Southern Tomato Pie (Sourdough Pie Crust)
Southern Tomato Pie featuring juicy garden tomatoes, fresh herbs, a creamy topping and a delicious sourdough discard pie crust is the perfect summer dish. Whether you're knee-deep in homegrown tomatoes or saying farewell to summer, this southern tomato pie will be a tomato lover's new favorite dish.
Ingredients
Sourdough Discard Pie Crust
- 2 ¼ cups flour divided, (325 grams)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar optional
- 1 cup unsalted butter chilled (227 grams)
- ½ cup sourdough discard (135 grams) see recipe notes
- 4-8 Tablespoons ice water
Southern Tomato Pie
- 3 large tomatoes thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh basil chopped
- ¼ cup Greek Yogurt
- 3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 cup mozarella cheese 1/2 cup reserved for topping
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese 1/2 cup reserved for topping
- 2 Tablespoons chives or green onion chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon oregano
Instructions
Sourdough Discard Pie Crust
- To a bowl, mix together 1 cup (150 grams) of flour with the salt and sugar.
- Cut the unsalted butter into small chunks (about 16 pieces per stick of butter) and add to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until all of the butter is moistened by the flour and forms into a thick paste (see pictures in the recipe post).
- Add the remaining 1 1/4 cup (175 grams) of flour and use the pastry cutter to distribute the flour until the mixture looks crumbly.
- Add the chilled sourdough discard on top of the flour/butter mixture and stir to combine. Use your hands to form the dough into a ball. If the dough is too crumbly, add ice cold water a Tablespoon at time until it comes together.
- Cut the ball in half and form two balls of dough. Wrap the balls in plastic wrap, press down on them to form a disc shape and stick in the refrigerator to chill. Chill the dough for 20 minutes if using right away or for up to 3 days if using later. You will only be using 1 pie crust for this recipe. Save the other crust to use for a sweet or savory pie in the freezer for up to 3 months (thaw in the refrigerator before using).
Southern Tomato Pie
- While the pie crust chills, prepare the tomatoes and pie filling: Wash and dry the large tomatoes. Slice thinly and spread tomatoes on a paper towel or in a colander. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt and let tomatoes sit for about 20 minutes to drain.
- Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Chop fresh basil into small pieces and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Set aside.
- Mix together the Creamy Tomato Pie Topping: 1/4 cup Greek Yogurt, 3 Tablespoons mayonnaise, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, chopped chives (or green onion), salt, garlic powder, ground pepper and oregano.
- Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator. Roll out on a floured surface and transfer into a 9 inch pie plate. Crimp the edges and prick the bottom of the pie crust with a fork. Pre-bake the pie crust for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.
- While the crust is pre-baking, pat the tomatoes with paper towel and soak up all the excess juices from the tomatoes. The more you drain the tomatoes, the less "juicy" and soggy the pie will be.
- After 10 minutes, remove the pie pan from the oven and spread the reserved cheddar/mozzarella cheese over the bottom of the pan. Next, layer the tomatoes around the pie, sprinkling with fresh basil as you go. Overlap the tomatoes until you've used all of the tomato slices.
- Spread the creamy topping on top of the tomatoes, covering the entire pie. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Allow the pie to cool before cutting and serving. If the tomatoes are especially juicy when you cut into the pie, soak up some of the juice with a paper towel so it doesn't get the crust soggy. Enjoy a slice of summer on a plate!
Notes
Sourdough Discard Pie Crust: This pie crust recipe works best with chilled sourdough discard straight from the refrigerator. Throw away any "hooch" that has collected on top of the discard. Smell the discard to make sure you are okay with the flavor it will bring (I don't like to use discard longer than 2 weeks old in my discard recipes because the sour flavor can be overwhelming). Stir the discard and use in the recipe. The extra chill from the cold discard keeps the butter cold as you incorporate it into the crust. You can also use bubbly sourdough starter in this recipe if you don't have any sourdough discard. The discard gives a beautiful, almost cheesy flavor to the pie crust which complements the tomato pie perfectly.
Tomatoes: This recipe works well with any variety of summer tomatoes. Some tomatoes are more juicy than others. Make sure to thoroughly drain and dry your tomatoes or else they can make the crust soggy.
Additional Ingredients: This Tomato Pie would be incredible with some crumbled bacon added into the creamy filling or layered throughout the pie. It's also very adaptable to any fresh herbs you have in your garden.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!