Sourdough Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

5 from 1 vote

This Sourdough Strawberry Rhubarb Pie has a flaky, buttery sourdough pie crust and a perfectly sweet and tart filling. This recipe is so good that it converted me from a pie-hater to a pie-lover.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 15

Chill time4 30

Total Time6

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Author: Emily Christensen

Equipment

Ingredients

Dough

280 grams all purpose flour 2 cups
5 grams salt 1 teaspoon
15 grams sugar 1 Tablespoon
150 grams butter cold, ⅔ cup
240 grams sourdough discard cold, 1 cup

Filling

200 grams sugar 1 cup
40 grams corn starch ¼ cup
330 grams rhubarb chopped in ½” pieces, 2½ cups
400 grams strawberries chopped into 4ths, 2½ cups
2 Tablespoons butter cold, chopped

Instructions

Make filling: In a mixing bowl, combine the fruit, sugar, and corn starch. Cover and keep in the fridge while you are assembling the pie crust.
330 grams rhubarb, 400 grams strawberries, 200 grams sugar, 40 grams corn starch
Combine dry ingredients: Add flour, salt, and sugar to a food processor.
280 grams all purpose flour, 5 grams salt, 15 grams sugar
Add butter: Dice up the cold butter and scatter it on top. Pulse for about 20 seconds or until the butter is in pea-size pieces.
150 grams butter
If you are mixing the dough by hand, you can either use a cheese grater to grate frozen butter into the dry mixture or you can dice the cold butter into the mix and use a pastry cutter to incorporate the butter.
Add discard: Add the sourdough discard and pulse until it begins to cling to itself, about 20 seconds. It will still be a little dry, but if you press it together, it should hold together. If not, add one Tablespoon of ice-cold water at a time until it does.
240 grams sourdough discard
If you are mixing by hand, add the discard and mix with a fork or Danish dough whisk until the dough begins to come together. I found that when mixing by hand, I needed to add an additional 3 tablespoons of cold water to get the dough to the right consistency. It should hold together when pressed between your hands.
Turn out the dough & chill: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a cohesive ball.
Divide the dough in half and press into 2 discs about ½ inch thick. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 days.
Roll out dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it is 1–2 inches larger than your pie pan, about 12 inches wide and about ⅛-inch thick.

If your pie dough has been in the fridge for a long period of time, you will likely need to let it sit out for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to roll.

Add to pan: Gently roll the dough around your rolling pin, then unroll it over a 9-inch pie pan. You do not need to grease the pan. You can also fold the dough in half, then in half again, place it in the pie pan, and carefully unfold it. Gently press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan, taking care not to stretch the dough.
Add filling: Remove the filling from the fridge and mix to incorporate the ingredients, and scoop the fruit into the pie pan, draining any excess juice. Discard any remaining liquid. Then scatter the diced butter over the top of the filling.
2 Tablespoons butter
Add top crust: To make a lattice, roll out the top crust into a rectangle and then cut 1/2" strips. Lay half of the strips across the pie in one direction, leaving a little space between each strip.
Fold back every other strip, then place one new strip across the pie in the opposite direction.
Unfold the strips back over the new strip.
Fold back the strips that were left flat the first time. Place another strip across the pie in the opposite direction, then unfold the strips back over it. This creates the woven over-under pattern. Continue alternating which strips you fold back each time until the top of the pie is covered in a lattice pattern.
Trim any excess dough around the edges, then press the top and bottom crusts together to seal. Fold the top crust slightly over the bottom crust, crimp the edges, and brush the top with egg wash.
Alternatively, if you do not want to make a lattice, lay the second rolled-out crust over the top of the filling and seal the two crusts together by crimping or fluting the edges. Cut slits in the crust to vent and add the egg wash.
Bake: Preheat the oven to 425°F and place a lined baking sheet on the rack underneath the pie to catch any filling that may bubble over.
Bake the pie for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for another 30 minutes. Tent the edges of the crust with foil to prevent over-browning, then continue baking for 25-30 more minutes.
The corn starch needs enough time and heat to activate and thicken the filling, so make sure the filling is bubbling throughout before removing the pie from the oven. For the most accurate check, the center of the filling should reach 203-212°F. The filling will look runny but will set as it cools.
Cool: Let the pie cool at room temperature for 4-6 hours before slicing to ensure the filling has time to set. Cutting early will result in a runny pie.

Notes

To store the Sourdough Strawberry Rhubarb pie, you can keep it covered on the counter up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Don't overwork the dough. It will still be a little dry, but when you press it together, it should easily clump together.
Use really cold butter and discard to ensure that the butter doesn’t melt so that the butter doesn’t leak and will create the flaky layer.
Discard excess liquid from the filling to ensure it isn't too runny. If you don't want it to go to waste, you can put the liquid in a pan over medium heat, stirring it until it is thicker in consistency. Let it cool for a few minutes before pouring over the fruit in the pie pan.
Make sure there are no rips in the bottom pie crust where liquids can leak through to prevent a soggy bottom.
Corn starch will start to break down due to the acidity of the rhubarb, so if you are planning to let the pie sit out for a couple of days, you could use 3-4 Tablespoons of Tapioca starch instead of corn starch.
Put a pan on the rack underneath the pie to catch any liquids that may boil over, so you don't have a mess in your kitchen. Line it with parchment paper so you don't have to scrub the pan.
Don't skip letting the pie cool. The pie needs to cool for 4-6 hours at room temperature before cutting. The filling will still be runny while it is warm and cutting it early will result in liquid pooling at the bottom. It is delicious with ice cream but if you want a set pie you have to wait until it is completely cooled.

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