Sneaky-Wheat Butter Pie Crust
Fear not making pie crust if you have a food processor and some parchment paper! Even using just a pastry blender, an empty wine bottle, and a well-floured counter top, you can make a very good pie crust in about 15 minutes of active time.
Sneaky-Wheat Butter Pie Crust uses some white whole-wheat flour in place of some of the all-purpose flour. The surprising result is a richer tasting, flakier crust. It's another case where the healthier option is actually more delicious! For a fabulous filling, see the recipe for Blueberry Pie.
Active time: 15 minutes. Total time: 35 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes, depending on whether freezing or refrigerating dough. Makes two crusts, enough for one double-crust pie or two single-crust pies.
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (200 grams), plus more for rolling
3/4 cups white whole-wheat flour (85 grams)
1 teaspoon sugar (optional; recommended for sweet fillings)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold butter (2 sticks)
6 tablespoons ice water
Method
- Put dry ingredients into a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse once or twice to stir. Cut butter into about 8 pieces per stick and add to flour mixture. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand. Add 5 tablespoons ice water and process until mixture forms a ball, for 10 to 15 seconds. If it is crumbly and dry, add remaining water.
- Set out two small containers or two pieces of plastic wrap to hold dough while cooling. Remove dough from food processor, divide in half, and pat each into a disk about 6 inches across and 3/4s inch high. Put in container or wrap in plastic to keep from drying out or picking up smells. Freeze for 10 minutes or refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. At this point, you can refrigerate dough about four days or freeze it for up to a month.
- While dough cools, clean countertop thoroughly or set out two sheets of parchment paper. Flour countertop or one sheet of parchment. When dough is ready, set on floured surface and dust with more flour. If using parchment, cover with other sheet. Roll dough out in a circle that is about 2 inches larger than your pie plate, working from the center out and rotating dough.
- If using parchment, remove top sheet. Center pie plate upside down on dough, slide your hand between the parchment and the counter, and flip the plate over so the dough is on top. Gently remove the parchment. Otherwise, roll one end of the dough circle on rolling pin until end nearly touches rest of crust. Use pin to lift up crust and gently center over pie plate.
- Press dough into pie plate, getting rid of any air pockets and making sure dough touches plate where the bottom and side meet. Trim dough so it is about a quarter inch wider than the plate rim.
- Fill crust according to recipe. For example, see the recipe for Blueberry Pie.
- Use rolling pin to lift top crust and center on pie, as described in step 4 above. Trim dough where edge is more than an inch wider than plate rim. Using your thumb and first two fingers, turn top crust under bottom crust and squeeze gently to seal, going all the way around the rim. I usually do a rough pass to seal and a second pass to make an attractive pattern.
- Use a sharp knife to cut crust five or so times to give steam from the baking pie a way to escape. Freeze pie for 10 minutes or refrigerate for 30 minutes. Bake as directed by the filling recipe.
Tips and notes
- Cold butter makes flaky layers while warm butter melts into the flour and makes a tougher crust.
- If your dough is too stiff, let it warm up a little. If it's too soft, scrape it up and refrigerate or freeze again. If it is sticky, add a little flour.
- If you don't have a rolling pin, use a tall, flat-sided bottle. If you don't have a food processor, use a pastry blender to cut butter into flour.
- Time saver: make one pie crust for now and one for the freezer. It will keep for up to a month. See step 2 above.
