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Homemade Flaky All-Butter Pie Dough
The secret to this incredibly flaky crust is using a mix of grated and cubed butter. It ensures the fat distributes perfectly throughout the flour, creating distinct, tender layers once baked. Whether you're making a sweet summer fruit galette or a savory winter quiche, this all-butter dough won't let you down. It rolls out beautifully and bakes up rich, golden, and crisp.
Ingredients
- 20 tablespoons (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, chilled
- 2½ cups (12½ ounces) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup ice water
- 1. Grate 4 tablespoons butter on large holes of box grater and place in freezer. Cut remaining 16 tablespoons butter into ½-inch cubes.
- 2. Pulse 1½ cups flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, 2 pulses. Add cubed butter and process until homogeneous paste forms, 40 to 50 seconds. Using your hands, carefully break paste into 2-inch chunks and redistribute evenly around processor blade. Add remaining 1 cup flour and pulse until mixture is broken into pieces no larger than 1 inch (most pieces will be much smaller), 4 to 5 pulses. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Add grated butter and toss until butter pieces are separated and coated with flour.
Instructions
- 1Grate 4 tablespoons of butter on the large holes of a box grater and place it in the freezer. Freezing the grated butter ensures it won't melt into the dough too quickly, creating distinct flaky layers. Cut the remaining 16 tablespoons of butter into 1/2-inch cubes.
- 2Pulse 1 1/2 cups of flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined, about 2 pulses. Add the cubed butter and process until a homogeneous paste forms, 40 to 50 seconds.
- 3Using your hands, carefully break the paste into 2-inch chunks and redistribute them evenly around the processor blade. Add the remaining 1 cup of flour and pulse until the mixture breaks into pieces no larger than 1 inch, 4 to 5 pulses.
- 4Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Add the grated butter and toss until the butter pieces separate and are coated with flour.
- 5Sprinkle 1/4 cup of ice water over the mixture. Toss with a rubber spatula until evenly moistened. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of ice water over the top and toss to combine.
- 6Press the dough with the spatula until it sticks together. Divide the dough into two equal portions and transfer each to its own sheet of plastic wrap.
- 7Working with one portion at a time, draw the edges of the plastic over the dough. Press firmly on the sides and top to form a compact, solid mass without cracks. Preventing cracks now makes rolling the dough much easier later. Wrap tightly and shape into a 5-inch disk. Repeat with the second portion.
Notes
- Measuring: Be sure to weigh the flour for this recipe if possible. This dough will be more moist than most pie doughs, but it'll absorb excess moisture as it chills.
- Rolling: Always roll the dough on a well-floured counter to prevent sticking.
- Chill: Refrigerate the wrapped dough for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Let the chilled dough sit on the counter for about 10 minutes to soften slightly before rolling.
- Make ahead: Freeze the tightly wrapped dough disks for up to 1 month. Thaw completely at room temperature before rolling.