Why You Ought to Make Pie Crust In A Stand Mixer
Sure, you can also make a buttery, flaky pie crust in a stand mixer!
Most pie recipes instruct you to make the dough for its crust in a handful of how. Some will instruct you to make it by hand (both with instruments like a pastry cutter, or with out them), or to make use of a meals processor.
I by no means, ever suggest making pie dough by hand. It’s too messy and time-consuming! And whereas utilizing a meals processor is quicker, it’s straightforward to overwork the butter and find yourself with a flat, dense, crust.
So what do I do?
I make my pie dough with a STAND MIXER. After chilling the components for the crust for 5 minutes, I throw all of it right into a stand mixer. I then combine the whole lot on low velocity such as you would a cookie dough to make the crust.
It takes lower than 5 minutes to return collectively and eliminates TONS of mess and work. Moreover, not like a meals processor, a stand mixer permits you extra management and visibility because the dough comes collectively—no flat, dense crusts!
The pie dough under recipe is from my cookbook, Weeknight Baking. I now use it completely for all of the pie recipes on Hummingbird Excessive!
@hummingbirdhigh the best technique to make #pie dough, i promise! #bakingtiktok #bakinghacks ♬ Glad Pizza – Tom Howe
How To Make Pie Crust In A Stand Mixer
Now that I’ve satisfied you to make pie crust in a stand mixer, let’s speak concerning the primary steps to make it from scratch:
1. Prep the components for the pie dough. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
It’s vital to concentrate to the temperatures of the components listed within the recipe! If you happen to make pie dough with butter or water that’s too heat, the dough shall be too sticky and onerous to work with.
When making pie dough, it’s greatest to make use of components which can be straight from the fridge, and even frozen within the freezer for 10 to fifteen minutes beforehand.
On this case, meaning slicing the chilly butter and freezing it for five minutes whilst you work with the remainder of the components. Combine the water, vinegar, and ice combination and hold it refrigerated whilst you measure out the dry components.
2. Make the pie dough. (Work Time: 10 minutes)
Due to my stand mixer approach, this pie dough comes collectively in lower than 10 minutes!
To make it, mix the flour, sugar, and salt within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter unexpectedly and beat on low till the combination has the feel of a rough meal for about 3 minutes. Lastly, add 6 Tablespoons of water from the water-vinegar-ice combination and beat till the dough clumps across the paddle.
That’s it! Simple, proper?
3. Chill the pie dough. (Chill Time: 1+ hours)
Divide the dough into two even halves, forming them right into a flat disc. Considered one of these discs shall be for the underside crust, whereas the second shall be for the highest crust of your pie. Wrap every portion tightly in plastic wrap and flatten right into a small disc.
The dough wants to relax within the fridge for 1 hour earlier than you employ it in the pie recipe of your alternative. Nonetheless, at this level, the dough can truly be frozen for as much as 3 months. Simply be sure that to retailer it correctly to stop it from absorbing bizarre odors and flavors within the freezer—be taught extra within the Troubleshooting and FAQ part under.
Elements and Substitutions
Right here’s the whole lot you’ll want to make pie crust in a stand mixer:
Purchasing Listing For Stand Mixer Pie Crust Recipe
- apple cider vinegar
- ice
- unsalted butter
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- kosher salt
And let’s discuss some key components and their potential substitutions:
- Apple Cider Vinegar: If you happen to don’t have apple cider vinegar, you should utilize a impartial tasting vinegar like distilled white vinegar as a replacement. Nonetheless, apple cider vinegar provides a singular taste to the crust that works properly with most fruits!
- Unsalted Butter: You may as well use salted butter as a replacement—there’s no want to regulate the kosher salt within the recipe, both. Technically, vegan stick butter like Earth Stability or Miyoko’s baking sticks COULD work on this recipe. Nonetheless, vegan butter melts quicker than conventional butter, so work rapidly!
- Granulated Sugar: In a pinch, you may different sugars like brown or coconut sugar on this recipe. Simply you’ll want to use a sugar that has a positive grain. Keep away from coarse sugars like Demerara, uncooked, and/or sanding sugar. If you happen to’re making a savory filling, it’s also possible to omit the granulated sugar fully.
Troubleshooting and FAQ
Are you able to freeze pie dough?
Sure! To freeze the dough, tightly wrap every portion in a second layer of plastic wrap, adopted by a layer of aluminum foil. Doing so will stop the dough from absorbing any flavors or odors within the freezer.
Freeze for as much as 3 months. When prepared to make use of, switch to the fridge to thaw in a single day.
Can you employ a handheld electrical mixer to make this pie crust?
Sadly, no. A hand-held electrical mixer received’t work for this recipe. Its beaters aren’t robust or quick sufficient to include the butter into the dry components rapidly. All the pieces will get too melty and also you’ll find yourself with a dense, flat pie dough.
Are you able to halve the recipe to make simply 1 disc of pie dough?
Sure! That’s what I did in this chocolate chess pie recipe (which solely wants a backside crust).
To take action, merely divide the recipe components in half and observe the directions. Simply notice that the unique recipe instructs you so as to add 6 Tablespoons of the ice water combination to the dry components. So when halving the recipe, you’ll solely want so as to add 3 Tablespoons. Nonetheless, I often discover that 4 Tablespoons of ice water brings the dough collectively higher than 3 Tablespoons.
Assist! My pie crust wasn’t flaky. What did I do unsuitable?
The recipe under instructs you to beat the dough solely till it clumps across the paddle and/or sides of the stand mixer bowl. If you happen to proceed to beat it after it’s clumped across the paddle, the butter incorporates TOO a lot and your pie crust received’t be flaky. Cease the mixer proper when the dough clumps!
Pie Recipes To Make With Stand Mixer Pie Crust
Now that I’ve taught you tips on how to make pie crust in a stand mixer, listed here are some recipes you should utilize for its filling:
Stand Mixer Pie Crust Recipe
yield: 1 (9-inch) double crusted pie
Elements
- 6 Tablespoons (3 ounces or 85 grams) very chilly water
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup ice
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces or 227 grams) very chilly unsalted butter
- 2 ½ cups (11.25 ounces or 319 grams) all-purpose flour, plus extra for work floor
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
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Make the ice water combination, then refrigerate it. In a big liquid measuring cup, whisk collectively the water and vinegar. Add the ice and whisk. Refrigerate whilst you prep the remainder of the components.
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Lower the butter into cubes, then freeze it. Lower the butter into 1-inch cubes and place them in a small bowl. Freeze whilst you prep the remainder of the components.
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Combine the dry components. Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, and salt. Beat on low till simply mixed, about 15 seconds.
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Add the butter to the dry components and beat into a rough meal. Add the butter unexpectedly and beat on low till the combination has the feel of coarse meal, with pea-sized items of butter all through, about 3 minutes.
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Add 6 Tablespoons of the ice water combination, and beat till mixed. Take away the ice water combination from the fridge. With the mixer on low, add 6 Tablespoons of liquid from the ice water combination unexpectedly.Beat on low till the dough clumps across the paddle and/or sides of the bowl, about 2 to three minutes. Cease the mixer instantly.If the dough appears too dry, add extra liquid from the ice water combination 1 teaspoon at a time.
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Divide the dough and refrigerate for not less than 1 hour earlier than utilizing. Tip the dough out onto a frivolously floured counter with a rubber spatula. Rapidly knead the dough right into a tough ball and divide in half with a bench scraper (every half ought to weigh round 11 ounces or 312 grams). Form every half right into a tough ball.Wrap every ball tightly in plastic wrap and flatten right into a small disc. Refrigerate for not less than 1 hour, ideally in a single day, earlier than utilizing. The dough will hold within the fridge for as much as 3 days.
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NO TIME TO BAKE?!
Over the previous a number of years of operating Hummingbird Excessive, I saved an important facet of my life hidden from my readers: I had a full-time, extraordinarily demanding job within the tech world. In my debut cookbook, Weeknight Baking, I lastly reveal the secrets and techniques to baking scrumptious desserts on a good schedule.
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