By rubbing the flour initially with butter, you coat the flour protein molecules in fat. When you add sour cream, you add moisture that is surrounded by fat. Both the fat in the butter and the fat in the sour cream help keep water molecules away from protein molecules, resulting in a more tender pie crust.
Tips for Pie Dough Success
This pie dough works a little differently than classic pie dough:
Take the chill off the butter: Many pie crust recipes call for working with very cold ingredients, which is important for an all-butter pie crust. But in this recipe, you’ll work the butter into the flour with your hands, which will only work if the butter isn’t too cold. Take the butter out of the fridge and let it sit out for a few minutes before working it into the flour mixture. But don’t let it sit out too long! You do not want soft room temp butter here. Squish the butter into the flour: As you work the butter into the flour, squish it so that some of the cubes flatten into the flour. Pressing down with your knuckles in the bowl can help with this. Flattened pieces of butter will result in flaky layers. Stir the sour cream: Use full-fat sour cream and if it has separated in the container, stir it before adding it to the dough mixture. Make sure your dough disks do not have cracks in them: Do not worry about overworking the dough to form the dough disks; because of the way we incorporate fat, this is a very forgiving pie dough. Do what you need to do to get the dough to hold together well. As you work it into disks, it should end up smooth, having the consistency of play-doh. Once you wrap the dough disk in plastic wrap, you can massage the dough and the edges with your warm hands to close any cracks.
Make Ahead Tips
You can easily make ahead and refrigerate or freeze this pie dough. To make ahead, form a disk with the dough as flat as possible and wrap well with plastic wrap. You can make and refrigerate it one day ahead, no more than two days ahead of use. To freeze the dough, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then wrap tightly with aluminum foil. It will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, let it gently thaw overnight in the refrigerator rather than at room temperature.
Blind-Baking This Pie Crust
This pie crust recipe is difficult to pre-bake. There is more fat in it than in a regular crust, which can cause the sides to slump if you bake it without a filling. That said, I have successfully pre-baked this crust by fluting the edges of the dough extra high above the edges of the pie pan, freezing the crust for at least 30 minutes, lining it with heavy foil, filling it all of the way with white granulated sugar, then baking it at 350°F for 50 minutes.
Make These Pies With This Crust
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For a 10-inch double crust pie, increase the flour to 2 1/2 cups, the butter to 2 1/2 sticks, and the sour cream to 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons. Halve these amounts for a single crust 10-inch pie. If you don’t have a food processor, try our handmade pie crust recipe (no special equipment needed). Sprinkle all over with a little flour. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Once you wrap the dough disk in plastic wrap, you can massage the dough and the edges with your warm hands to close any cracks. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour or up to a day ahead. If it still feels too stiff to roll out, hold your hands around the edges to soften. To roll out, sprinkle a clean, flat surface with flour. As you roll the dough, check to make sure the bottom is not sticking. If it is, lift it up and sprinkle a little flour underneath. Roll out to 12 to 14 inches wide, to an even thickness. You can use this pastry dough for unstructured rustic pies or galettes, or single or double crusted traditional pies. It can also be used for a savory pot pie. Whether you use the dough for a galette or a double crust pie, it will be prettier with a light egg wash. Just whisk one egg in a small bowl, add a teaspoon of water, and brush lightly over the exposed crust with a pastry brush, right before baking.
