Buttery Pie Crust for Gigantic Pies
This recipe is based on our favorite all-butter Pie Crust but is extra-large for those towering double-crusted pies, like our Mile-High Apple Pie. Use this version when you need enough pastry to encase lots and lots of filling within a double crust.
Large Pie Crust for Mile-High Double Crust Pies
Author: Dédé Wilson
Makes: 1 large double crust
Ingredients
- 3¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1½ cups (3 sticks) very cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- ½ to ¾ cup ice cold water (or more or less as needed)
Instructions
- Place flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse to combine. Add half the butter and pulse on and off just until the bulk of the mixture resembles a very coarse meal and there are still pieces of butter the size of grapes. Add remaining butter, pulsing on and off until you have a mixture with pieces of fat ranging in size from small peas to large raisins.
- Drizzle in the smaller amount of water through the feed tube and pulse until the dough is moistened and just holds together if squeezed between your fingertips. The mixture will be loose and will only come together if squeezed. Add additional water only if necessary.
- Dump the mixture out onto your work surface or into a bowl. Gently gather the mixture together using your fingers and palms. You can press it against the work surface or sides of the bowl to help compress it and bring it together into a solid mass. Take care not to overwork it too much with your hands; the heat of your hands might overly soften the butter and create a mealy textured dough.
- Gather into two balls for double crust and flatten into discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. The dough may also be frozen for 1 month double wrapped in plastic and placed in a heavy zip-top bag with air removed. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Pie crust made with all butter will be very firm when chilled. Let the dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.
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