TIL a bakery in Portland taught me to stop over-mixing my pie dough

I watched their baker fold the butter in by hand for maybe 30 seconds, max. My crusts used to be tough, but now they're flaky every time. Anyone else have a simple trick that fixed a basic technique for you?

3 comments

3 Comments

barbarahill26d ago

My grandma's trick was to use ice water from a metal cup she kept in the freezer. She said the cold kept the butter from melting into the flour. I never knew why it worked, but her crusts were always perfect. Makes you wonder how many old kitchen habits have real science behind them.

jamiemiller26d ago

That metal cup thing is smart, @barbarahill. I mean, it's not just the cold water, but the cup itself stays cold and probably chills her hands too. Warm hands can start melting the butter while you're working the dough, so that's an extra layer of protection she had going on.

dylanbarnes10d agoTop Commenter

Used to roll my eyes at stuff like that, figured it was just old wives' tales. But I tried baking in a hot kitchen last summer and my dough turned into a greasy mess. Keeping everything cold makes a huge difference, way more than I gave it credit for. That metal cup trick is basically a double win for temperature control. Makes me want to go back and actually listen to my grandma's cooking advice for once.