My Favorite Buttermilk Pie Crust Recipes

BUTTERMILK PIE CRUST

Steps:

• In a large bowl whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together until well mixed. Add in the cubed butter and stir to coat in the mixture.
• Pour the mixture out on to a clean surface (I use my countertop) and use a rolling pin to mash the cold butter into the flour mixture. Use your hands or a bench scraper to bring the mixture back to the center of your working space. Continue this process until all the butter is mixed into the flour, which will have a flakey consistency.
• Place the mixture back into the bowl and sit in the freezer for 10 minutes to chill the butter again.
• Add the cold buttermilk to the chilled mixture and use your hands to work the dough together into a ball. If the mixture is too dry add additional buttermilk 1 teaspoon at a time until it becomes doughy.
• Divide the dough in half and flatten into disc-like shapes and cover in plastic wrap. Before using place in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour or up to 5 days. To freeze double-wrap the dough and place in the freezer for up to 2 months.

BUTTERMILK PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Combine the flour, sugar (if using), and salt in a bowl. Add the cubed butter and toss to coat.
• Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until butter is the size of peas.
• Add buttermilk and use a spoon and then your hands to stir the mixture until it comes together into a ball. If mixture is too dry, add additional buttermilk a teaspoon at a time.
• Divide the dough in two and flatten into disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 5 days. Dough can also be frozen (double-wrapped) for up to 2 months.
• When ready to roll out, let the dough rest at room temperature for five minutes. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a rough 13 inch circle. Dough should be about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer dough to 9-inch pie dish. Fill pie with desired filling.
• Repeat with the second disk of dough. Cut dough and make a lattice over the filling, or leave the circle intact and cover the filling completely, cutting a few vents with a sharp knife.
• Fold the edges of the top and bottom crusts together and use your index fingers and thumb to pinch into a pattern. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired.
• Bake pie according to the instructions in your specific pie recipe. Different fillings will require different temperatures and time.

MY FAVORITE BUTTERMILK PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Before you begin measuring everything out, place the cubed butter in the freezer to chill.
• Stir together flour, sugar, and salt, and pour into the food processor. Add butter and pulse until butter is cut into the flour, but still has visible chunks no larger than a pea.
• While pulsing, slowly pour in 1/2 cup of the buttermilk (1/4 for half batch, 2 tablespoons for a quarter batch) and continue to pulse until the buttermilk is incorporated into the dough. At this point, your dough should look like rough crumbs and just hold its shape if squeezed together. If the dough does not, add a a little more buttermilk, a teaspoon at a time.
• Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on the counter and dump half of your dough crumbs onto the sheet. (If you are making only a single crust, do not divide dough.) Gather the edges and press tightly together to form a 1-inch thick disk. Do the same with the rest of the dough. Place in a plastic bag and refrigerate for at least an hour, up to 24.

BUTTERMILK PIE CRUST DOUGH

Steps:

• Combine flour, sugar and salt in large bowl. Add butter and shortening. Cut in using hands or pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Add buttermilk and stir with fork until moist clumps form. (Dough can also be prepared in processor. Using on/off turns, cut butter and shortening into dry ingredients until coarse meal forms. Add buttermilk and process just until moist clumps form.) Press together to form dough.
• Divide dough in half. Gather dough into balls; flatten into disks. Wrap separately and chill 1 hour.
• Note: Can be prepared ahead of time. Refrigerate 1 week or freeze 1 month. Let dough stand at room temperature to soften slightly before using.

MY FAVORITE PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Whisk together all of the dry ingredients, reserving a few tablespoons of the flour. Work in the shortening, mixing until the mixture is the texture of sand and all the flour particles are coated. Now cut in the butter, but do not completely Incorporate it. You want small pea sized dots of butter, this will add flakiness.
• Sprinkle the vinegar and ice water over the dough while tossing with a fork. Just as soon as the dough becomes cohesive (i.e., you can squeeze it into a ball easily), stop mixing; there should still be visible pieces of fat in the dough. Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap the two disks in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer; this resting period allows the flour to absorb the water, making the dough easier to roll out.
• When you're "ready to roll," remove the dough from the fridge. Dough made with a combination of butter and shortening should rest for about 5 minutes at room temperature before rolling. If you've made the dough with all vegetable shortening, you'll be able to work with it directly from the refrigerator. A dough made with all butter will need to warm slightly (10 to 15 minutes) before rolling, as butter becomes brittle when it's refrigerated.
• Roll the dough to the size needed (about 13" for a 9" pie). Fill and bake as directed in your recipe.

BUTTERMILK PIE CRUST DOUGH

Steps:

• Combine flour, sugar and salt in large bowl. Add butter and shortening. Cut in using hands or pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk and stir with fork until moist clumps form. (Dough can also be prepared in processor. Using on/off turns, cut butter and shortening into dry ingredients until coarse meal forms. Add buttermilk and process just until moist clumps form.) Press together to form dough. Divide dough in half. Gather dough into balls; flatten into disks. Wrap separately and chill 1 hour. (Can be prepared ahead. Refrigerate 1 week or freeze 1 month. Let dough stand at room temperature to soften slightly before using.)