All Butter Flaky Pie Crust, Savory or Sweet
I found this recipe and the only change I could add is adding cinnamon (if you are making an apple pie)
I found this recipe and the only change I could add is adding cinnamon (if you are making an apple pie)
- Carbohydrate 18.9178074987503 g
- Cholesterol 30.53 mg
- Fat 11.7595325 g
- Fiber 0.732187511175871 g
- Protein 2.58285625 g
- Saturated Fat 7.334259125 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (39g)
- Sodium 2.21575 mg
- Sugar 18.1856199875744 g
- Trans Fat 0.882972874999998 g
- Calories 191 calories
Step-by-step
- Place the flour, salt, and sugar into a food processor and pulse until well combined. Add half of the butter cubes and pulse 6 to 8 times. Then add the other half of the butter cubes and pulse 6 to 8 more times. You should have a mixture that resembles a coarse meal, with many butter pieces the size of peas.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of ice cold water (without the ice!) to the food processor bowl and pulse a couple of times. Then add more ice water, slowly, about a tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition, until the mixture just barely begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready, if not, add a little more water and pulse again.
- Remove the crumbly mixture from the food processor and place on a very clean, smooth surface. Using your clean hands, press the crumbly dough together and shape into a disc. Knead only enough to just bring the dough together. Do not over-knead or your crust will end up tough. You should be able to see little bits of butter, speckling the dough. When these bits of butter melt as the crust cooks, the butter will help separate the dough into flaky layers. So, visible pieces of butter are a good thing, what you are aiming for, in the dough. Sprinkle the disc with a little flour on all sides. Wrap the disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour. (At this point you can freeze the dough disk for several months until ready to use. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding.)
- When you are ready to roll out the dough, remove the disk from the refrigerator and place on a clean, smooth, lightly floured surface. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes to take just enough of a chill off of it so that it becomes easier to roll out. Sprinkle some flour on top of the disk. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 12 inch circle, to a thickness of about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. Add a few sprinkles of flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Place on to a 9-inch pie plate, lining up the fold with the center of the pan. Gently unfold and press down to line the pie dish with the dough.
Temperature control dictates the success of a pastry crust long before the pan hits the oven. Unsalted butter must remain cold enough to hold distinct shapes within the flour matrix; freezing or chilling cubes for at least thirty minutes prior to mixing prevents premature melting. Processing the fat in two separate stages ensures that half breaks down into fine meal for structure while the remaining portion stays in pea-sized chunks for flakiness.
Avoiding Common Structural Failures
Over-hydration leads directly to tough pastry. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time, stopping the moment a pinched handful holds its shape without crumbling. Over-kneading develops gluten networks that cause the pastry to shrink during baking. Press the loose crumbs into a disc quickly, handling the fat minimally with warm hands.
Resting and Storage Mechanics
Resting the wrapped dough disc in the refrigerator for at least one hour allows the gluten strands to relax and solidifies the butter fats. Allowing the chilled disc to sit at room temperature for five to ten minutes before rolling prevents cracking at the edges. Leftover pastry scraps can be rerolled once for cinnamon-sugar twists, or wrapped tightly and frozen for up to several months.
