Making Perfect Pie Crust

haydemon
Gold Answer Medal for All Time! 617 Answers

June 8, 2020

Pie crust dough cut into half. This is a pie crust recipe that has never failed me. It uses butter and flour, primarily. I have used it well on quiches and pies. It is easy to use and does not have that unfortunate 'soggy bottom' phenomenon, unless the pie itself had too much liquid.

It does require a very basic sort of food processor, though. In any event, here it is.

Source: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/220996/easy-homemade-pie-crust/

Link: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/220996/easy-homemade-pie-crust/

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cup flour (I have used various kinds)
1 cup unsalted butter
7 Tbsp iced water
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (I assume regular vinegar would work, too)
1/2 tsp salt

Steps:

15 or so minutes before starting, take 1/2 cup of water and stick in the freezer. Or if you already have cold water that's been in the fridge, use that.
Combine the flour, salt, and butter in your food processor, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. This takes about 10 1-second pulses. Sometimes instead of unsalted butter + salt, I'll just use salted butter and skip the salt, though I think this makes a somewhat saltier crust. It's best if the butter is chilled up to the moment you use it.

Cutting a butter cube into pieces before mixing the pie crust.

Remove water from the freezer, and mix it with the vinegar in a small bowl.

Pour only half of the ice water and vinegar mixture into the flour and butter mixture, then pulse to combine it all for about 3 pulses.

Pour in the remaining ice water and vinegar mixture, and keep pulsing the mixture until it just starts to come together. This takes about 8 pulses.

Mixing the pie crust in a food processor.

Put on a wooden surface, and pat into a round shape. Divide this in half and make each half into a fat disk which is approximately 5 inches wide.

Wrap each disc in plastic wrap, or put each disc in a Ziploc bag, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until you are ready to use if. I have also kept it in the freezer for over a week and it has been fine if you let it thaw for just a couple of hours. I have also kept it in the fridge for 4 days after making it, and same thing.