Replace The Water In Your Pie Crust With Sour Cream For Softer Results

Baking as pie isn't as easy as the popular saying "easy as pie" might imply. When it comes to making the crust and filling-based dessert, it can seem like a near-impossible dish to perfect. And this is especially true for pie crust. Perhaps the most difficult part of creating a good pie is the crust, which is often prone to being too dry or difficult to work with. Or, even worse, pie crust can be flavorless and dull if not made correctly. But did you know that there is one ingredient that can mend all of your pie crust woes?

Sour cream, yes, the creamy topping often dolloped on top of tacos or used in cake recipes, is also the perfect replacement for water if you want a better pie crust. And there are three main benefits to adding sour cream to your pie crusts. For one, sour cream will help you to achieve a softer pie crust. This is because the acid in sour cream helps to break down proteins found in flour, making the dough softer and impeding the formation of gluten, which can make your dough tough. When water is added to pie dough, it encourages gluten formation, and if your dough is overworked, it may become difficult to shape. Adding sour cream will help prevent your dough from becoming tough, even with extended manipulation. 

Another benefit to swapping your water for sour cream in pie dough is that sour cream helps to moisten your dough, making it easier to work with. This is because the sour cream prevents the proteins in your dough from developing holes by providing moisture. Meanwhile, the fat added to your recipe via the sour cream prevents gluten chains from forming, resulting in a more tender crust.

This soft and tender result also makes your dough more pliable and easy to work with. Whereas dough with a water base can be tough, crumbly, and difficult to work with. One thing to be mindful of, however, when working with sour cream-based pie dough, is that your dough might be less sturdy than water-based dough and will tend to slump in the pan, especially if you are making a single-crusted pie, such as pumpkin pie. This is where water-based pie crust can come in handy, as it can create a more structurally sound pie dough.

So you might want to reserve using this recipe for double-crusted pies that offer more support to your dough. Pies such as apple or peach would work well for this recipe. Additionally, single-serve hand pies would also be a great option for using your sour cream pie dough.

Beyond softening your dough and making it easier to work with, however, sour cream also adds a tang to your pie crust that brings it to a whole new level. Sour cream is an ingredient known to bring a dose of flavor to any dish it is added to, from pasta to dips. And it can do the same for your pie crust as well, adding a subtle, sour zip to your pie crust, which is balanced out by salt and butter, giving your crust a sumptuous, soft texture, and buttery, slightly tangy flavor.

The taste of sour cream in your pie dough can complement both sweet and savory flavor profiles, making it a delicious option for both dinner or dessert pies. The flavor works particularly well with fillings such as apples, as the warm flavors of spice, brown sugar, and apple are set off by the slightly sour taste of the sour cream crust. This flavor contrast is similar to sharp cheddar, which is an off-kilter but classic apple pie topping. So, next time you get to work on a pie recipe, you can put down your food processor and pick up a tub of sour cream.