{"id":14017,"date":"2020-10-14T12:49:53","date_gmt":"2020-10-14T16:49:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/growagoodlife.com\/?p=14017"},"modified":"2023-12-03T13:06:43","modified_gmt":"2023-12-03T17:06:43","slug":"butter-pie-crust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/growagoodlife.com\/butter-pie-crust\/","title":{"rendered":"All-Butter Flaky Pie Crust Recipe"},"content":{"rendered":"

This pie crust is made with butter for a flaky and tender pastry with a rich flavor that complements both sweet and savory fillings, including fruit, custard, cream, and meat and fish pies.<\/p>\n

\"overhead<\/p>\n

Everyone should have a basic pie crust recipe, whether it is an old-fashioned recipe passed down from your grandmother, or a classic recipe from the first cookbook you ever owned. This is my go-to, double crust all butter pie crust recipe.<\/p>\n

Tips for a Flaky, Tender Pie Crust<\/h2>\n

Making a homemade pie crust doesn’t have to be difficult, just keep these tips in mind:<\/p>\n

Mix the Dough by Hand<\/h3>\n

Yes, you can use a food processor to make things a little easier, and your pie crust will come out very tasty. However, if you want a truly flaky pastry, it is important not to overwork the dough.<\/p>\n

For a flaky pie crust, you want small chunks of butter evenly throughout the dough. When the pie pastry is cooked, the butter chunks melt and heat up creating pockets in the flour. These pockets give the cooked pie crust its flakiness.<\/p>\n

A food processor or mixer tends to break down the chunks of butter a little too much. By the time you add the ice water, most of the butter is already in small fragments and may even be partially melted from the blade. The pie crust will still taste good, but it won’t have the tender flakiness that the larger chunks of butter can achieve.<\/p>\n

Freeze the Butter<\/h3>\n

I struggled for many years trying to cube butter into small pieces, add it to the flour, and combine it without melting. Even when using a pastry cutter, I had difficulty with the butter clinging together, and I always ended up with large, unevenly distributed chunks of butter in my pie dough.<\/p>\n

Then I tried a tip I found online. Freeze the butter<\/em>, and grate it with the large holes of a box grater.<\/a><\/p>\n

Freezing the butter serves two purposes: First, it keeps the butter chilled so it won’t melt. Second, it creates the small chunks of butter at the size you want for a flaky pie crust.<\/p>\n

Go ahead and grate your frozen butter right on top of your flour mixture. Pause and toss the grated butter several times so it is coated with flour, and then continue with grating the rest of the butter. Toss again to distribute the butter through the flour mixture, and begin adding your ice-cold water one tablespoon at a time.<\/p>\n

Keep Everything Cold<\/h3>\n

Warm hands will melt the butter. Use a pastry blender<\/a>, fork, or wooden spoon to combine your ingredients. Once the dough begins to come together and is too stiff to work, go ahead and use your hands to collect the dough together. Knead the dough several times, divide it into two even sized balls, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic or reusable beeswax wrap, and refrigerate right away to keep those butter chunks cold.<\/p>\n

Use ice water. Warm water will also melt the butter. Fill a cup with water, and then add several ice cubes to the cup to keep the water very cold. Add your water to your pastry mixture a tablespoon at a time until the dough holds its shape.<\/p>\n

How to Freeze Pie Crust<\/h3>\n

This pie pastry can be made ahead and frozen for later. Simply form the dough into a flat discs, wrap it tightly in beeswax or plastic wrap, place it into a freezer bag, and store in the freezer. Thaw the dough in the refrigerator the day before making your pie, and then you can roll and shape the pie crust like normal. For the best results, use frozen pie pastry within 2 months.<\/p>\n

Pie Crust Glazing Options<\/h3>\n

A beaten egg brushed over the top crust will produce a nice light-brown glazed crust when baked.<\/p>\n

A sugary crust is ideal for fruit pies. It adds a little sweetness and sparkle. Simply brush with egg, and sprinkle with granulated sugar before baking. If you prefer a shiny crust, brush the top crust with milk instead.<\/p>\n

Steps for Making an All Butter Pie Pastry<\/h2>\n

A traditional pie crust is made from four simple ingredients, flour, fat, salt, and water. This recipe uses real butter for the fat, which gives the pastry lots of flavor and flakiness.<\/p>\n

A full printable recipe can be found at the bottom of this article, but here are the illustrated steps for making a basic pie pastry. This recipe makes one double or two single pie crusts.<\/p>\n

Step 1: Gather the Kitchen Equipment<\/h3>\n