Flaky All Butter Pie Dough
Are you intimidated by making pie dough? Do you love a buttery, flaky crust but find that most recipes fall flat? Then this is the all butter pie dough for you! It’s quick and easy, and has layers that are as flaky and buttery as a French croissant! I was the one who always left my pie crust on the plate because the flavor and texture were just not worth the extra calories, but this recipe I crave, and I am finding way too many reasons to make any kind of pie I can think of! I also use this pie dough recipe, or my sourdough pie dough recipe, to make homemade Pop-Tarts (which are also amazing!). This recipe is the perfect partner for both sweet and savory pies of any size.
Ingredients you need to make All Butter Pie Dough recipe
Unsalted butter – the star ingredient! The trick is to make your butter super cold! I cut my cold butter into 1-inch cubes and put it in a bowl in the freezer while I gather and prep everything else. Use unsalted so you can control the amount of salt in your pie crust.
All-purpose flour – I measure my flour by volume, but I make sure to fluff my flour well before gently scooping and leveling. I will be adding weights in the future so check back.
Diamond Crystal Kosher salt – Salt adds a ton of flavor along with the sugar. Don’t skip it or cut back on it! If you are using fine table salt, decrease the seasoning by half.
Sugar – Sugar balances the salt and helps with some browning. Use the same amount for savory or sweet pies – it doesn’t taste sweet (just super craveable!).
Ice water – The colder the better! Right after I cut up the butter and put it in the freezer, I fill a two-cup measuring cup with ice and cold water and let it sit to get really cold.
Equipment you will need to make All Butter Pie Dough
A medium to large mixing bowl – I prefer glass or stainless. You can chill your bowl before starting if you want help keeping your ingredients cold, but I haven’t done that and haven’t needed it.
Pastry blender – this is a great tool and makes it quick and easy. You could use a food processor, but I find the pastry blender makes a flakier crust with my technique and its a lot easier to clean!
Plastic wrap – used to wrap the two discs of dough to chill
Clean hands – The cheapest and easiest kitchen tools you will find!
Steps to make All Butter Pie Dough
My technique seems to be the game-changer for flaky butter pie dough. Whisk your flour, salt, and sugar well to combine.
Add your super chilled butter cubes, and toss gently with the flour to coat.
Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture until most of the pieces of butter are about the size of large kidney beans, with some butter chunks on the larger size.
Set the pastry blender aside, and drizzle 2 tablespoons of the ice water over the top of the mixture.
Using your fingers, reach into the bottom of the bowl along the side, and gently pull the flour mixture from the bottom to the top, covering the wet areas. Turn the bowl, and again pull up the flour mixture from the bottom. Drizzle two more tablespoons of water, and repeat pulling up from the bottom gently, turning the bowl, and pulling it up again. After you have added 6 tablespoons of ice water, gently squeeze a handful of the mixture to see if it is starting to hold together. Your mixture will still be very dry.
Continue adding 2 tablespoons of water and mixing up from the bottom until you have added 10 tablespoons of water. Try squeezing again, and it should be starting to hold together, but still be a little dry and sandy. Add 1 more tablespoon of water, and mix again, continuing until you can get all the dry bits onto the ball of dough. It should look pretty uniform but not be overly sticky (which means you have too much water. You don’t want it too dry or too wet, but the flour will absorb some more moisture as it chills in the refrigerator after you wrap it.
Divide the dough in half and shape into discs. Wrap tightly and press down to push the edges out so they become smooth and not ragged. If you are freezing at this point, double or triple wrap each disc and freeze for up to 3 months (let defrost overnight in the refrigerator before using).
When you are ready to bake, remove the disc from the refrigerator about 10-15 minutes before you will be ready to roll out your dough. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured clean surface. Roll from the middle to the outside edge, to help keep the dough from shrinking too much in the pan while baking.
Bake your pie according to the recipe you are using. I have had the best success by preheating the oven to 425 degrees (convection. If using conventional, heat to 450 degrees). I bake it at 425/450 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower to 350 degrees conventional and bake for another 40 minutes or so, rotating the pie if necessary for even browning. I always bake pies on a pan designed to catch drips and keep my oven clean, but a half-sheet pan would work as well.
Drop me a note below if you try this recipe, and let me know if you crave this buttery flaky all butter pie crust as much as I do! Happy baking!
Use this recipe with apple pie, peach pie, quiche, corn pie, pot pie, or any pie you can think of!
I use this pie pan*: Pampered Chef Stoneware Pan (currently available in white and Italian Plum) https://www.pamperedchef.com/pws/escape2thekitchen/shop/Cookware+%26+Bakeware/Stoneware/Stone+Pie+Plate/100738?queryID=c23edc26d0732766311ee5e44f78acbc
*I may receive a commission on products purchased from links on my site, but I will only ever recommend products I truly believe in.
What if my crust gets too dark before it’s ready?
If your crust starts heading for the dark side, tent your pie with a piece of foil. If it’s just the edge, use a pie crust protector or a strip of foil covering just the edges.
Do I have to chill the dough after I put it in the pie plate?
NO! I never do, because of a lack of patience and time! As long as it’s not sitting out while you make your filling, and you fill it as soon as you roll it out, you will be good! If it has gotten warm, chilling it for a few minutes will definitely help.
Flaky All Butter Pie Dough
Equipment
- 1 Medium to large mixing bowl
- 1 Paastry blender
- 1 measuring cups and spoons
- 1 Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter chilled well, and cut into 1 inch cubes, see note
- 2.5 cup all-purpose flour
- 1.25 teaspoon Dimond Crystal Kosher Salt use less if using table salt
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups ice water see note
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, salt and sugar until well combined.
- Add the butter and gently toss to coat with the flour, breaking up any pieces sticking together so they are all coated.
- Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the piece of butter are the size of kidney beans, with some larger.
- Using a Tablespoon, drizzle two tablespoons of water over the top of the mixture.
- Gently reach your fingers down the side of the bowl and lightly toss the flour over the water. Turn the bowl and repeat.
- Add 2 more tablespoons of water and repeat.
- After you have added 8 tablespoons, squeeze the mixture to check that it is starting to hold together but still is slightly crumbly. Add more water, 1 Tablesppon at a time until the dough holds together and there are very few dry pieces. Pick up any dry flour with the dough.
- Divide the dough into two discs and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Press down on the wrap to push the edges tightly against the side of the wrap.
- Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours. Double or triple wrap and label if freezing for up to three months.
- Use the dough in any recipe calling for pie dough, and follow that recipe for baking instructions. See my notes in the blog post for guidelines on how I bake my pies.
