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All-Butter Pie Dough
A classic all-butter pie dough creates a flaky, tender crust for your favorite sweet or savory pies. Using a mix of grated and cubed butter ensures the fat is perfectly distributed throughout the flour. It is an excellent foundation for holiday baking, fruit tarts, or comforting quiches. The result is a rich, golden crust with a crisp texture and deep buttery flavor.
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
- 1Sprinkle 1/4 cup of ice water over the prepared flour and butter mixture. Toss the ingredients with a rubber spatula until they are evenly moistened. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of ice water and toss again to fully combine.
- 2Press the mixture with your spatula until the dough begins to stick together. Divide the dough into two equal portions and move each half onto its own sheet of plastic wrap.
- 3Working with one piece at a time, pull the edges of the plastic wrap over the dough. Press firmly on the top and sides to form a tight, solid mass without any cracks, then shape it into a 5-inch disk.
- 4Repeat the shaping process with the second portion. Refrigerate the wrapped dough for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Let the chilled dough rest on the counter for about 10 minutes to soften slightly before you begin rolling.
- 5If you plan to store the dough longer, keep it in the freezer for up to one month. Thaw the frozen dough completely on the counter before rolling it out for your pie.