What is the best choice for pie dough?

1. Low-Protein Flour and American Butter Are Key. My old-fashioned flaky pie dough works best with all-purpose flours with a protein content around 10% (brands like Gold Medal, Pillsbury, and Immaculate) and no-frills, American-style butter.

What is the secret to a good pie crust?

For a perfect pie crust, keep ingredients ice-cold, don't overwork the dough to prevent toughness, add liquid sparingly until just combined, and always chill the dough and the lined pie plate before baking to ensure flakiness and prevent shrinkage. Rolling from the center out and frequent rotation prevents stretching, while resting the dough allows gluten to relax, making it easier to handle and less likely to shrink.
 

Which type of flour is the best choice for pie dough?

For the best pie crust, use unbleached all-purpose flour, as it offers a great balance of structure and tenderness, or pastry flour for a more delicate, tender result, with low-protein options like King Arthur or Gold Medal recommended for consistent flakiness. Avoid high-protein flours (like bread flour) and bleached flour for pie crusts to prevent toughness.
 

Which type of dough is most often used for pies?

Shortcrust Pastry: Pâte Brisée

“It's your classic pie dough,” says Chef Burgess. Meaning “broken pastry” in French, “it's a three-two-one ratio of flour to butter to water,” she says, “where the butter is cut into the flour in small pieces.” It's the latter that creates the flakiness.

What is the best pastry to buy for pies?

Both pastries are fantastic for making delicious pies - but I would always recommend using shortcrust for your pastry bottom, and puff or rough puff for the top. This will give you a nice crisp bottom which is sturdy enough to hold a filling as well as a lovely flaky top which has the wow factor!

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What is the best store-bought pie dough?

Trader Joe's crust stood out as the only store-bought pie shell I'd buy again. Most pie shells failed—too greasy, dry, sandy, or cracked. But Trader Joe's is buttery, flaky, well-salted, and holds filling without shrinking or cracking.

What are the three types of dough used for pies and tarts?

We're doing a deep dive into three classic French tart doughs—pâte brisée, pâte sablée, and pâte sucrée— discovering how small shifts in ingredients and technique create entirely different textures, from flaky to sandy to crisp.

What dough is best for pies?

Low-Protein Flour and American Butter Are Key

My old-fashioned flaky pie dough works best with all-purpose flours with a protein content around 10% (brands like Gold Medal, Pillsbury, and Immaculate) and no-frills, American-style butter.

What flour do professional bakers use?

Professional bakers use specific flours for different tasks, but King Arthur Flour is a highly favored, consistent brand for all-purpose, bread, and cake needs, prized for its reliable protein content, while other top choices include high-quality all-purpose, bread flour, and specialized flours like French T45 for pastries, focusing on protein levels for desired texture (stronger for chewy bread, weaker for tender cakes).
 

What are the two types of pie dough?

So I'm aware of two general types of crust for pies -- if you know of more kinds please tell!! The flour-butter kind, and the crushed cracker kind. Recipes that involve a lot of baking seem to use mostly the former, except for maybe cheesecake. Things like meringue pie, key lime pie, I've seen with both.

Is King Arthur flour better than Bob's Red Mill?

Bob's Red Mill vs King Arthur flours is a common debate, with both offering high-quality products; King Arthur (KA) is often praised for flavor and consistency, especially in breads, while Bob's Red Mill (BRM) provides a wider variety of specialty grains and is favored for specific textures, though some bakers find BRM dough silkier but KA results in a richer taste, while others prefer BRM for its versatility and gluten-free options, making the best choice dependent on the specific recipe and desired outcome.
 

Which fat is the most popular choice for making pie dough?

Vegetable shortening produces a neat, well-shaped crust, but the result lacks the flakiness and depth of flavor most people want in a pie. If you're making a pie in advance, butter or lard is your best bet—both fats deliver sturdy, flavorful crusts that hold up well even after five days.

What happens if you use milk instead of water in pie crust?

Fat equals flavour, and also helps keep crust light and flaky. To up my fat content, I use cream (or whole fat milk) instead of water in my pie crust. Also, don't allow too much gluten to form. Gluten causes pie crusts to become tough and dense, and that is definitely the opposite of what we're going for here!

What is one thing you should not do when making pie crust?

The one thing you should not do when making pie crust is overwork or overhandle the dough, as this develops gluten, leading to a tough, chewy, and less flaky texture instead of a tender one. Mix ingredients until just combined, leaving some butter chunks, and use a gentle touch to avoid warming the butter or stretching the dough too much. 

Is butter or crisco better for pie crust?

Crisco (shortening) makes for a flakier, more tender, and easier-to-work-with pie crust with excellent shape, while butter provides superior, rich flavor and a lighter, crisp texture but can be trickier to handle. For the best of both worlds, many bakers use a combination of both fats to get flakiness, flavor, and ease of rolling, often with a half-and-half mix.
 

What is the secret ingredient that is suggested for pie crust?

Adding buttermilk to your piecrust instead of water results in well-balanced flavor, enhanced flakiness and tenderness, and rich golden color. If you're worried about a tough piecrust, substituting 50% of your water with chilled vodka will ensure you achieve flakiness without spending extra time or energy.

What flour does Martha Stewart use?

This is the one brand Martha Stewart always prefers

According to the Chicago Tribune, Stewart is partial to King Arthur flour for all her baking needs, which is unbleached and all-natural. She even included it on her list of "12 favorite things."

Is King Arthur flour better than gold medal?

Neither King Arthur nor Gold Medal flour is universally "better"; the best choice depends on your recipe, with King Arthur generally preferred for chewier breads due to its higher protein (more gluten), while Gold Medal excels in softer cakes/pastries because its lower protein yields a more tender crumb, though some bakers find Gold Medal works great for bread too, and it's often cheaper, notes Simply Recipes and Quora users. King Arthur offers consistency and is unbleached, while Gold Medal makes both bleached and unbleached, notes King Arthur Baking Company and Facebook users.
 

Is type 405 flour all-purpose?

German Flour: Mineral Content

Here are the common types: Type 405: The finest and lightest flour, similar to American cake flour. Ideal for pastries and fine cakes. Type 550: Comparable to all-purpose flour, suitable for a wide range of baking needs, including bread and pastries.

What are common pie dough mistakes?

Common Pie Dough Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

• UNEVEN, ASYMMETRICAL PIE "ROUND" CAUSE: Poor rolling technique, or dough too cold to roll. SOLUTION: ...
• TORN DOUGH. CAUSE: Manhandling en route. SOLUTION: ...
• SHRUNKEN BAKED SHELL. CAUSE: Stretched or insufficiently chilled dough. SOLUTION:

What dough is used for apple pie?

Try our classic Bramley apple pie with homemade shortcrust pastry. Simplicity is key to this traditional dish which makes for a comforting family pudding.

What type of flour is the best choice for pie dough?

For the best pie crust, use unbleached all-purpose flour, as it offers a great balance of structure and tenderness, or pastry flour for a more delicate, tender result, with low-protein options like King Arthur or Gold Medal recommended for consistent flakiness. Avoid high-protein flours (like bread flour) and bleached flour for pie crusts to prevent toughness.
 

What is Dolly Parton's favorite pie?

Serve slices with a "Dolly-up" of whipped cream. There's nobody better at throwing an old-fashioned country Christmas than Dolly Parton. And her Christmases always include a walnut pie. Dolly loves to share memories of celebrating the season with her eleven brothers and sisters at their home in Locust Ridge, Tennessee.

What dough do you use for pies?

On paper, classic pie dough is a mind-bogglingly simple recipe. Combine flour with a bit of salt and sugar, cut in some butter, lard, and/or shortening, then add just enough cold water to get it to come together into a disk. Roll it out and bake. That's it.

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