This is my all purpose, all time favorite pie dough.  It works beautifully for sweet or savory pies.  I often make several batches of dough and divide into 1 pound disks, then wrap tightly in 2 layers of plastic wrap to stash in the freezer.  Just take it out the night before you want to bake.  The dough is a little wetter than many recipes you will see – this lets you get plenty of flour on the counter and your rolling pin without toughening the dough.

  • 1 pound All Purpose Flour
  • 1 pound Butter, cubed and chilled
  • 1 pinch Kosher Salt
  • 6 – 8 ounces cold water
  1. Get out your food processor – or be a big deal and do it old school in a bowl with a pastry cutter!  Wash your hands and take off your rings.
  2. Put the flour in a large bowl and dump the butter on top.  Using your very clean hands, toss the butter with the flour so it is coated.  Take handfuls of butter cubes and squish them.  The butter does not need to be flat, we just want it well coated and broken down a bit.
  3. Put the butter bits and flour into the food processor.  Add the salt and pulse 2 times; this mixes in the salt and starts to break down the butter into smaller bits.
  4. With the machine running, pour 2 ounces of the cold water through the feed tube.  Wait 10 seconds, then pour in 2 more ounces.  Repeat 1 more time. (That’s the 6 ounces)  Stop the machine, take off the top and look at the dough.  It should be starting to form a ball.  Touch the dough.  When you squeeze it does it stick together?  If it is a ball or starting to stick, you are ready.  If not, put the top back on and add more water by the tablespoon.  I like my dough to almost form a paste.
  5. Put 2 large squares of plastic wrap on the counter.  Dump the dough onto 1 square, mush the dough into a rough circle and divide in two.  Move half the dough to the other plastic wrap square.  Wrap both halves tightly in plastic, flatten, and put in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
  6. If the dough is in the fridge for more than 3 hours, you will need to let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes or so before rolling out.
  7. When ready to roll, flour the counter, put the dough on the floured area, flour the top of the dough and the rolling pin.  Roll to the thickness specified in the recipe.