Perfect Pie Crust

Question: Why does my pie dough crumble? Or, Why is my pie dough so sticky?

Answer: These are questions that are asked often; the answer is to follow to a ‘T’ the recipe below. The temperatures of the ingredients do make a difference and will effect the outcome of the finished dough.

Perfect Pie Dough - Everytime

Based on a recipe by Natasha Kravchuk

Makes 2 nine inch rounds

Equipment: Food Processor Measuring cups & Spoons Rolling Pin

Gallon zipper bags Pastry mat

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour plus more to dust, * measured correctly

½ tablespoons granulated sugar (omit for savory crust)

½ teaspoon Koshe salt

½ lb COLD unsalted vegan butter (2 sticks) diced into 1/4" pieces

(I prefer Earth balance brand)

7 tablespoons ice water (7 to 8 Tbsp) - put ice cubes in a bowl and add cold water, you want this water REALLY COLD

Step -By- Step Directions: follow these and you won’t go wrong

1. Place flour, sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.

2. Add cold diced butter and pulse the mixture until coarse crumbs form with some pea-sized pieces then stop mixing. Mixture should remain dry and powdery.

3. Add 7 tabslespoons ice water and pulse just until moist clumps or small balls form. When the dough starts to ride up the center column of your food processor it is done. If this does not happen, add more water a teaspoon full at a time. Be careful not to add too much water or the dough will be sticky and difficult to roll out.

4. Transfer dough to a clean work surface, and gather dough together into a ball (it should not be smooth and DO NOT knead the dough). Divide dough in half and flatten to form 2 disks. Place in a zipper bag and refrigerate 1 hour before using in recipes that call for pie crust.