Buttery, Flaky Sourdough Galette Dough (Pie Crust)

Learn how to make buttery, flaky sourdough galette dough (pie crust) with simple step-by-step instructions and only 6 ingredients: flour, sugar, butter, salt, creme fraiche and sourdough discard. Use it for any sweet or savory galette recipe (try my sweet sourdough galette with peaches and strawberries)!

I’m not a huge pie person. I like eating pies and receiving pies, but actually making pies is a totally different story. I’m more of a “galette girl” which by simple definition is a free-form, open-faced pie that can be sweet or savory.

Comparatively speaking (circling back to traditional pies here), the baker is exempt from excessive rolling, crimping, blind baking, and additional pre-programmed fear mongering typically associated with pie crusts in general. You don’t even need a pie tin! The galette method is also less rigid, more rustic and a “less than perfect” approach is not only assumed, it’s expected.

In this post, you’ll learn how to make just the dough- my rich, buttery, flaky, sourdough galette dough- with simple step-by-step instructions. You can make it by hand or with a food processor, and use it within 30 minutes (or chill up to 2 days). Then in this blog post, I’ll teach you how to assemble a gorgeous, show-stopping sweet sourdough galette with juicy peaches and strawberries as pictured above.

Why This Recipe Works

Just like sourdough, homemade pasta dough (even classic basil pesto!), most galette dough recipes include the same basic ingredients: flour, butter, sugar, salt and water. Very classic.

My recipe uses the above ingredients with the addition of creme fraiche for richness and sourdough discard. The sourdough discard not only deepens the flavor, it adds texture too. The natural occurring acids within the sourdough culture create a unique flakiness similar to how white vinegar “puffs up” traditional pie crust.

Ingredients You Will Need:

• All purpose flour
• Unsalted butter
• Granulated sugar
• Fine sea salt
• Sourdough discard
• Creme fraiche

Helpful Tips:

• Use cold butter. When baked in a hot oven, cold butter adds flakiness to the crust.
• Use a food processor. Most galette and pie doughs are made in a food processor within a matter of seconds. It’s the easiest and fastest method. However, in this post, I was inspired to do it by hand so you could really see the texture of the dough. Both methods are listed in the recipe section at the end of this post.  
• Work quickly. Pie dough is fickle in hot weather. The butter will start to melt, making the dough sticky and tricky to handle. Refrigerate the dough at anytime if it needs to firm up.
• Use creme fraiche to serve. Creme fraiche is a thick, French-style cultured cream. It’s visually similar to sour cream or plain yogurt, but it’s not as tangy. You only need 2 tbsp (30 g) for this recipe, so you’ll have plenty leftover to dollop alongside your baked galette, instead of whipped cream or ice cream. It’s a delicious, double-duty ingredient!

How To Make Sourdough Galette Dough {Step-By-Step}

• In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar and salt together.
• In a separate small bowl, combine the sourdough starter and creme fraiche; set aside.

• Add the cold cubed butter to the bowl. Rub it into the flour using your finger tips. The texture should look “sandy” with pebble-sized chunks of butter throughout.
• Slowly drizzle the sourdough mixture on top of the flour. Using a fork, gently toss the mixture together until it starts to stick together.
• Then, bring the dough together with your hands, pushing it forward with the heel of your hand, only a few times, to form a cohesive dough. Do this directly in the bowl or on a lightly floured work surface if you need more space.

Note: if the dough is very sticky at this point, which could happen due to the texture of your sourdough starter (too liquid) and a warm ambient temperature (tricky to handle), add more flour to correct the texture. For consistent results, use a 100% hydration sourdough starter, which is a starter fed with equal parts flour and water by weight.

• Form the dough into a disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
• Roll the disc on its side, like a steering wheel, to fuse any cracks together.
• Chill for a minimum of 30-45 minutes before rolling. Alternatively, chill the dough overnight or up to 2 days. Return the cold dough to a moderate room temperature before using; otherwise it will be too stiff to roll.

How To Use Galette Dough (At A Glance)

Once your galette dough is ready, it can be used for a variety of galette recipes, such as my sweet sourdough galette with peaches and strawberries. It’s an all purpose dough. Read on for general “at a glance” instructions on what do do next with your perfect, buttery dough. Or simply jump to this post for full assembly instructions.

• Remove the dough from the fridge; discard the plastic wrap.
• Roll the dough into an 11-inch circle. Do this in between 2 pieces of lightly floured parchment paper. Once finished, transfer the dough on top of the parchment paper, to a rimmed sheet pan. Note: in the picture above, I rolled the dough without the parchment so you could see the texture.
• Place a 10-inch dinner plate on top of the dough. Lightly trim the edges with a knife. This step is 100% optional. Rough edges are fine. The crust is the best part.
• Spread jam on the base of your dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Mound your fruit in the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold over the edges, overlapping as you go. Brush with egg wash. Add flaked almonds (optional).
• Bake @ 375 F for 50 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes before serving. Serves 6.

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