I tried my aunt's old vinegar trick for pie crust and it finally worked

I've been making pie crust for maybe 5 years now and it always came out tough or shrunk up in the pan. Last week I was at my aunt's place and she showed me her method from the 1970s. She adds a tablespoon of white vinegar to the water before mixing it into the flour. The crust came out flaky and tender, no shrinking at all. Has anyone else tried adding an acid to their dough like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

nathan2891mo ago

Hard disagree honestly. That acid is gonna break down the gluten way too much and you'll end up with a crust that's soft and crumbly, not flaky. I've been making pie crust for 10+ years and I never use any acid, just cold butter and ice water. The trick is handling the dough as little as possible and keeping everything cold. A tablespoon of vinegar is a lot, it's gonna give the crust a weird tangy taste too, especially if you're making a sweet pie. I'd stick with the classic method and just work on your technique. Vinegar is a hack for people who can't get the feel for it the right way.

tessacarter1mo ago

Did a friend try this once and her crust ended up tasting like pickles?