Sourdough Apple Pie with Shortcrust Pastry

A classic apple pie with flaky sourdough pastry.

If life gives you apples, you make apple pie of course! An apple pie where the base is the most deliciously flaky shortcrust pastry, using sourdough starter.

The Pastry

The pastry base in this apple pie is my sourdough shortcrust dough. It’s a recipe for a double pie crust that uses a sourdough discard starter. It is buttery, tender and flaky.

See how to make your own sourdough starter here

Best Apples for Apple Pie

I like a mixture of both sweet and tart apples in apple pie to give contrasting flavours. My favourite apple though is the Granny Smith apple. It is crisp and tart and it retains its shape well when baked for a long period of time. If you can’t source these apples they can be substituted for another crisp apple such as Pink Lady or Braeburn. 

The apples are cut into 1/2 cm slices. Not too thin or they’ll cook too quickly. Try and cut the apples as evenly as you can to ensure even cooking throughout.

The Apple Pie Filling

Inside this apple pie with a sourdough pastry are the usual suspects.

1. Apples – The base of an apple pie. A mix of tart and sweet apples works well.
2. Spices and Vanilla – Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and vanilla for flavour.
3. Lemon – Stops the apples from browning and enhances the flavour of the filling.
4. Sugar – for sweetness
5. Flour – This thickens the filling so not too many juices run out and ruin the dough.

Prepping the pie

On a lightly floured bench, roll one of the dough discs into a circle slightly larger than a 23cm/9 inch pie dish. Line the dish with the dough and leave any excess overhanging. Place the dish in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the filling.

Peel and core your apples. Slice them into 1/2 cm slices and place them in a large bowl. Add the spices, lemon, vanilla, sugar, flour and salt and toss it all together to combine. Set the apples aside.

On a lightly floured bench, roll out the second disc of dough into a 30cm circle. Use a pastry cutter to cut strips for your lattice, or leave it whole if you want an enclosed pastry top. Place this pastry back in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.

Take the pastry-lined pie dish from the refrigerator and scoop the apples into it, holding back any of the apple liquid.

Take the other pastry from the refrigerator and weave the lattice strips over the pie filling. Roll the excess dough overhang from the pie dish over the ends of the lattice strips. Use the back of your knuckle to create indents and shape the edges of the pie. If you left the top pastry whole, drape it over the apples and cut two slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

Brush the top with the egg wash and sprinkle with granulated or coarse sugar.

Baking the Pie

Place the pie in the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F. Bake the pie at this temperature for 20 minutes, then lower the oven heat to 190°C/375°F and bake for a further 35-40 minutes until the pastry is deep golden brown and the apples are cooked through.

If the crust is showing signs of excessive browning, you can cover the top of the pie with a piece of aluminium foil. 

Once baked, leave the pie to cool down for at least four hours before slicing it.

Looking for more spiced sourdough? Try this cinnamon sourdough raisin bread! If you’re after a traditional sourdough loaf, try my Basic Sourdough Loaf.

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