Flaky, Pie Dough
Have you ever wanted to make a delicious pie dough but whenever you look up the recipe it either has lard or shortening in it, and you do not have that in your kitchen? Well, look no further cause this simple pie dough recipe with only four ingredients will blow your mind when you realize how simple and delicious it is.
In this blog post, you will learn how to make a simple but tasty pie dough.
Why Make Your Own Pie Dough?
Making your own homemade pie dough has several advantages besides being incredibly rewarding and delicious! I have outlined several advantages below for making your own pie dough vs. using the store-bought pie dough.
- Superior Flavour and Texture: homemade pie dough often has a richer and more buttery flavour than the store-bought versions. Store-bought versions normally contain artificial ingredients and preservatives. Because you have control over the mixing process, you can get the perfect texture by working the dough yourself. This will give you a flakier and more tender dough.
- Control over Ingredients: you get to choose the quality of ingredients that you put into your pie dough. You are given the ability to choose high-quality and fresh ingredients. And you can adjust the recipe to your dietary preferences.
- No Preservatives or Additives: homemade dough is free from the preservatives, artificial flavours, and stabilizers often found in pre-made doughs. This makes it a healthier option.
- Personal Satisfaction: there is a certain pride and satisfaction in crafting your dough from scratch. It can be a rewarding and therapeutic process. I was so proud of the first pie that I made with my homemade pie dough. Making your dough can become a lovely tradition with you and your family.
- Cost Effective: the basic ingredients for pie dough (flour, butter, salt, water) are inexpensive and are often already available in your pantry, making homemade dough a cost-effective option.
- Flexibility and Versatility: homemade dough can be used for a variety of recipes beyond pies, such as tarts, quiches, and empanadas. By making your own dough, you have the ability to make little recipe adjustments to suit what you will be using the dough for. I add a bit of sugar when I am making this recipe for a dessert pie.
How Do I Cut in Butter?
Cutting in butter is a technique that you can either do with a food processor, pastry cutter, two-knives, or your fingertips and some elbow grease. Cutting in butter means to take cold butter and mix it with dry ingredients to create a crumbly texture. Visit my How to Cut in Butter tutorial to learn this technique.
Practical Ways to Keep Your Butter Cold
- Chill Ingredients: chill all your ingredients, including the flour and mixing bowl, to help keep the butter cold.
- Cut the Butter in Small Pieces: cut the butter into small cubes and return it to the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes before incorporating it into the flour.
- Work Quickly: handle the dough quickly and avoid over-mixing. Use tools like a pastry cutter or food processor to mix the butter and flour efficiently.
- Use Cold Water: always use ice-cold water when mixing the dough to maintain the overall temperature of the ingredients.
Do I Have to Use Cold Water in My Pie Dough?
Yes, this is a crucial point in this recipe. Cold water helps achieve the desired texture and consistency that you need in your pie dough. Merely take your water and put it in a freezer safe dish and place it into the freezer for 5-10 minutes. This will make the water cold enough for the pie dough.
Below are some reasons why cold water is so important in making your pie dough.
- Prevents Butter from Melting
- Maintains Flakiness: cold water helps keep the butter in the dough cold and solid. When the dough bakes, the small pieces of butter create steam and form air pockets, resulting in a flaky crust.
- Texture: if the butter melts while you’re mixing the dough, it can lead to a greasy texture and a tougher crust rather than a light and flaky one.
- Controls Gluten Development
- Tenderness: cold water slows down the formation of gluten in the flour. Gluten provides structure to the dough, but too much can make the crust tough. Using cold water helps ensure that the dough remains tender and pliable.
- Mixing: cold water allows you to mix the dough without activating too much gluten, which helps maintain a tender and delicate crust.
- Easier to Work With
- Dough Handling: cold dough is easier to roll out and shape. And it tends to be less sticky and more manageable, making it easier to achieve an even thickness and consistent texture.
- Resting Periods: chilling the dough in the refrigerator (including the water used) allows the ingredients to relax and hydrate properly, which improves the dough’s workability and final texture.
To create a pie crust that is tender and flaky, the water must be kept cold. Keeping the water cold maintains the butter and controls the gluten development, which leads to an amazing pie dough.
Ingredients
All-Purpose/Plain Flour: all-purpose flour is the main structure of the pie crust. It gives the sturdiness to the dough.
Unsalted Butter: unsalted butter provides a rich flavour. It makes the flaky texture and by using unsalted butter, you have control over salt.
Salt: salt enhances the flavour. If too little salt is added, the crust can be too bland.
Cold Water: using cold water in pie dough is crucial for achieving the desired texture and consistency.
Sugar (optional): sugar makes the pie dough sweeter. Because of this, I would only add the sugar if you are making this pie dough for a dessert pie and not add sugar if you are making a meat pie.
Tips
- Do not remove the butter from the fridge until it is time to add it into the dough mixture.
- Add the cold water gradually, one tablespoon at a time, to ensure you add just enough to bring the dough together without making it too wet.
- Your dough disc will look a bit crumbly when you put it in the fridge, but once it is chilled and you remove it from the fridge and roll it out it will become very smooth.
- When you remove your pie dough from the fridge let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before starting to roll it out.
- With this pie dough recipe, it is very forgiving when rolling out the dough. If you accidentally rip the dough, you can patch it with other pieces of dough, and the dough generally sticks together quite well when patched.
Flaky, Pie Dough
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 c. all-purpose/plain flour
- 1 tsp. salt preferably ground pink Himalayan salt
- 1 c. butter cubed into small pieces
- 1/2 c. cold water
- Optional 1 tsp. granulated sugar
Instructions
- Mix plain flour with salt. If adding sugar, add it here.
- Cut in your cold, unsalted butter until it is in small pieces. Approximately, butter pieces should be no bigger than the size of a pea.
- Add your cold water to the dough 1 tbsp. at a time.
- Do not overmix. When it is properly incorporated, your dough will be crumbly but will hold together when squeezed.
- Shape your dough into a 1-inch thick disk with about an 8" diameter and cover tightly in cling wrap.
- Put your pie dough into your fridge and let it sit for 1 hour before use.