Sweets | Perfect Pie Dough

Posted on September 20, 2016

I got this recipe and method from an instructor at Sur La Table. It works great and has minimal clean up. You can make this dough ahead of time, wrap in plastic and refrigerate up to 2 days, or freeze for one month.

Yield: 1 9- or 10-inch pie crust

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour (King Arthur brand preferred)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 stick (4 ounces) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

 

Method

Place flour, sugar, and salt in a medium size bowl. Mix, then add butter. Using your hands, pinch butter through your fingers (like snapping your fingers) until butter pieces are thin and flat.

Sprinkle ice water, a tablespoon at a time, over the flour mixture while folding dough with a flexible bench scraper. When enough water has been added to allow the dough to hold together, transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Gather the dough together to form a ball. Flatten the dough into a disk about 6 inches wide, wrap in plastic wrap (or parchment paper) and refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.

 

(Ref. Sur La Table's "Perfect Pie Dough" recipe, "Perfect Summer Pies" class.)