Pie Dough

Print

Pie Dough

by Shelagh Mullen at She Cooks Design.

This made-from-scratch pie dough recipe is a scrumptious base for all your favorite sweet and savory pies this season!

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, frozen for 15 minutes
  • 4-6 Tablespoons ice water, plus more as needed

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Coat the frozen stick of butter in the flour (to make it easier to handle) and grate the butter directly into the flour mixture, fluffing occasionally with your fingertips.

Toss the grated butter with the flour (like tossing a salad) until well coated, and break up any clumps as they form. Make a well in the center of the mixture. Add three tablespoons of ice water and toss with the flour and butter in the bowl.

Add more ice water 1 to 2 Tablespoons at a time until the dough begins to come together. As it comes together, fold it over a few times to ensure it’s all incorporated. The dough should hold together without noticeable cracks, but it should not be wet or tacky to the touch.

Form the dough into a disk about 1" thick. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using and up to 2 days. The dough can also be frozen, well wrapped, for up to 3 months, then thawed overnight in the refrigerator before use.

To parbake the dough: Let the rested dough sit on the counter for about 10 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough two inches larger than your pie dish (recommend no larger than 9" pie dish for this dough). Turn as you roll to keep the dough from sticking to the counter, add bits of flour as needed.

Gently roll the dough onto the rolling pin and slide it onto the pie pan. Do not stretch the dough, but gently lift it into the corners. Trim to 1 inch from the edge of the pie plate and fold under the overhang. Crimp or decorate as you like. Place in the refrigerator for at least one hour before parbaking.

Take a fork and prick the dough all over, this keeps it from puffing up. Then crumple a sheet of parchment paper and place on the dough. Pour 2-3 pounds of pie weights or dry beans on the parchment. This also ensures the dough won’t puff up while parbaking.

Place in a preheated 400° oven and bake for 15 minutes. Carefully remove parchment and beans or pie weights and place back in the oven for another 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool on a wire rack.