This is one of my favorite pie doughs, made with butter as its only fat it turns out a delicious flaky crust every time. Versatile enough to be used both with savory and sweet recipes. This is one you’ll want to keep in your arsenal.

–Makes enough for a 9-inch double crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup cake flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter

5-6 Tablespoons ice water

Instructions:

 In a Processor

To make this in the food processor, which you should if you have one, combine the dry ingredients in the processor.

Add butter

Pulse briefly until crumbly.

Add the ice water gradually, and pulse just until the dough begins to clump together.

Flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or until firm.

By Hand

If you do not have a food processor your hands or a sturdy pastry blender will do as well. Measure the dry ingredients into a bowl, sifting is optional and most times I will simply measure my ingredients then give them a whisk to aerate them. Next, add the cold butter and using your hands or your pastry blender cut the butter into the dry ingredients until you are left with a crumbly mixture containing bits of butter about the size of small peas. When this is done add your ice water a little at a time. The liquid is highly variable depending on humidity and the amount of moisture in the flour. So add just enough to hold everything together.  Flatten into a disk, cover in plastic and refrigerate until firm.

-This dough keeps well in the refrigerator for up to two days or in the freezer for up to three months.

Remove the cold dough from the refrigerator and roll out onto a lightly floured surface until you have something close to a 12-inch disk. Transfer it to your 9-in pie pan. This pan can be greased or left dry. Due to the high ratio of fat to everything else in your pie dough you probably don’t need to grease your pan, but why tempt fate? Trim the dough’s edges leaving ½ in. of overhang. Fold the excess under itself, and flute the edges of your pie. We now have to allow the dough to rest again. I like to do 40 minutes in the fridge and then another 20 in the freezer.

Partially Baked Crust

Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat your oven to 375F. Bring your pie crust out from the freezer and cover with parchment or aluminum foil being sure to cover your lovely fluted edges. Distribute pie weights evenly across the pie. You can invest in the ceramic ones, they are heavier and so are better at preventing that bubbling of the crust that sometimes comes when you pre-bake pie dough. But in my experience, a couple cups of dried beans work just as well and can be reused again and again. Bake for 25-30 minutes, the dough should still look fairly light in color. Remove the weights and the foil and place the pie back into the oven for another 5-6 minutes the dough should be a light golden color at this point.

For a Fully baked pie crust bake for 12 minutes after removing your weights and foil, allowing the crust to develop that golden brown we equate with doneness and vacations. When it’s the color you wish you were, remove it from the oven.

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Buttery Flaky Pie Dough

-Makes enough for a 9-inch double crust

Keyword baking, Crust, Pastry, Pie, recipe

Author hannahabaffy

Ingredients

• 2 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1/4 cup Cake Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt Kosher
• 1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter Cold
• 5-6 Tablespoons Ice Water

Instructions

In a Processor

1. Combine the dry ingredients in the processor.
   

   Add butter

   Pulse briefly until crumbly.

   Add the ice water gradually, and pulse just until the dough begins to clump together.

   Flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or until firm.

By Hand

1. Measure the dry ingredients into a bowl, whisk to aerate them. 

   Next, add the cold butter and using your hands or your pastry blender cut the butter into the dry ingredients until you are left with a crumbly mixture containing bits of butter about the size of small peas. 

   Add your ice water into the dough a little at a time, adding just enough to hold everything together. 

   Flatten into a disk, cover in plastic and refrigerate until firm.

Rolling Out the Dough

1. Remove the cold dough from the refrigerator and roll out onto a lightly floured surface until you have something close to a 12-inch disk. 

   Transfer it to your 9-in pie pan. This pan can be greased or left dry. Due to the high ratio of fat to everything else in your pie dough you probably don’t need to grease your pan, but why tempt fate? 

   Trim the dough’s edges leaving ½ in. of overhang. Fold the excess under itself, and flute the edges of your pie. 

   Allow the dough to rest again. I like to do 40 minutes in the fridge and then another 20 in the freezer.

Partially Baked Crust

1. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat your oven to 375℉. 

   Bring your pie crust out from the freezer and cover with parchment or aluminum foil being sure to cover your lovely fluted edges. 

   Distribute pie weights evenly across the pie. 

   Bake for 25-30 minutes, the dough should still look fairly light in color. Remove the weights and the foil and place the pie back into the oven for another 5-6 minutes the dough should be a light golden color at this point.

Fully Baked Crust

1. Bake for 12 minutes after removing your weights and foil, allowing the crust to develop that golden brown we equate with doneness and vacations. When it’s the color you wish you were, remove it from the oven.

Recipe Notes

*This dough keeps well in the refrigerator for up to two days or in the freezer for up to three months.

Recommended Equipment

J.K. Adams 12-Inch Maple Rolling Pin     Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor      R.L.Beranbaum’s Pie Plate, 9-Inch