Basic Pie Dough
I love a basic pie dough that is easy and quick to pull together. Even though it always needs to rest in the fridge for a few hours, the actual work is very simple.
In this recipe, I use a food processor to simplify things. A few fast pulses and the dough is ready to be gathered up, shaped into a disc, wrapped and refrigerated for a little “chill” time.
I have a few other pastry doughs that I adore (like Perfect Pie Pastry or Buttermilk Pie Dough), but this one is the simplest with the fewest ingredients. And, for making the strips called for in my Blueberry Rhubarb Pie, this one holds up the best. But, feel free to try any of these pie doughs. They will all have excellent results.
This is an easy dough to roll out. I am not the best at making pie crusts, so a dough that will roll out with the least amount of breakage or tearing makes me happy. This is just that! So, get rolling and get baking!
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Basic Pie Dough
Makes: 1 disk to make a single-crust pie
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours & 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup ice
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1 & 1/4 cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Instructions
Combine ice and water in a small cup or bowl. Set aside.
Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse several times to incorporate. sprinkle the butter cubes evenly over the surface of the dry mixture and pulse quickly 20 to 25 times to break up the cubes into small jagged pieces.
Turn the mixture out into a large mixing bowl. Sift through with a spatula for unprocessed butter cubes and flatten any pieces larger than a pecan half with your pointer finger and thumb.
Add 2 tablespoons of the cold water, taking care not to include any ice, and stir through with a spatula. Continue adding water 1 tablespoon at a time, pressing he dough with your hands or a spatula after each addition until it begins o come together. Avoid any heavy kneading, as overworking the dough will lead to a tough crust.
If the dough still has quite a bit of dry mix and doesn’t hold together when a handful is squeezed, add a little more water. Be careful not to add too much water (usually 3-5 tablespoons total are sufficient). The dough should be smooth and supple.
When the dough begins to hold together, turn it out onto your work surface and gently form it into a mound with your hands. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic, then gently press it into a round, flat disk, about 5 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight before rolling.
Resting the dough in the fridge allows the gluten to relax and the dough to fully hydrate, and prevents shrinkage during baking. If you plan to freeze the pie dough, do so only after the rest period of at least 3 hours in the fridge.
Use the dough in the recipe of your choice.
Recipe from Lauren Ko
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