Flaky, Homemade Pie Dough Recipe
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. If you are looking for a Puff Pastry Recipe, try this one!
In this blog post, you will learn how to make a simple but tasty pie dough.
How to Make Pie Dough
Start by adding the plain flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, whisking them together until evenly combined. If you’re making a sweeter pie crust for desserts like Apple Pie or Peach Galette, you can also add the sugar at this stage. This simple dry mixture creates the base for a perfectly tender and flaky homemade pie dough.
Next, add the cold unsalted butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter, fork, or even your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until the butter pieces are about the size of small peas. Keeping the butter cold is one of the most important steps for creating a flaky crust, as those little pockets of butter melt during baking and create tender layers throughout the dough. Try not to overwork the butter, as slightly uneven pieces help create the best texture in this easy pie crust recipe. Visit my How to Cut in Butter tutorial to learn how to cut in butter properly for the best results.
Slowly add the cold water to the dough one tablespoon at a time, gently mixing after each addition. The amount of water needed can vary slightly depending on humidity and flour measurements, so it’s important to add it gradually. The dough should begin to come together without becoming wet or sticky. Be careful not to overmix the dough, as overworking it can create a tough crust instead of a soft, flaky one. When properly mixed, the dough will still appear slightly crumbly but should hold together easily when squeezed in your hand.
Once the dough comes together, gently shape it into a 1-inch thick disk. Flattening the dough into a disk now makes it much easier to roll out later. Wrap the dough tightly in cling wrap to prevent it from drying out, then place it into the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour before using. Chilling the dough allows the gluten to relax and keeps the butter cold, which is key for creating a buttery, flaky pie crust. After chilling, your homemade flaky pie dough is ready to roll out and use for pies, galettes, quiches, turnovers, or any of your favorite baking recipes.
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.
Try these recipes that require pie dough!
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.
Notes
Author: Sarah Young