Cranberry Apple Pie (Sourdough Pie Crust)

Important Ingredients

• Sourdough Discard: I make this pie crust with cold sourdough discard straight from the refrigerator. Make sure you are using 100% hydration sourdough discard (equal parts flour/water). If your discard is not 100% hydration, you may need to add more or less ice water/flour to the dough. Use older discard for more sourdough flavor (complements savory pies) and younger discard for sweet pies.
• All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour with 11.5% protein content works well in this recipe.
• Sugar: A little bit of sugar helps the pie crust to brown and discourages gluten development – a key to a good pie for those flaky layers. You will also use sugar in the pie filling.
• Salt: Salt adds flavor to the crust and filling. Don’t leave it out.
• Unsalted Butter: Unsalted butter makes the pie crust flaky and delicious, and it makes the filling the right consistency.
• Ice Water: Ice water is added if needed to the pie crust to help it come together. Chilled water keeps the butter and ingredients cold resulting in more flaky layers.
• Apples: I like to use either Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples in this recipe for best results.
• Cranberries: This recipe works best with fresh cranberries.
• Cinnamon: I love how cinnamon blends with the flavors of the apples and cranberries in this recipe.
• Almond Extract: The almond extract in this recipe really makes the flavor of the apple cranberry pie filling extra special.
• Lemon Juice: I like to use freshly squeezed lemon juice in this recipe. It provides the acidity needed for this pie to strike the right balance between sweet and tart.

Sourdough Discard in the Pie Crust

This pie could be made with a store-bought or homemade pie crust but I love this sourdough version that gives just a little bit more flavor. Chilled sourdough discard gives this pie crust more flavor, which pairs so well with this cranberry apple pie. If you prefer a stronger sourdough flavor, use sourdough discard that has been sitting longer in the refrigerator. For a more mild crust, use bubbly sourdough starter (chilled) or discard that is only a day or two old. It is also important for the sourdough discard to be 100% hydration with equal parts flour and water. If you use sourdough discard that is not 100% hydration, you’ll want to add ice water or more flour depending on how thick your sourdough starter is. I’ve written up an entire recipe post devoted to sourdough pie crust. Find all the details here.

Mixing the Pie Dough

My sourdough pie crust has a unique way of being mixed. Mix together half of the flour (including sugar/salt) and butter together, coating the butter in the flour, effectively locking the fats and discouraging gluten development when the water from the sourdough discard is mixed with the pastry.

Add the rest of the flour and mix until the dough resembles crumbs. Then mix in the sourdough discard and any extra ice water that may be needed until the dough forms large clumps and can stick together. Separate into two balls of dough and flatten into discs. Refrigerate for 20 minutes until rolling out for the pie.

Cranberry Apple Pie Filling

Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples make this pie truly delicious, though you can use any of your favorite baking apples. Peel and core the apples using an apple peeler or a hand peeler. Using an apple peeler to make an apple pie is a game changer! Slice apples into chunks and place in a large mixing bowl.

Add the fresh cranberries, sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, almond extract and lemon juice. The almond extract is one of my favorite additions to this pie. I will sometimes increase the almond extract to 2 teaspoons just because I love the flavor so much. It adds a uniqueness that really makes this pie standout. Mix together the filling and set it aside while you roll out the pie dough.

Crimping the Edges

Decorate the pie however you would like to. I like to crimp the edges of the pie, sealing in all the juices as they bubble in the oven. To do this, I use kitchen scissors to cut the pie dough around the edges and then take the top layer of pie crust and fold it under the bottom edge of crust. This seals the pie shut. At that point I crimp the edges using my knuckles and one finger to decorate around the pie. I like to egg wash the pastry before baking. Whisk together an egg with a splash of water and use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash on top of the pie. Sprinkle about a Tablespoon of sugar over the pie for a beautiful finish.

Baking the Pie

Cranberry apple pie bakes for a long time. It is necessary for the apples and cranberries to bake down and gel with the sugar in the pie to form the pie filling. Place a rack in the middle of the oven, closer to the bottom than the top. Place a baking sheet on the lower rack of the oven to catch any of the juices that will bubble over. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake the pie for 90 minutes. After about 45 minutes, check on your pie and see how the pastry is browning. If it is browning too quickly, place a few pieces of aluminum foil over the edges of the pie crust. You could also use a pie shield.

The Most Difficult Part: Letting the Pie Cool

Once the pie is bubbling, you are ready for the most difficult part: letting the pie cool! If you plan to bake this pie for Thanksgiving, make it the night before or the morning of so it has time to properly cool. All of the fruit and sugar needs to gel together to make a perfectly delicious pie filling. Allowing the pie proper time to cool is a big part of the process.

Once the pie has cooled you can slice it and heat individual slices, if desired, or serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I hope you enjoy my very favorite Thanksgiving pie of all time. Let me know how you liked it in the comments below!

Frequently Asked Questions