Look no further for the very best sweet or savory pie dough you'll ever eat or make...because It's Lauren, of Course!
There is nothing quite as good as homemade pie crust. Tender and flaky, buttery and golden, the right dough makes a good pie truly great. It is so easy to make that there really is no reason to buy it. An all-butter crust is absolutely the way to go, both for flavor and texture. The following recipe can be used interchangeably with desserts and savory dishes, ranging from any fruit pie your heart desires. like Apple Crumb Pie to Chicken Pot Pie, Spinach Hand Pies, Alsatian Potato Pie, and Quiche. The dough is buttery above all, and not particularly sweet, which makes it ideal for highlighting whatever is filled in it. Make the dough with a food processor if you have one, but if not your hands can get the job done. It's about technique, not torture.
Equipment: cutting board; chef's knife; food processor with dough blade or large mixing bowl and pastry cutter; rolling pin; dry and wet measuring cups; measuring spoons; plastic wrap
Ingredients: 2½ cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon powdered sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1¼ cup cold unsalted butter (2½ sticks) 1/3 cup ice water
By hand: Combine the flour, kosher salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Cut the butter into tablespoon chunks, then cut each tablespoon into quarters. Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture and squeeze the butter with the tips of your fingers, working it into the flour, until the fat is the size of peas. Drizzle the water over the mixture and continue working the dough with your fingers until all that fat and flour is incorporated and the dough comes together in a large ball. Gather the dough, form it into 2 equally sized discs, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate.
In the food processor: Combine the flour, kosher salt, and sugar in a food processor for 10 seconds. Cut the butter into tablespoon chunks and scatter over the flour mixture (while the machine is off). Very carefully pulse in 2-second intervals until the fat is the size of peas. With the machine turned off, drizzle the water over the mixture. Pulse until the dough begins to form into small balls. If the dough will come together when pressed with your fingers, gather the dough, form it into two discs, wrap each in plastic and refrigerate. If not, drizzle a bit more ice water over the dough and pulse again. Gather the dough, form it into 2 equally sized discs, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate.
