3 Flaky tart and pie dough
(two 9- or 10-inch tarts or pie shells)
3.1 I: Flaky tart dough
3.1.1 Ingredients
1 tsp (5 ml) salt
150 ml (2/3 cup / 5 1/2 oz) water, very cold
455 g (1 lb / 3 cups + 2 Tbsp) all-purpose flour
300 g (10 1/2 oz / 1 cup + 5 Tbsp) unsalted butter, very cold
3.1.2 Directions
Measure up the flour in a bowl and put it into the freezer while you prepare the other ingredients. Add salt to a container filled with cold water and stir to dissolve the salt. Put the container into the fridge. Measure the butter and cut into cubes, approx 1-inch pieces. Put the butter into the freezer for approx 7 mins. If butter is still soft, leave it in for another couple of minutes. It should not be completely frozen and hard.
When the butter has chilled, start making the dough. Transfer the water into the freezer and set a timer for 8 mins. While the water is being chilled, put the cold flour in a mixing bowl and scatter the butter over. Toss the butter with the flour and make sure the cubes are all covered with flour, then squish each cube flat.
Drizzle the chilled water mixture over flour-butter mix, and stir and toss with a fork until the dough comes together in a shaggy mass. Press the dough mixture together to get it a little more cohesive but make sure not to knead it. You should be able to see butter chunks.
Transfer dough mass onto a work surface, and shape into a small rectangular shape. Dust the rolling pin and roll out the dough rectangle with 2-3 rolls keeping a rectangular shape. With a bench scraper, scrape and fold the top, bottom, and sides together again to the original size. Place any loose pieces on top and reroll. Dust workspace lightly if needed. Repeat rolling and folding twice until the dough becomes more smooth and cohesive. Avoid to overwork the dough, it should appear marbled with butter.
Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and shape each piece into a disk, approx 1 inch thick. Cover dough in plastic wrap and chill well in the fridge for about 2 hours before rolling it out. The dough can be kept in the fridge overnight or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
Roll out appr 1/8 inch thick.
Bake at 375 F. If the tart/galette/pie is browning too quickly, reduce the oven to 350 F or place aluminium foil on top.
Let cool on a wire rack.
3.2 II: Old-fashined flaky pie dough
3.2.1 Ingredients
1 tsp (5 ml / 4 g) Kosher salt
1 Tbsp (15 g / 1/2 oz) sugar
225 g (1 2/3 cups / 8 oz) all-purpose flour
225 g (8 oz / 2 sticks) unsalted American butter, very cold
115 g (1/2 cup) water, very cold
3.2.2 Directions
For the Dough: Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl. Cut butter into 1/2-inch cubes (this size is important, as smaller pieces will melt too fast) and toss with flour mixture to break up the pieces. With your fingertips, smash each cube flat—that’s it! No rubbing or cutting. Stir in water, then knead dough against the sides of the bowl until it comes together in a shaggy ball. Dough temperature should register between 65 and 70°F (18 and 21°C); if not, refrigerate briefly before rolling and folding.
Make the Layers: On a generously floured work surface, roll dough into a roughly 10- by 15-inch rectangle. Fold the 10-inch sides to the center, then close the newly formed packet like a book. Fold in half once more, bringing the short sides together to create a thick block. Divide in half with a sharp knife or bench scraper. Dough temperature should still be somewhere between 65 and 70°F (18 and 21°C); if not, refrigerate briefly before proceeding.
For Single-Crusted Pies: Using as much flour as needed, roll one piece into a 14-inch circle and drape across a 9-inch pie plate; it will be super easy to lift by hand. Dust off excess flour with a pastry brush, using it to nestle dough into the very corners of the pan. With scissors or kitchen shears, trim the edge so that it overhangs by 1 1/4 inches all around. Fold overhang over itself to create a thick border that sits atop the rim of the pan. Crimp or shape crust as desired. Repeat with remaining dough. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Use as directed in your favorite recipe.
For a Double-Crusted Pie: Using as much flour as needed, roll one piece into a 14-inch circle and drape across a 9-inch pie plate; it will be super easy to lift by hand. Dust off excess flour with a pastry brush, using it to nestle dough into the very corners of the pan. With scissors or kitchen shears, trim the edge so that it overhangs by 1 inch all around. For a solid top crust, roll remaining dough as before, or roll into a 9- by 15-inch rectangle for a lattice-top pie. Transfer the entire sheet, uncut, to a baking sheet or parchment-lined cutting board. (The parchment will prevent dough from absorbing any savory odors from the board.) Wrap both portions in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Use as directed in your favorite recipe.
For a Blind-Baked Pie: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350°F (177°C). Line chilled pie shell with a large sheet of aluminum foil, pressing so it conforms to the curves of the plate (a second sheet of aluminum may be needed for full coverage). Fill to the brim with sugar, transfer to a half sheet pan, and bake until fully set and golden around the edges, 60 to 75 minutes. Fold long sides of foil toward the middle, gather short sides, and use both hands to carefully transfer sugar to a heat-safe bowl. Let sugar cool to room temperature. If needed, continue baking crust a few minutes more to brown along the bottom.
For Lattice: Roll the remaining dough into a 9- by 15-inch rectangle. It’s the perfect size and shape to yield plenty of strips for a lattice-top pie, but it’s also big enough that you can cover the whole pie in one solid sheet, with enough extra dough for decorative cutouts, too. Before you can cut out the lattice strips, the dough needs to rest in the refrigerator, or the strips will shrink as the dough relaxes. Transfer the dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet or cutting board so it can lie flat. Cover with plastic, and refrigerate at least two hours and up to 24; any longer and it’s better off frozen in carbonite. Refrigeration isn’t strictly about relaxing the gluten; it’s about chilling the butter to help preserve all those leafy sheets. The cold dough is also much easier to handle because it won’t smush or squish out of shape.
Lattice tutorial
Notes
Source: I: Flaky Tart Dough, Tartine (2006), Prueitt/Robertson
Ratios: 3:2:1, flour:butter:water
II: Old-Fashioned Flaky Pie Dough Recipe, Serious Eats, Stella Parks
Ratios: 2:2:1, flour:butter:water (1:1:0.5)
For consistent results, use a scale and weigh the ingredients.
When room temperature exceeds 74°F, kitchen equipment and pantry staples will act as a heat source to the butter, creating a sticky dough. If it’s warm in your kitchen, you can manage dough temperature by: refrigerating ingredients and utensils, cut the butter in chunkier pieces, chill the workspace countertop with bags filled with ice and water, know the dough and its temperature (aim to keep it at 65°F (18°C).
Old-Fashioned Flaky dough made with European butter becomes quite soft and therefore needs to rest in the fridge for quite a bit longer time than the recipe states. Add at least another 30 minutes.
European vs American butter: the European butter has higher fat content than the American.