June 6, 2020

Blueberry Limoncello Pie with Sourdough Crust

Name: Blueberry Limoncello Pie with Sourdough Crust
Prep time: 70 min
Cook time: 50 min
Ingredients: SOURDOUGH PIE CRUST; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or use all all-purpose); 1 tsp salt; 1 tbsp. sugar; 3/4 cup 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, in 1/2” dice (use margarine if keeping it dairy-free); 3 tbsp. margarine or chilled vegetable shortening; 1/4 cup liquid sourdough starter; BLUEBERRY FILLING; 1 pound blueberries (picked over, washed, dried); 1/2 cup sugar; 2 tablespoons water; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; 1 tablespoon Limoncello (or fresh lemon juice); EGG WASH; 1 large egg yolk (beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash); 1 tablespoon turbinado or granulated sugar (for sprinkling on top of egg wash)

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A simply delightful pie: Blueberry Limoncello Pie with Sourdough Crust will be your favorite summer dessert! A luscious and super easy to make blueberry filling tucked inside a flaky crust made with your sourdough starter discard!

I realized I’d never posted a blueberry pie recipe here for my dear readers. I did share last summer my blueberry crostata recipe. This pie crust is the perfect way to use up your weekly sourdough discard! I used the same filling recipe and adapted a pie crust recipe I usually use with a pie crust recipe recommended from the group.

Originally published on August 20, 2012 and updated on June 6, 2020. Since we are all baking more at home and using sourdough starters, I thought it would be fun to share this Vintage Savoring Recipe. I used the same filling recipe from my blueberry crostata and adapted my pie crust recipe with a pie crust recipe recommended from the group.

I recently came across a lovely baking group that is based on creating recipes made with sourdough starter. Yes, your heard me. Sourdough! The group is called Sourdough Surprises. The August theme is “Pies”; sweet or savory. I decided to go the sweet pie route.

Blueberry Pie happens to also be my neighbor’s favorite pie. As soon as it came out of the oven and a snapped a couple of photos, it was time to hand some slices over the fence to them.

As you can see, it practically disappeared in almost 15 minutes. I did get to save a slice for my dad. My mom was here and she said it was one of the best pies I’ve ever made.

What to do with sourdough starter discard waste?

This is the perfect pie crust to use up some of that sourdough starter discard that you are left with every week!

I had to adjust the liquid ratio of the sourdough pie crust the group recommends. The recipe called for a 1 cup of sourdough starter. I started with 1/4 cup and then worked in a couple of tablespoons more by hand. One cup would definitely not have worked for me.

Can I make this blueberry pie without sourdough starter discard?

Yes, you can! If you don’t happen to to have any sourdough starter and still want to make this pie, simply substitute the sourdough starter with ice water.

Can I use whole wheat flour in this pie crust?

Yes! I find that using half whole wheat pastry flour in the recipe makes the dough much easier to work on these hot summer days.

The blueberry filling is just divine. It’s almost impossible to not eat the whole thing and leave any for the pie. I had some limoncello that my mother-in-law made and added some to the berries. A subtle taste of limoncello goes wonderfully with ripe blueberries. You could use lemon juice instead if you prefer.

How do you make a sourdough starter?

If you are interested in making your own sourdough starter, here is my sourdough starter recipe .

What ingredients are needed to make blueberry limoncello pie with sourdough crust?

Here is all you need to make this delicious pie:

For the crust:

all-purpose flour
whole wheat pastry flour (or use all all-purpose)
salt
sugar
unsalted butter
margarine or chilled vegetable shortening
liquid sourdough starter (or sub with iced water)

For the blueberry filling:

blueberries
sugar
cornstarch
Limoncello (or fresh lemon juice)

For the egg wash:

egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
turbinado or granulated sugar

After you gather all the ingredients, it’s time to make the pie! To save time, you could make the filling and crust even the night before. I do like to make the filling ahead of time so it’s completely chilled for filling in the crust before baking.

For blueberry filling:

In a small bowl, whisk a tablespoon of water with the cornstarch and set it aside. In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 lb. blueberries, sugar and 1 tablespoon water. Bring to a boil.

When blueberries reach a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring, until blueberries pop and mixture begins to thicken – about 3 minutes.

Add cornstarch mixture and Limoncello (I ended up adding about 2 tbsp.) to thickened blueberries, stirring constantly. Simmer 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Fold in remaining blueberries. Let sit at room temperature until set, at least 1 hour. I refrigerated mine and used them the next day to fill my crostata.

For the sourdough crust:

Food Processor Method: Put flour and salt in bowl of machine. Cut butter and vegetable shortening into flour. Process a few seconds until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Drop by drop add the sourdough starter, processing very briefly.

The whole process would take 20 to 30 seconds. (I had orginally added 1/4 cup sourdough starter. When I put on my counter to pat into discs, I noticed it needed a little more sourdough starter and added about 1 to 2 more tbsp.

Wrap and chill the pastry for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375°F with a foil-lined large baking sheet on middle rack.

Let’s assemble the pie!
Lightly flour a pastry board, marble counter, or kitchen counter. Roll first disc between parchment paper or plastic wrap (or 1/2 and 1/2 like I did here). Using pie plate as a guide, measure rolled-out pastry — it should be slightly larger than the pie plate and 1/8-inch thick. Roll pastry in one direction only, turning pastry continually to prevent it from sticking to the surface.

Fold rolled pastry circle in half so you can lift it more easily. Unfold, gently fitting the pastry into the pie plate, allowing pastry to hang evenly over the edge. Prick the bottom of the pie crust with a fork. Add in your filling.

Roll out 2nd dough disk the same way you rolled out the first disc. Cut out a small vent circle in the middle of the pie and gently cut some ventilation slits (I made 4 with this one). Do you want to know how I got out the tiny ventilation circle?

I didn’t get it out! It went right into the center of the pie. Brush the crust with an egg wash and sprinkle on some turbinado (or regular)sugar.

I bake my fruit pies over a baking tray lined with aluminum foil as the juices sometimes like to escape. Bake at 375 until crust is golden brown and juices bubble, 50 minutes–1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Buon appetito! Hope you are having a wonderful beginning to your week.

Pie crust inspired by the Bojon Gourmet

Some more sourdough discard recipes to try:

Vegan Strawberry Banana Bread
Sourdough Discard Banana Bread (our most popular recipe!)
Sourdough Discard Apple Galette
Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Bread (very popular even in the summer!)
Sourdough Discard Pizza Margherita

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5 from 2 votes