My sister told me her pie crust secret and it finally clicked

I was helping my sister make a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving last year and she said something simple that changed my whole baking game. She was mixing the dough and said, 'You know, the water needs to be so cold it hurts your fingers.' I always used water from the tap, which is never that cold. She fills a glass with ice water and lets it sit for five minutes before using it. I tried it with my next batch of shortcrust and the difference was huge. The dough was way easier to handle and didn't shrink in the pan like it usually does. It baked up flaky and perfect. I guess the cold keeps the butter from melting too soon. Has anyone else got a small tip like that that made a big change?

2 comments

2 Comments

evannelson13d ago

Cold water is such a hassle though. I just use room temp and my crusts turn out fine, maybe you were overworking the dough before.

sam_rivera13d ago

You know, I used to skip the cold water too. Your comment made me try it again and the difference was actually pretty clear.