Are you the type who burglarizes hives the minute you consider presenting pie dough? Or the one who remains calm and cool, your pin moving throughout the dough like a Ferrari down the Italian coast?
( Or are you the type who’s truly in it for the consuming, not the making? You’re welcome here, too. Come one, come all! We’ve got a slice for you.)
For me, there’s no “typical” dessert (as in, let’s take croquembouche and Baked Alaska out of the running here) that makes me so frantic: The worry is ingrained; I think I was born that method. I will freeze every utensil, every component, that might possibly come in contact with the peevish butter; I will stick my hands in an ice bath if I need to! All for the sake of an easy-to-roll, hard-to-flub, guaranteed-flaky-and-buttery crust.
some doughs— and my anxiety is mainly dough-related (will it sog? will it shrink? will it entirely implode?)– promise to be more flexible than others: fast to come together, with minimal guesswork; easy to roll and move; and, of course, guaranteed to yield flaky, shattering, crisp results. They call themselves “sure-fire,” “go-to,” “be-all, end-all.” Are they?Shop the Story I
doughs– all-butter, all-butter with the addition of vinegar, butter plus reducing, vodka-spiked, and sour cream-boosted– to see how they ‘d stack up. Join The Discussion Top Remark:” Our go-to favored dough can be made
either by hand or in a standing
mixer with paddle attachment( my fave) frequently described as” pate sucre'” it incorporates flour +butter +generous dash sugar + dash salt +scant 1/4 teaspoon baking powder+ egg yolk +dash cream if required!!! Rolls out and bakes like a dream … Great balance of flavors … Crust holds up well … Can be parbaked … Right touch of flaky … not too soft or tough … Imitate a shortbread crust best with custard/cream/soft fillings … Holds up perfect with nut tarts/fruit tarts/juicy fillings and so on. What I like that is very important to me is that while a half butter half lard crust( with or without vinegar) yields an extremely flaky crust it doesn’t hold up! Unless you consume it the very first day it loses its flakiness and even gets soaked … pate sucre’ hold up well which is necessary particularly around the holidays when you’re doing your baking a couple or more days prior to!!! Thanks for reading”– Petra M. I wanted to figure out … I cut 4 little rounds of each type of dough, brushed 2 of every batch with egg wash( those are bottom two rows of the baking sheet– which are across-the-board more tasty), and baked at 425 ° F for about 15
minutes, up until the dough circles were golden-brown and
totally cooked-through. Then, we tasted. Disclaimer: For my test, I baked the doughs as freestanding rounds, but clearly this does not take into consideration how they would have connected with numerous fillings– juicy fruits, velvety custards– or, as our resident baking specialist Erin McDowell has actually explained, that you may be
trying to find a mealier, more crumbly crust for a custard pie( pumpkin, lemon cream) but flakier, laminated-esque quality for a juicy one. For me, I desired flaky. It is fruit pie season! Let’s go dough to dough, noting the merits and detractions of each: First, what butter to use? That’s … a complicated concern, however fortunately one we’ve happily dealt with. The TL; DR here is that it doesn’t truly matter for this test– I just remained consistent with my brand names of butter throughout.( The only requirements? It had to taste excellent, and be quite low-cost. I was baking a lot
.) 1. All-Butter( & Almost Absolutely Nothing Else): 2. Shortening+ Butter: 3. All Butter+ Some Vinegar:< table class=" recipe-details __ table recipe-details __ table-- mobile" > 1 1/ 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1/ 2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 1/ 2 teaspoons granulated sugar 1/ 4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1/ 2 cup cold water 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1/ 2 cup ice< table
class=” recipe-details __
table recipe-details __ table– desktop
” > 11
/ 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2
teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2
teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4
pound (1 stick) cold saltless butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
< table class="
recipe-details __
table recipe-details __ table– desktop” > 1/ 2 cup
cold water 2
tablespoons cider
vinegar 1/2
cup ice< table class=" recipe-details __
table recipe-details __ table– mobile” >
1 1/ 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 / 2
teaspoon table salt 1 tablespoon
sugar 6 tablespoons cold saltless butter( 3/4 stick)
, cut into 1/4-inch slices 1/ 4 cup chilled strong vegetable shortening,
cut into 2
pieces 2 tablespoons vodka
,
cold 2 tablespoons cold water
< table class="
recipe-details __
table recipe-details __
table– desktop” > 1 1/ 4 cups natural
all-purpose flour 1/ 2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar 6 tablespoons
cold saltless butter (3/4 stick
), cut into 1/4-inch
slices< table
class=” recipe-details __ table recipe-details __ table– desktop” > 1/ 4 cup
cooled strong veggie reducing,
cut into 2 pieces 2 tablespoons vodka, cold 2 tablespoons cold
water How
easy was it to make and deal with?: This rolled out
like a dream(” supremely easy! “according to
my notes– the finest
of the lot). The dough is a bit ugly–
I‘d suggest rolling it
in between sheets of gently
floured parchment paper, and permitting it to chill for
the full 45 minutes prior to trying that endeavor.Texture and taste: While the addition of vodka produced a dough that was flakier
than its all-butter, food processor-made counterpart, I didn’t see a huge distinction in between this crust and the
butter-vinegar
one. I couldn’t discover any vodka( obviously
)
, however I did believe these discs
had a sort of raw, floury taste– I preferred the taste of the butter-vinegar and the sour cream pie dough circles.The decision: I wouldn’t rush out to purchase a bottle of vodka to make this crust, given that I chose the flavor of the butter-vinegar dish and discovered the texture to be almost the very same. However if you are having trouble accomplishing flakiness, give this a shot: A number of our commenters have actually had excellent success,even if they had been heartbroken by other pie crust recipes in the past. I think it’s most likely that this dough will offer flaky outcomes to nervous beginners– it seems less volatile than an all-butter dough, be it made by hand or in a maker. And yet, all-butter doughs still have their benefits.5. Sour Cream: What makes it different: You don’t have to spray in any water or liquid– at all! Rather, you’ll cut the
butter into the flour using your hands, then stir in 1/4 cup of sour cream with a fork. There’s no maker and no uncertainty, and straight-from-the-fridge sour cream can assist keep your other ingredients cold.How easy was it to make and deal with?: I had to include a couple tablespoons of sour cream( 2 more than the dish required )in order to get the dough to come together, and I used the cling wrap to assist steer the mixture into a cohesive ball. After the dough cooled, however, it was a lot easier to work with and provided no problems throughout the rolling procedure. I saw that there were streaks of sour cream in the rolled-out round, which I required an indication of flakiness to come. (Spoiler alert: I was
appropriate.) Texture and taste: The sour cream rounds were exceptionally flaky– maybe the highest-rising of the lot. We also liked their taste– a distinct, but satisfying, sourness. The dough rounds, however, were irregular. Check out that oddly brown specimen in the third row of the rightmost column: What occurred there?The decision: I enjoy this pie crust— distinct layers and big flavor for such little effort–, but it’s definitely suited for specific scenarios. Elise of Just Recipes doesn’t advise par-baking it (the sides will plunge and shrink) and the taste is visibly appetizing– which is something to remember depending upon your filling. I’ll conserve this crust recipe for particular scenarios where a bit of tang would add to the final outcome, like cider caramel pie in the fall or a brown sugar peach pie in August. And in the end? The butter-vinegar crust, for its components and its method, is my winner.It produced consistently tall, flaky outcomes, and I liked the subtle zip that the vinegar provided to the final crust. It’s also simple to rely on this as my go-to: I generally have apple cider vinegar around. Vodka, sour cream, or my beloved cream cheese? That would probably require a special trip to the store. I’m likewise inclined to
avoid the foodprocessor– it’s a lot harder to manage the chunks of butter( and so a lot easier to take the dough simply one pulse too far) when you’re involving a powerful device. My preference is for a mix of tools( they remain cool! they offer more protection!) and hands. If I do take place to have sour cream– or I’m baking for an unique celebration– I’ll make Simply Dishes’ variation. Reducing, see you never ever( though commenters, if you want to make the case otherwise, my ears are open!). And vodka? I ‘d recommend that dish and technique to those who have dealt with all-butter pies in
the past
. The Genius dish will allow you to utilize a food processor without straining the dough– perfect for those searching for a hands-off, extremely dependable technique. And Now For the Filling 1. Heda’s Mostly Blackberry Pie With Hazelnut Crumb Crust This pie’s base is a take on the butter and vinegar crust we discussed above, but with a secret ingredients to offer it crunch and a load of taste: ground hazelnuts! The filling is a basic, olden combo of blackberry and blueberry, and on top goes some more hazelnutty pie dough crumbled up with rolled oats. Flaky, buttery pie crust is packed with mounds of spiced fresh peaches, then scattered with a nutty, oaty fall apart topping. The recipe’s been in community member Rhonda35’s for 3
generations, so you understand it’s got ta be good. 3. Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Fresh Blueberry Pie Cookbook author and baking expert Rose Levy Beranbaum’s done it again– this time, with a dead-simple and extremely impactful blueberry pie. The crust is a vinegar– butter number all of us understand and love, and the filling is quite much just fresh summertime blueberries. When autumn rolls around, you certainly require a go-to pie dish– so why not this cider caramel rendition? It’s got tart-sweet Honeycrisp apples, simply a hint of sugar
, and lots of butter to add
creaminess to the filling as it bakes. All this gets swaddled in
a double-crust of all-buttah pie dough– yes, even more butter. Puckery cranberries and woody, earthy sage are paired in this winter marvel, and a sweet apple( like a Northern Spy) signs up with the party, too. An all-butter crust lays the best groundwork. One more for the road Okay, your turn: What’s your preferred pie dough
dish? And what part gives you most the difficulty? Inform us in the comments below. This article was originally published in July 2017, however we’re sharing it once again due to the fact that you can never have enough pie.
totally cooked-through. Then, we tasted. Disclaimer: For my test, I baked the doughs as freestanding rounds, but clearly this does not take into consideration how they would have connected with numerous fillings– juicy fruits, velvety custards– or, as our resident baking specialist Erin McDowell has actually explained, that you may be
trying to find a mealier, more crumbly crust for a custard pie( pumpkin, lemon cream) but flakier, laminated-esque quality for a juicy one. For me, I desired flaky. It is fruit pie season! Let’s go dough to dough, noting the merits and detractions of each: First, what butter to use? That’s … a complicated concern, however fortunately one we’ve happily dealt with. The TL; DR here is that it doesn’t truly matter for this test– I just remained consistent with my brand names of butter throughout.( The only requirements? It had to taste excellent, and be quite low-cost. I was baking a lot
.) 1. All-Butter( & Almost Absolutely Nothing Else): 2. Shortening+ Butter: 3. All Butter+ Some Vinegar:< table class=" recipe-details __ table recipe-details __ table-- mobile" > 1 1/ 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1/ 2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 1/ 2 teaspoons granulated sugar 1/ 4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1/ 2 cup cold water 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1/ 2 cup ice< table
class=” recipe-details __
table recipe-details __ table– desktop
| ” > 11 | / 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour |
| 1/2 | teaspoon kosher salt |
| 1 1/2 | teaspoons granulated sugar |
| 1/4 | pound (1 stick) cold saltless butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces |
| < table class=" | recipe-details __ |
| table recipe-details __ table– desktop” > 1/ 2 cup | |
| cold water 2 | tablespoons cider |
| vinegar 1/2 | cup ice< table class=" recipe-details __ | ||
| table recipe-details __ table– mobile” > 1 1/ 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 / 2 |
teaspoon table salt 1 tablespoon
|
sugar 6 tablespoons cold saltless butter( 3/4 stick) |
, cut into 1/4-inch slices 1/ 4 cup chilled strong vegetable shortening, |
| cut into 2 | pieces 2 tablespoons vodka |
| , | cold 2 tablespoons cold water |
| < table class=" | recipe-details __ |
| table recipe-details __ | table– desktop” > 1 1/ 4 cups natural | |
| all-purpose flour 1/ 2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar 6 tablespoons | ||
| cold saltless butter (3/4 stick ), cut into 1/4-inch |
||
| slices< table | class=” recipe-details __ table recipe-details __ table– desktop” > 1/ 4 cup | |
cooled strong veggie reducing,
|
cut into 2 pieces 2 tablespoons vodka, cold 2 tablespoons cold | | |
| water How | easy was it to make and deal with?: This rolled out | like a dream(” supremely easy! “according to |
| my notes– the finest | of the lot). The dough is a bit ugly– |
| I‘d suggest rolling it | in between sheets of gently |
| floured parchment paper, and permitting it to chill for | |
| the full 45 minutes prior to trying that endeavor.Texture and taste: While the addition of vodka produced a dough that was flakier |
| than its all-butter, food processor-made counterpart, I didn’t see a huge distinction in between this crust and the | |
| butter-vinegar | one. I couldn’t discover any vodka( obviously |
| ) | , however I did believe these discs |
had a sort of raw, floury taste– I preferred the taste of the butter-vinegar and the sour cream pie dough circles.The decision: I wouldn’t rush out to purchase a bottle of vodka to make this crust, given that I chose the flavor of the butter-vinegar dish and discovered the texture to be almost the very same. However if you are having trouble accomplishing flakiness, give this a shot: A number of our commenters have actually had excellent success,even if they had been heartbroken by other pie crust recipes in the past. I think it’s most likely that this dough will offer flaky outcomes to nervous beginners– it seems less volatile than an all-butter dough, be it made by hand or in a maker. And yet, all-butter doughs still have their benefits.5. Sour Cream: What makes it different: You don’t have to spray in any water or liquid– at all! Rather, you’ll cut the
butter into the flour using your hands, then stir in 1/4 cup of sour cream with a fork. There’s no maker and no uncertainty, and straight-from-the-fridge sour cream can assist keep your other ingredients cold.How easy was it to make and deal with?: I had to include a couple tablespoons of sour cream( 2 more than the dish required )in order to get the dough to come together, and I used the cling wrap to assist steer the mixture into a cohesive ball. After the dough cooled, however, it was a lot easier to work with and provided no problems throughout the rolling procedure. I saw that there were streaks of sour cream in the rolled-out round, which I required an indication of flakiness to come. (Spoiler alert: I was
appropriate.) Texture and taste: The sour cream rounds were exceptionally flaky– maybe the highest-rising of the lot. We also liked their taste– a distinct, but satisfying, sourness. The dough rounds, however, were irregular. Check out that oddly brown specimen in the third row of the rightmost column: What occurred there?The decision: I enjoy this pie crust— distinct layers and big flavor for such little effort–, but it’s definitely suited for specific scenarios. Elise of Just Recipes doesn’t advise par-baking it (the sides will plunge and shrink) and the taste is visibly appetizing– which is something to remember depending upon your filling. I’ll conserve this crust recipe for particular scenarios where a bit of tang would add to the final outcome, like cider caramel pie in the fall or a brown sugar peach pie in August. And in the end? The butter-vinegar crust, for its components and its method, is my winner.It produced consistently tall, flaky outcomes, and I liked the subtle zip that the vinegar provided to the final crust. It’s also simple to rely on this as my go-to: I generally have apple cider vinegar around. Vodka, sour cream, or my beloved cream cheese? That would probably require a special trip to the store. I’m likewise inclined to
avoid the foodprocessor– it’s a lot harder to manage the chunks of butter( and so a lot easier to take the dough simply one pulse too far) when you’re involving a powerful device. My preference is for a mix of tools( they remain cool! they offer more protection!) and hands. If I do take place to have sour cream– or I’m baking for an unique celebration– I’ll make Simply Dishes’ variation. Reducing, see you never ever( though commenters, if you want to make the case otherwise, my ears are open!). And vodka? I ‘d recommend that dish and technique to those who have dealt with all-butter pies in
the past
. The Genius dish will allow you to utilize a food processor without straining the dough– perfect for those searching for a hands-off, extremely dependable technique. And Now For the Filling 1. Heda’s Mostly Blackberry Pie With Hazelnut Crumb Crust This pie’s base is a take on the butter and vinegar crust we discussed above, but with a secret ingredients to offer it crunch and a load of taste: ground hazelnuts! The filling is a basic, olden combo of blackberry and blueberry, and on top goes some more hazelnutty pie dough crumbled up with rolled oats. Flaky, buttery pie crust is packed with mounds of spiced fresh peaches, then scattered with a nutty, oaty fall apart topping. The recipe’s been in community member Rhonda35’s for 3
generations, so you understand it’s got ta be good. 3. Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Fresh Blueberry Pie Cookbook author and baking expert Rose Levy Beranbaum’s done it again– this time, with a dead-simple and extremely impactful blueberry pie. The crust is a vinegar– butter number all of us understand and love, and the filling is quite much just fresh summertime blueberries. When autumn rolls around, you certainly require a go-to pie dish– so why not this cider caramel rendition? It’s got tart-sweet Honeycrisp apples, simply a hint of sugar
, and lots of butter to add
creaminess to the filling as it bakes. All this gets swaddled in
a double-crust of all-buttah pie dough– yes, even more butter. Puckery cranberries and woody, earthy sage are paired in this winter marvel, and a sweet apple( like a Northern Spy) signs up with the party, too. An all-butter crust lays the best groundwork. One more for the road Okay, your turn: What’s your preferred pie dough
dish? And what part gives you most the difficulty? Inform us in the comments below. This article was originally published in July 2017, however we’re sharing it once again due to the fact that you can never have enough pie.
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