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Buttery Flaky Pie Crust Recipe

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This Buttery Flaky Pie Crust recipe yields a tender, crisp, and flaky base perfect for sweet and savory pies. Combining cold butter and a touch of vodka enhances flakiness while simple techniques create a perfect texture. Ideal for home bakers seeking a reliable, buttery crust to impress.

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon (5 g) sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, cold
  • ¼ cup (55 g) ice water, plus more as needed
  • ¼ cup (55 g) vodka, cold

Instructions

  1. Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, and sea salt until evenly combined to build the base of the dough.
  2. Add butter: Cut the cold unsalted butter into roughly ½-inch cubes. Immediately add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture, tossing to coat. Quickly squish the butter pieces between your fingers to flatten them into small “shingles,” leaving pea-sized bits for a flaky texture.
  3. Slowly add water and vodka: Combine the ice water and cold vodka in a separate bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour-butter mix and pour in about half of the liquid mixture. Using your hands, gently incorporate the liquid until the dough begins to hold together but remains crumbly. Gradually add more liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough just comes together. If it gets too sticky, sprinkle a tablespoon of flour to adjust consistency.
  4. Rest: Divide the dough into two equal portions and form each into a disc. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to firm up the butter and hydrate the flour.
  5. Create flakiness: On a lightly floured surface, roll out each chilled disc into a roughly 10-inch circle. Fold the dough in half vertically, then fold again horizontally, creating layered folds. Repeat this folding process once more for a total of two folds. Form each dough back into a disc, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for an additional hour. This step promotes a beautifully flaky crust.
  6. Roll out the dough: Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll each dough disc to approximately ⅛ inch thickness, turning and lifting to prevent sticking. If the dough cracks, gently patch it with your hands. Add extra flour as needed to keep the dough workable without drying it out.
  7. Transfer to pie dish: Roll the dough around your rolling pin and carefully unroll it over a pie dish. Press the dough gently into the bottom and edges of the dish, trimming excess dough but leaving about a 1-inch overhang around the edge for finishing.

Notes

  • Keep all ingredients cold to prevent butter from melting, which is key for flakiness.
  • Vodka helps inhibit gluten formation and evaporates during baking, improving texture without flavor.
  • Resting the dough before rolling makes handling easier and enhances final texture.
  • If dough becomes sticky while rolling, chill for 10-15 minutes before continuing.
  • You can freeze the dough discs tightly wrapped for up to one month.

Find it online: https://mealoria.com/buttery-flaky-pie-crust-recipe/