Recipe from Cheryl and Griffith Day
Adapted by Julia Moskin
- Total Time
- 15 minutes
- Rating
- 4(447)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This easy, sturdy all-butter crust has one unorthodox ingredient in it: baking powder. Cheryl Day of Back in the Day Bakery in Savannah, Ga., learned to add a splash of apple cider vinegar to the dough from her grandmother; it helps the crust stay tender by preventing gluten from forming. But the baking powder gives it “a little lift,” she said, which helps the butter and flour form flaky layers — like a biscuit. —Julia Moskin
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Ingredients
Yield:2 (9-inch) pie crusts, or 1 double crust
- 2½cups/320 grams unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1teaspoon baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
- 1teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½cup/120 milliliters ice water
- 1tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1cup/225 grams cold unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into 1-inch cubes
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)
1420 calories; 93 grams fat; 58 grams saturated fat; 4 grams trans fat; 24 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 129 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 17 grams protein; 812 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; set aside.
Step
2
In a measuring cup or a small bowl, combine the water and vinegar; set aside.
Step
3
Gently toss the butter in the flour mixture until coated, then use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour. (You should have pieces of butter that range from sandy patches to pea-size chunks, with some larger bits as well.)
Step
4
Drizzle in about half of the ice water mixture and stir lightly with a fork until the flour is evenly moistened and the dough starts to come together. If the dough seems dry, add a little more ice water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time. The dough will still look a bit shaggy at this point. If you grab a small piece of dough and press it slightly with your hand, it should mostly hold together.
Step
5
Dump the dough out onto an unfloured work surface and gather it together into a tight mound. Using the heel of your hand, smear the dough a little at a time, pushing it away from you and working your way down the mass of dough to create flat layers of flour and butter. Gather the dough back together with a bench scraper, layering the clumps of dough on top of one another.
Step
6
Repeat the process once or twice more; the dough should still have some big pieces of butter visible.
Step
7
Cut the dough in half. Shape each piece into a disk and flatten it. Wrap the disks in plastic and put in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or overnight, to rest.
Step
8
The dough can be stored for 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 1 month in the freezer. If making the dough in advance to freeze: Roll out the dough on a piece of parchment paper, then carefully roll it up in the parchment. Write the date on the parchment and pop into the freezer to firm up, about 30 minutes. Then wrap the crust securely in plastic wrap. Defrost the dough in the refrigerator overnight or thaw it on the kitchen counter for about 30 minutes before using.)
Step
9
Use the dough for double-crust pie recipes or cut it into disks to prepare Berry Hand Pies.
Ratings
4
out of 5
447
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Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Ann Grant
I've been making my pie dough like this for decades. The technique for "smearing" the dough I learned from Julia Child. (On mise le frisage.). As another shortcut, you can make 2-3 batches of pastry crumbs and keep in the freezer, then weigh out what you need for a single or double crust. I whir my butter and flour up in the food processor, but always mix the dough by hand. Of course you can do it all by hand like Julia describes.
Mary
This is my new go to pie crust recipe, & especially helpful when running short on time! Used my food processor for mixing, & did the smearing by hand. Was only able to refrigerate it for about 30 minutes. Rolled out easier than any recipe ever. So easy to make I worried it wouldn't be flaky. Rest assured, it came out beautifully: flaky, a bit puffy, and even without par baking, the bottom crust was fully baked and not soggy. Ample amount of dough too!
Tizzylish in Provence
I haven been looking for pie crust recipe that is flaky and light. Look no further. I used this recipe for my French onion tart and for my Apple pie and Pumpkin pie tarts. My French husband loved the crust...and the pies. Easy to freeze and bake too.
Bobbi
Beautifully clear and detailed directions for someone who is working on their pie crust skills. This crust came out great.
Patti Ann
View Julia Child's French Tarts Apple Style and How to Make a Basic Pie Dough escoffier school videos for fraisage technique.
Matt
Ann Grant mentions "smearing" dough, courtesy of Julia Child. For decades I did that when making pain de mie, as Julia suggests.Lately I've been making the dough in a powerful Kitchen Aid. I take it to the point where the dough looks satiny, and fine as it is. Then I add clumps of butter ( about half tablespoons ) as the machine is on. That's my machine way of "smearing".I incorporate the butter, not quite completely, it still will go through 3 risings. I wonder if that would work here.
cm
I thought I had overworked this dough for my hand pies, but everything came out tender. I only refrigerated for a few hours and I made it by hand, because it’s so relaxing to smush the butter in the flour. I love this recipe.
Caroline W.
Delicious. The flakiest, most perfect pie crust. Made it exactly as written. I used to make fresh blueberry hand pies and they were extraordinary. I had no idea what I was doing with the smearing but it seemed to have worked: so tender and so flaky. We rolled out the scraps, covered in cinnamon sugar and then rolled those up tightly and baked with a little egg wash: couldn’t stop eating them.
em
First time making this, turned out delightful! Used for a pot pie and 15-20 min pre-bake helped keep it from getting soggy on the bottom; the top stayed crisp amd flaky, too!
Jo
Looking for your instructions for using store bought pie crust.
Max Nunez
Can the butter be frozen and grated rather than cubed?
Anne
Best pastry crust ever!!!!! This recipe succeeds in all aspects, especially for this untalented home pastry chef. Made exactly per recipe. Will be my one and only go-to henceforth. BTW I made fresh blueberry hand pies with this crust, and they were to die for.
Teresa
Can this be made without sugar?
C
I have stopped using plastic wrap altogether - put discs on a flat platter (could use two plates if no platter large enough) covered with a large bees wax cover. It works fine.
Laurel
Perfect crust with visible flaking after baking. Amazing to be rid of soggy bottoms! Any crust decorations, like pastry leaves, will puff up beautifully.
Tricia
Be sure to pick a cool day to try this one. I made the mistake of using it on a very hot day, and the butter had completely melted into the flour after just one pass on the "heeling" brisage. As a result, the crust had no flaky layering at all.
david
i have never understood why one would smear the mixture on the counter as it seems counterintuitive to me. that is, until i read this recipe which says to layer the clumps of dough on top of each other. i think as long as you could it cold you would get nice flakiness out of this.
CJ48
This is a truncated version of puff pastry. If you have ever made puff pastry, you know that you layer, flatten, chill, roll, layer, flatten, chill, etc. The layering is what makes the flakes.
Patti Ann
View Julia Child's French Tarts Apple Style and How to Make a Basic Pie Dough escoffier school videos for fraisage technique.
kelly
My pie dough usually comes out tough or bland, this dough is fantastic. I used it to make the Berry Hand Pies (next time I'll cook the filling first) but it really shone in making curried pork meat pies. The baking soda gives a little lift to the layers that is quite scrumptious!
Bobbi
Beautifully clear and detailed directions for someone who is working on their pie crust skills. This crust came out great.
Bobbi
Beautifully clear, well done instructions for someone working on their pie crust skills. The crust looked and tasted great
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