Basic Pie Dough
Prep Time:
15 mins.
Yield:
2 pie crusts
A basic pie dough recipe to store in the fridge or freezer, because you never know when you’ll feel like making a festive, delicious pie! This makes an extra-tender pie crust that is easier to roll out when chilled.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Swans Down® Cake Flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 4 to 8 tablespoons ice-cold water
Directions
- PULSE cake flour, all-purpose flour, salt and sugar in bowl of a food processor. Add cubed butter. Pulse again until it resembles coarse sand. (It’s fine if some larger pieces of butter are showing.)
- POUR mixture into a medium bowl and add 4 tablespoons of ice-cold water. Work the water into the flour mixture by gently tossing with fingers. Check to see if dough comes together when squeezed. If dough is too dry, add remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together when squeezed.
- TURN dough out onto a floured surface and lightly press it together. Divide it into 2 equal disks (each makes one pie crust) and wrap each disk in plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 1 hour. If making a 1-crust pie, freeze the second disk of dough for future use.
- REMOVE dough from refrigerator when ready to use. If it is too cold to roll, let it sit out for 10 minutes, but don’t let it sit out too long. This is a very tender pie crust that rolls out more easily when chilled as much as possible. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness and into a 12-inch circle for making a 9-inch pie.
- STORE this pie dough in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
To bake pie crust:
- PRESS dough over bottom and up sides of a deep-dish 9-inch pie pan. Trim dough, if needed, leaving a 1/2- to 3/4-inch overhang. Fold edges under; crimp as desired. Freeze for 30 minutes.
- PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Position rack in center of oven.
- LINE piecrust with a sheet of greased parchment paper; fill with pie weights, dried beans or raw rice.
- BAKE until crust edges feel set, about 15 minutes. Carefully remove parchment and weights. Bake until edges are lightly golden and bottom is dry and set, 8 to 10 minutes, covering crust with foil to prevent excess browning, if needed. (Crust may puff slightly in places.) Let cool completely on a wire rack. Position rack in lower third of oven.
