Flaky Pie Dough

Flaky Pie Dough

Makes enough for two 9-inch pie crusts
The addition of sour cream produces a dough that is easy to handle and a pastry that is tender, flaky, and delicious. For optimal results, remember the cardinal rules of pastry making: keep everything COLD and do not overwork the dough! We repeat, keep everything cold and do not overmix!!!

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup full-fat sour cream
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (diced and kept cold)

Directions

  1. Whisk 1/3 cup ice-cold water and sour cream together until well-blended. Refrigerate.
  2. In a large chilled bowl, mix flour, sugar, and salt. Scatter pieces of butter over the top. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour until it becomes a crumbly mixture of pea-size pieces. Alternatively, put everything into the bowl of a food processor and pulse. If you don’t have a pastry cutter or food processor, rub the butter and flour between your fingers until coarsely blended.
  3. Drizzle sour cream water over the dry mixture. Stir with a fork or pulse in food processor. Squeeze a handful of dough. If it does not hold together, sprinkle with additional cold water, one tablespoon at a time. The dough should hold together when pressed but only use as much liquid as needed, no more. It will look crumbly.
  4. Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half and form each half into a disk, smoothing out any cracks without overworking the dough. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill at least one hour and up to two days. They may also be placed in freezer bags and stored for two months. Allow frozen dough to thaw overnight in the fridge before using.

Cook Tips

Dice the butter and store in the fridge to keep cold until ready to use.

Nutrition

Amount Per Serving (based on 16 servings)
  • Calories: 180
  • Fat: 12.0 g
  • Saturated Fat: 8.0 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Cholesterol: 30.0 mg
  • Sodium: 75.0 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 16.0 g
  • Fiber: 1.0 g
  • Added Sugars: 1.0 g
  • Sugar: 1.0 g
  • Protein: 2.0 g