Sour Cream Einkorn Pie Crust

This recipe has evolved over the years from my mom’s pie crust recipe…. It is influenced by the Irish love of cream and the Scottish love of whiskey. The credit for that actually goes to one Cindy McGregor who once told me she put vodka in her pie crusts… and it really does affect them. The chemical reaction makes for a very easy and consistent dough, and coupled with the sour cream (I often use milk kefir, but yogurt and buttermilk work too) it is a lovely, flaky and almost always perfect recipe. If you are used gluten free or alternative flours as I do the crust can be finicky, so I employ the help of unbleached baking/parchment paper in the process. I always roll out the crusts on parchment paper or a silicone mat with a french rolling pin. I have found it makes pie crusts an enjoyable process rather than one that can ruin a holiday!

I hope you enjoy it!

Sour Cream Einkorn Pie Crust

Brenna May

This recipe is an evolution from my mom’s pie crust recipe…. It is influenced by the Irish love of cream and the Scottish love of whiskey. The credit for that actually goes to one Cindy McGregor who once told me she put vodka in her pie crusts… and it really does affect them. The chemical reaction makes for a very easy and consistent dough, and coupled with the sour cream (I often use milk kefir, but yogurt and buttermilk work too) it is a lovely, flaky and almost always perfect recipe. If you are used gluten free or alternative flours as I do the crust can be finicky, so I employ the help of unbleached baking/parchment paper in the process. I always roll out the crusts on parchment paper or a silicone mat with a french rolling pin. I have found it makes pie crusts an enjoyable process rather than one that can ruin a holiday!

Makes enough crust for one medium two-crust pie. Serves 8

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Course American, Dessert

Cuisine American, European

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

• 1¼ cup/250g grass fed butter
• 3 cups/375g Einkorn flour
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp sour cream or kefir
• 1 tbsp brandy bourbon, whiskey or vodka
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp cold water

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
• With pastry blender or wire mixer attachment, blend butter & sour cream with salt and flour. When mixture is crumbly (don’t let it get doughy), add well-mixed egg-brandy-lemon juice-water mixture. Refrigerate 2-4 hours.
• Divide dough into two parts.
• Roll out first part on cling film or wax paper with a bit of flour. When it looks like it will fit over your pie plate, turn the plate over and place it in the centre of the rolled out doe, and flip the whole thing over.
• Fill with your spiced and sweetened apple, peach or berry mixture, or whatever fruit you like. I mix mine with clear gel (but a little fine flour can be used), a sweetener and cinnamon.
• Roll out remaining dough in the same way on the parchment paper, and this time flip the whole thing over onto the filled pie.
• Cut around edge of pie creating about 2cm (¾ inch) of overhanging dough.
• Taking your thumb and index finger of one hand and the thumb of your other hand, press in the edges of the dough until the whole pie is 'sealed'.
• Cut some personalized holes in the top so the pie doesn't explode in the oven.
• Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes hour or until crust begins to brown.

Notes

* To glaze the top, whip another egg and brush over the top of the pie before baking.

Keyword apple pie, einkorn, no sugar