Dessert,  Recipe

The Only Pie Dough Recipe You’ll Ever Need

I have used this pie dough for over 20 years with a few simple tweaks here and there. I think I found the “un-tweaked” original recipe in a cookie magazine. But it’s how you use the ingredients makes all the difference.  Do yourself a favor and don’t limit this recipe to your usual pies. I use it for savory chicken pot pies (use less sugar) or my kids’ favorite- homemade pop tarts! 

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup cold, unsalted butter
  • 7-10 T cold water

Mix together the flour, sugar and salt. Cut the butter into 1/4″ cubes. Use a pastry cutter or your KitchenAid to cut the butter into the flour until you have a consistent blend of pea sized lumps of raw butter throughout. Slowly add cold water, one Tablespoon at a time until the dough begins to become one large ball. 

Refrigerate or use immediately. My mini pies bake for around 15 minutes at 350.  A regular sized pie will take longer, about 25-35 minutes. Just watch for the beginnings of a pretty golden brown. 

Nerdy Tips

  • use butter, never margarine!
  • use unsalted butter so that you can control the taste of your dough
  • use COLD butter. This is how you get that perfect flaky texture.
  • put ice cubes in the water before adding by Tablespoons to the mixture.
  • chill dough during any delays
  • when rolling out the dough use only fresh dough, setting all scraps to the side until you run out. Resist the urge to add your scraps back in as you go. This way, the dough does not become over floured or overworked. 
  • a sauce pan lid works perfectly for cutting out small circles to fit the muffin tins
  • chill the pies as you make the tops
  • have fun with it! cookie cutters make cute little shapes for the top crust

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