Perfect Flaky Pie Crust

Do you know how many pie crusts I have made before arriving to this perfect amazing brilliant incredible showstopper recipe?!?! I can’t even count them, but I have tried them all. All butter, all shortening, half and half, using a food processor, grating the butter, adding vodka, etc etc etc. I have done them all. But this recipe from Cloudy Kitchen (she is a baking goddess and everything I have tried of hers has been incredible) is not only super simple, BUT her technique is really the most important part. It will be confusing the first time you do this, but after you get it down once, you will have it down ~forever.

This makes enough for ONE single crust (double the recipe if you want to do a lattice or make two pies) or two crusts for if you are making a galette.

I also have a video tutorial of this on my Instagram highlights which I strongly recommend watching before if you are not familiar with pie crusts.

**before we begin, this takes about 2 hours of resting/chilling so plan accordingly**

A few wee notes…..

YOUR INGREDIENTS

• Butter: Always make sure your butter is COLD. I cut my butter into cubes, and then place it in the freezer while I prepare the other ingredients. Purchase good quality European unsalted butter. You don’t need Kerrygold (the most expensive butter EVER) but the next best thing. I use Central Market European Unsalted, in the brown box from HEB.
• Liquids: I use a mix of water and apple cider vinegar, mixed with ice. THIS NEEDS TO BE COLD. Seriously, leave the ice in for a few minutes before you begin.

THE TECHNIQUE

• My roll out and folding technique is what will give you the most perfect flaky layers.
• Folding the dough and rolling it out makes it extremely pliable and easy to work with; it will not break apart or crumble if you do this correctly.
• When you are cutting in the butter, be sure to leave some chunks with the smaller pieces, that helps create the layers.
• Be slow and steady with adding your liquids, as you do not want to add too much at once. Adding 1-2 tablespoons at a time is best.
• TUTORIAL HERE

PATIENCE IS KEY

• You need to let the dough rest or else it will not turn out properly. Do not put it into the freezer to speed up chilling/resting, that will not work!
• Chilling time is crucial for any crust, including oreo and graham, so please be sure to follow those directions.
• Practice makes perfect! It took me a very long time to master pie crust, but once you make this a few times you will be a pro.

 TIME TO BAKE

• Letting the dough chill after you flute the edges will help the edges keep their shape in the oven.
• Blind Baking and Par-Baking with pie weights is very important. If you do not do this, as the butter melts, the pie crust will shrink. Seriously, one time I did not do this and I ended up with a pie crust frisbee.
• Brushing the edges with an egg wash (1 egg whisked with a splash of water) will give you those golden shiny edges that make sucha big difference in pie crusts.
• If a bubble forms in your crust and you notice while the pie bakes, use a toothpick to gently “pop” it and it will go down.

what you need:

• 1 1/4 cups flour, plus more for rolling
• 1 stick unsalted butter, COLD and cut into cubes
• 1 tsp sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup water
• Handful of ice
• 1 egg, whisked with splash of water
• special equipment needed: rolling pin, pastry brush

what you need to do:

• Cut your butter into cubes and put it back into the fridge while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.
• In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt.
• In a large bowl or cup, mix together ice, water, and apple cider vinegar. Keep the tablespoon measure next to your mixture as you will need it.
• So now, take your butter cubes and add them to your flour. Using your fingers, quickly start to squish the butter cubes into the flour. Continue doing this until pretty much all of the cubes have been squished. Your fingers will hurt, but KEEP GOING. Squish until the majority of the butter is cut into pea sizes but you still have a variety of large chunks. You want the chunks to stay because they help to create the flaky layers.
• Once most of the butter is incorporated, add 3 tablespoons of the water mixture and use your hands to mix it together.
• The dough will start to form, so keep mixing it around with your hands, making sure all of the flour is getting mixed in.
• Add 1 – 2 more tablespoons of water, making sure to scrape up the bottom of the bowl were the dry bits rest. Keep kneading and mixing.
• If your dough is feeling dry and not all sticky, add another bit of water. You want to dough to be SLIGHTLY sticky but not dry at all. Remember that you will be rolling this out so if it is super dry it will crack and break.
• Knead gently until your dough forms a ball that does not have any bits falling out. You do not want to over knead it, it does not need to be smooth at all, you want it a little chunky.

Notes: (PHOTOS BELOW OF TECHNIQUE)

• If you are only using this to make one pie, form dough into a disk and wrap TIGHTLY in plastic wrap.
• If you doubled the recipe and you are making TWO crusts, divide in half EVENLY (using a scale if possible) and form each piece into a disk and wrap TIGHTLY in plastic wrap.
• Put in the fridge for 1 hour.
• After the hour, sprinkle a generous amount of flour on your counter or work space. Flour your rolling pin too.
• Using your hands, push your dough into a flat oval and then grab your rolling pin and roll into a long skinny rectangle. (See photos)
• Fold the top part of the dough down to the center, and then fold up the bottom half to meet the top, like a book. Turn the dough one time to the right so that the creases are now vertical.
• Now roll out into another rectangle, and then repeat the same folding process again.
• Mold into a round disk with your hands and then cover with plastic wrap. Put back into the fridge for another hour.
• After this hour is up, we are ready to roll out to put in a pie dish.
• Before you begin rolling, I find it is much easier if you make sure the dough is a perfectly round ball and then I use my hands to flatten it into as perfect a circle as possible. This helps to keep it pretty circular as you roll it out.
• Roll out until it is about 1/4 in thick. You want the circle to be about an inch wider than your pie dish. Using your rolling pin, gently wrap it around the pin and then lay it over your pie dish.
• Staring from the center of the dish, push the dough very softly into the bottom and then up the sides.
• Trim the outside with scissors to leave about .5 – 1 inch hanging off the sides.
• Fold the bit hanging off under and gently push down to create a neat folded edge. Put into the fridge for 15 – 20 minutes.
• Remove from fridge and crimp as desired.
• Dock all over with a fork, then chill another 30 minutes. This helps to make sure your crimps don’t “melt” off in the oven.
• Baking instructions vary based on the pie filling you are using, so I would defer to your pie recipe for how long and at what temperature to bake at. See below for blind baking and par-baking instructions.

BLIND BAKE: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Brush fluted edges with egg wash. Prick the crust gently with a fork, making sure to get the sides as well. Crumble up a piece of parchment paper several times until very flexible. Gently place in the bottom of the pie crust (see next page). Add in pie weights or dried beans and fill up the VERY TOP. Bake for 30 – 45 minutes, or until the edges are golden, remove from oven, then carefully remove the parchment and weights (crust may stick to parchment, use a knife to gently release it) and bake another 20-25 minutes, or until the middle is cooked through and the edges are perfectly browned.

PAR-BAKING: Repeat the steps as stated above, but bake for 15-20 minutes, then remove the parchment and weights and bake for 10 minutes. You want the edges to be lightly browned but the middle does not need to be cooked through, as the pie will be returning to the oven with filling.