Description
All-butter pie dough made with cold butter, ice water and a spoonful of vinegar, shaped into two disks for one double-crust pie or two single-crust pies. It keeps 3 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer.
Ingredients
Units
- 2 1/2 cups (320g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 226g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup ice water, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and toss to coat each piece in flour.
- Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized and some almond-sized butter pieces remaining. The variety of sizes is what creates flaky layers.
- Combine the ice water and vinegar. Drizzle it over the flour mixture a couple tablespoons at a time, tossing with a fork after each addition. Stop adding water when the dough just holds together when squeezed — it should look shaggy, not smooth.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gather it together. Divide into two equal portions. Shape each into a flat disk about 1 inch thick, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
- When ready to use, let the dough sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes until pliable enough to roll without cracking. Roll from the center outward, rotating the dough a quarter turn after every few rolls, to a circle about 12 inches in diameter and 1/8-inch thick.
- Transfer the rolled dough to the pie plate by loosely rolling it around the rolling pin, then unrolling it over the plate. Gently press into the bottom and sides without stretching.
Notes
- The vinegar keeps the gluten from developing too much, so the crust stays tender. You will not taste it.
- Leave some butter pieces larger than others: the big pieces melt during baking and create steam pockets, which is what makes the dough flaky.
- If the dough gets warm and soft while rolling, slide it onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes before continuing.
- Dough disks freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 355
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 290
- Fat: 23
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 4