Buttery Pie Crust
A reliable crust provides a sturdy foundation for fruit and custard alike. Focus on the temperature of your ingredients; if the butter softens too much before it hits the oven, you lose the lift that defines a superior pastry.
Cold is your only priority.
If the kitchen is warm, chill your flour and mixing bowl in the freezer for ten minutes. Work quickly to ensure the butter remains in pea-sized chunks.
- Large stainless steel bowl
- Pastry blender or two butter knives
- Rolling pin
- Plastic wrap
What goes in.
- 2 1/2 cupsall-purpose flour
- 1 tspkosher salt
- 1 cupunsalted butter, frozen and cubed
- 6-8 tbspice water
Preserve the Butter Chunks
Work the butter into the flour until you have irregular pieces the size of peas. These visible fragments of butter are what create the steam pockets that puff the crust layers apart.
The method.
Mix dry
Whisk the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Ensure the salt is evenly distributed to guarantee flavor consistency.
Cut in butter
Add the frozen butter cubes. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with some larger, pea-sized bits remaining.
Hydrate
Drizzle in 6 tablespoons of ice water. Toss with a fork. Keep adding water by the tablespoon only until the dough starts to clump together when squeezed.
Form disks
Gather the dough into two balls and flatten into disks. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Roll
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough from the center outward. Rotate the dough a quarter turn after every few strokes to prevent sticking.
Other turns to take.
Savory Crust
Add two tablespoons of finely grated parmesan and a teaspoon of fresh thyme to the dry ingredients.
Sugar Crust
Add one tablespoon of granulated sugar to the flour for fruit pies that require a slightly sweetened base.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the dough cracks while rolling, let it rest for five minutes to allow the gluten to relax.
Always use unsalted butter so you can control the salt level independently.
If you see streaks of butter in the final dough, you have done it correctly; do not over-mix to make it uniform.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my crust shrink in the oven?
The dough was likely stretched during rolling or the oven temperature was too low to set the edges quickly.
Can I use a food processor?
Yes, but use the pulse button sparingly. It is very easy to over-process and turn the butter into a paste rather than distinct flakes.
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