Going it your own way this Thanksgiving when it comes to pies? You've come to the right place! Amy Traverso, who's the Senior Food Editor at Yankee Magazine, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for pie crust, which she says the secret of is: butter makes it better. She told Tonia she uses enough butter to coat the flour, while allowing for enough butter to have chunks in the mixture. She takes the butter and uses her fingers to move it into mixture. Amy says she uses simple, all-purpose flour and does not include vinegar in that, simply because, she says butter offers better flavor. Everything you need to make a perfect pie crust!
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (optional, but recommended for sweet pies)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 18 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water
Pie Crust From Scratch Directions:
Step One
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar (if using), and salt until well combined.
Step Two
Sprinkle butter over flour mixture.
Step Three
Use a pastry cutter, 2 knives, or a fork to break the butter into smaller pieces.
Step Four
Once the butter pieces are small, use your fingers to work the butter into the flour mixture: Rub your thumb against your fingertips as if you’re making the universal sign for “money,” smearing the butter as you do.
Step Five
When you first start out, the flour will be white and the butter will be yellow. As you continue to work the butter in, the flour will begin to look moist and slowly turn pale yellow, too.
Step Six
Stop when the mixture looks like cornmeal with lumps and bean-sized bits of butter remaining.
Step Seven
Sprinkle 6 tablespoons ice water on top and stir with a fork until the dough begins to come together. If needed, add more ice water, a tablespoon at a time, but proceed cautiously.
Step Eight
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead three times, or just enough to make a cohesive dough—do not overmix!
Step Nine
Gather the dough into a ball and divide into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. The larger piece will be the bottom crust.
Step Ten
Press each piece into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
