THE Pie Crust

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There are few words to say about this pie crust except that it is amazing! It’s flaky and buttery and everything you want in a crust. THE Pie Crust recipe is more about the technique than the recipe itself. The ingredient list isn’t unusual or very different from what you generally see in a crust recipe. It’s all about layering and laminating.

It all starts with really cold butter that is shaved on the slicing side of a box grater. You want long shingles of butter. If at any time your butter starts to feel soft, greasy, or starting to melt, pop it all in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes.

Gently toss the butter shingles with the flour to coat, place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, or refrigerator for up to 30 minutes. Sprinkle the water and apple cider vinegar over the mixture and using your hands or a Danish dough whisk, gently folding to hydrate the flour. If your dough seems overly dry sprinkle more ice-cold water over the top just until the flour and butter start to come together.

Now you want to get your hands in there and “Fraisage” is a fancy french term for smearing the cold shingles of butter in the flour to create flaky layers. Push the dough with the heel of your hand up against the side of the bowl or turn it out onto the counter and do this motion on the countertop. Fold the dough in half turn and repeat until your dough is fully hydrated, you can still see shingles and layers of butter. Check out my video below for a full demonstration.

Divide into 2 rounds and chill for 30-40 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface and starting in the center of your dough, gently roll your dough out into a round making sure not to roll off the edge of the dough. This causes your dough to become thinner and the edges and uneven. Pick up and turn your dough occasionally to ensure it is not sticking to the board. Roll each round out so it is about an inch wider than your pan pie. Alternatively, you can wrap your rounds of dough well in plastic wrap and freeze for later use.

THE Pie Crust
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THE Pie Crust

Recipe by Chef JenCourse: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

2

minutes
Cooking time

1

hour 

15

minutes

The only pie crust you need!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, freeze for 10 minutes

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 Tablespoon sugar

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

  • 1/4 cup ice water, plus more as needed

Directions

  • Using the slicing blades on a box grater, shave your butter sticks to create shingles. Place in the freezer while you measure your dry ingredients.
  • Add the dry ingredients to your butter shingles and gently toss to coat each piece of butter with flour. (Place back in the freezer for up to 30 minutes if your butter feels soft)
  • Sprinkle the vinegar and ice water over the butter-flour mixture and gently mix to start hydrating the flour. If the dough feels too dry sprinkle over a bit more ice water, a tablespoon at a time. Using your hands or a dough whisk, mix the dough trying not to break down the butter too much. If at any time the dough starts to feel warm, place it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
  • Using the heel of your hand start to press the dough against the side of the bowl, or turn out onto your counter and push the dough with the heel of your hand forward and away from you. Fold in half, rotate the dough halfway. Repeat this 2-3 more times until the flour is completely hydrated, but there are clear layers of butter and flour.
  • Divide the dough into 2 pieces and form each into round disks. Wrap in plastic, or in a covered dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Roll out each round of dough about an inch larger than your pie plate. Alternatively, you can freeze for later use.

Recipe Video