Pie Dough
12.1.2024, recipes
For a flaky, buttery pie crust. Use for savory pies, fruit pies, quiche, or in place of any recipe that calls for pâte brisée (one of the three classic French shortcrust pastry doughs). This dough is techincally not the same as pâte brisée, but it serves the same purpose.
Makes enough dough for two 10-11 inch tarts or for one double-crust 9 inch pie
Makes enough dough for two 10-11 inch tarts or for one double-crust 9 inch pie
Ingredients
1/2 cup ice cold water
12 tbsp (1 ½ sticks) cold butter
2 cups all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
An egg yolk and splash of cream for brushing
2 cups all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
An egg yolk and splash of cream for brushing
Method
In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the salt.
Slice the cold butter into thin shards and irregular pieces. Work the butter into the flour using your fingertips. Work quickly — you don’t want the butter to start melting.
Stream in the water, not all at once. Use a fork to continue to work the dough together. Clumps will begin to form. Keep adding water as needed.
Mix until the dough forms a ball, but don’t worry if it doesn’t look completely homogenous. Divide the dough in two balls and flatten each into disks. Wrap with plastic and let set in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to two days before using.
When you are ready to roll out your dough, lightly flour a surface and flatten a disk with a rolling pin until you reach your desired thickness and shape. Try 1/8 inch thickness for a pie.
Follow your pie/tart recipe. Most will call for an egg wash before baking. Whisk together an egg yolk with a splash of cream and brush over your dough before sliding into the oven. If you are making a sweet double-crust pie, you can sprinkle sugar generously over the brushed dough before baking for a crinkly crust.
