After a year of testing, a pastry chef has reversed two key pieces of pie crust advice she previously shared. In a follow-up to her Pie Crust 101 tutorial, she now advocates for all-butter dough and mixing by hand with a pastry blender, abandoning shortening and food processors. The update, posted ahead of a busy baking week, aims to help bakers achieve flakier results.
The chef explains that she used shortening for about two years based on recommendations from Cook's Illustrated and Ina Garten, but returned to all butter because flavor matters and because proper technique makes the fat choice less critical. She also found that food processors overmix butter, leading to less flakiness, while hand mixing gives more control. Additionally, cleaning a food processor involves multiple parts, whereas hand tools require fewer dishes.
Central to her method is keeping butter cold and visible. Visible butter flecks create steam pockets during baking, resulting in flakes. She advises chilling butter, flour, and even the mixing bowl if the kitchen is warm, and re-chilling dough if it becomes too soft. These steps help maintain the cold temperature needed for flaky layers.
On the use of vodka in dough—a technique she previously demonstrated from Cook's Illustrated—she now says she dislikes the sticky texture and sees little improvement in flakiness. While some readers liked that crust, she has reverted to her basic recipe and provides it as an alternative. The updated guidance emphasizes that mastering dough handling reduces reliance on specific ingredients or gadgets.
For those new to pie dough, the original Pie Crust 101 remains sufficient, but these adjustments offer a path to better results. The chef encourages bakers to try the hand-mixed, all-butter approach, noting that cold butter and minimal handling are key to flaky crusts.
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