My No-Fail Food-Processor Flaky Pastry Dough
In case you haven’t gathered yet, this pie crust is easy, mindless and should fill you with calm. You will be okay. You will make pie. You will be happy. People will be impressed. And if they’re not, then more pie for you. Making pie is an act of love and people should respect that.
This crust is good for almost any pie. You can make a single or double crust pie (like an apple pie). It’s also good for crusts you need to par-bake (cook partially through, then pour in filling that only needs a small amount of time to cook) or blind-bake (for fillings that don’t require cooking).
Read here for extra tips on pie-crust making, and why “soft” wheat is important to use. (If you don’t have soft wheat, go ahead and make the pie. It just may be a little more difficult to handle and a less tender, flaky.)
My No-Fail Food-Processor Flaky Pastry Dough
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups (315 grams) soft wheat flour (such as Gold Medal Blue Label)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons (7 grams) kosher salt
1 cup (230 grams or 16 Tablespoons) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup (120 ml) ice water
How to:
Pour the flour, sugar and salt into the food processor bowl (with cutting blade) and pulse a few times to blend the ingredients.
Add the butter to the bowl and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, Fluff the mixture to make sure the dough doesn’t get compacted into the crevices of the processor.
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of water over the dough and pulse. Keep adding the ice water 2 tablespoons at a time until the dough comes together in small lumps. You don’t need to add the entire 1/2 cup of water, but the dough should hold together easily. It may be a tad moister and stickier than you’re used to. It shouldn’t be wet.
Divide the dough into two 4-inch discs and wrap each in plastic wrap. Try not to handle the dough too much when you’re forming the discs. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. You can make the dough up to 4 days in advance. You can also freeze for up to 3 months and let it defrost in the refrigerator before rolling out.
To make a single-crust pie:
On a well-floured surface, roll the dough starting from the middle, using downward pressure and rolling to within an inch of the edge. Do not roll to the edge or over it or you will get an uneven dough that’s also a funny shape. Turn the crust 1/8th turn and roll again. Keep rolling and turning until the dough is between 1/4 and 1/2-inch thick. (Occasionally check if flour is needed underneath.)
Gently fold the dough over the rolling pin and lift into the pie pan. Smooth the dough gently into the corners. Cut off any dough that hangs over by more than 1 inch.
To create a pretty edge: fold the overhanging dough underneath the other dough. It should hang only slightly over the edge of the pie pan. Crimp the dough.
Rest the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour (more if you can!), to let the dough rest and prevent it from shrinking down the sides of the pan when it bakes.
To make a double-crust pie:
Follow the directions above for lining the pie plate. While the bottom crust rests in the fridge, roll the top crust into a circle about 1 1/2 inches wider than the pie plate. Make sure you’ve put plenty of flour on your rolling surface. Trim off excess.
Carefully transfer the dough onto a parchment-lined or flour-dusted baking sheet and let it chill in the fridge. It’s a little more challenging, but alternatively, you could roll the dough out onto parchment paper, which will make it easier to transfer onto a baking sheet to rest in the fridge.
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