When cutting-in, the butter and flour do not actually combine. The mix should never look like a paste. The butter, remains in small chunks that float within the flour. This is the secret to tender, flaky crust. In the oven, the moisture in the small pieces of fat evaporates into steam, pushing up the dough, and leaving little pockets of air, which we interpret as flakiness.
Use Fingertips to Crumble Pastry
To achieve this, the fat is added to the flour and crumbled by fingertips. Be careful to use only the finger tips, and not the hot palm of the hand. Many bakers like to keep their hands out of the dough entirely, preferring to use a pastry blender, a couple of knives or forks, or a food processor (a technique that requires mastery).
To keep the fat from softening as it is worked into the flour the ingredients must be very cold. If the ingredients are not cold, the tiny pieces of fat will cream together with the flour, rather than remain in separate chunks. That creates tough, hard crusts, not tender, flaky ones. Freeze the diced butter for 10-15 minutes before adding it for best results. On hot days freeze the flour too.
Using Lard or Butter
Some pie recipes call for butter, others for lard. Lard cuts-into flour in smaller, thinner bits while still remaining separate. But lard is not as common as it used to be, and many people avoid it because it is a pork product. Lard and butter can be used interchangeably. For a buttery taste and super-flakiness, use half lard and half butter. Vegetable shortening or margarine is not recommended in pie dough. It works, but leaves a disagreeable aftertaste.
Once the fat is cut-in to small, pea-sized pieces the proper size, liquid is added. Liquids vary, and include water, milk, buttermilk, eggs, or a combination. Often an acid is added for flavor, and to strengthen the gluten in the flour, which aids rolling. Add the liquid all at once and stir it using a fork. Do not stir too vigorously, or too long. Just work the dough until it is moistened.
Forming the Final Dough
Turn the dough out onto the counter. Using a rubber spatula, or rubber dough scraper, fold the dough over onto itself 5-6 times. Do not knead. Just fold and compress. This will help bring in the dry bits, and create a cohesive dough. After these few folds, the dough should look marbleized, with bits of flour and butter visible.
Finally, chill the dough. The fat needs a chance to re-solidify, and the flour needs time to absorb the liquids. Wrap the dough in plastic, flatten it into a disc, and chill at least 30 minutes.
Basic Pie Dough
Makes: enough dough for 3 (8-inch) circles
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup ice water
- 1 TB. cider vinegar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 TB. sugar
- 8 oz. (2 sticks) butter, diced and chilled
Directions
- 1. Combine water, vinegar and set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, sugar and mix well. Add diced butter and cut-in to pea-sized pieces.
- Add half the water, and stir with a fork to moisten. Add enough additional water to just hold the dough together.
- Press it into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour. The dough should look marbled, with visible patches of butter and flour. Dough can be refrigerated for 2 days, or frozen for up to 1 month.
