No-Chill All-Butter Pie Crust
| Summary | |
|---|---|
| Prep time | 30 min |
| Cook time | n/a |
| Source | Mel's Kitchen Cafe |
| Yield / serves | 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust pie shells |
| Rating | (unrated) |
Note: This pie crust makes for a sweeter-than-normal pie crust. If you want more of a traditional pie crust, since they aren’t known for being overly sweet, decrease the sugar by half.
Ingredients
- 1 c (2 sticks) very cold butter
- 2 c all-purpose flour
- 1/4 c sugar
- 1/4 t salt
- 1/4 c very cold water, plus an additional tablespoon or two if needed
Preparation
Cut the butter into about 16 small pieces, put them on a plate and place the plate in the freezer for about 15 minutes before using in the recipe.
In a food processor or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl, if mixing the dough by hand), combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Mix for a second or two to blend. Add the butter and, on low speed (or by hand with two knives or a pastry cutter), work the mixture until it is crumbly and the largest pieces of butter are no bigger than a pea. The butter should remain cold and firm. If the butter is becoming too soft, refrigerate the mixture for a 10-15 before continuing. Once the butter/flour mixture resembles large coarse crumbs, on low speed (or tossing with a fork, if mixing by hand), sprinkle the 1/4 cup cold water evenly over the flour mixture, and mix just until it pulls together in a shaggy mass. Add a tablespoon of cold water additionally at a time if the dough isn’t pulling together well. The object isn’t to have a smooth, tight ball of dough – the dough should still have loose pieces of flour here and there but should just start coming together when the water is mixed in.
Dump the dough out onto a work surface. Using your hands, pull the dough together and gently press it into a large ball. It should start joining more cohesively and forming more of a dough-like consistency. Separate the dough in to two pieces. Set one piece aside and gently cover while working with the other.
Using a lightly floured work surface (a roul’pat works great here!), begin rolling from the center of the dough outward. Stop the pressure 1/4 inch from the edge of the dough. Lift the dough and turn by a quarter and repeat the rolling until the dough is at least 12 inches in diameter. The lifting and turning is important because this will let you know if the dough is sticking and if more flour is needed on your work surface.
Carefully fold the dough into quarters and place in the pie dish (or roll up on your rolling pin and gently unroll in the pie dish). Ease the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pie dish without stretching (if the dough is stretched to fit the pie plate, it will shrink while baking). Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, trim the excess dough around the edge of the pie plate so that there is still about 1/4 to 1/2-inch hanging over the edge of the pie plate. Fold this excess under the edge of the pie to form an extra thick edge on top of the pie plate rim. Flute the edges with your fingers. Cover the pie plate loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to overnight before filling and baking. Repeat with the second half of the pie dough.
