Foolproof Whole-Wheat Dough for Double-Crust Pie
By Andrea GearyPublished on July 8, 2018
Time
40 minutes, plus 2 hours chilling
Yield
Makes one 9-inch double crust
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Be sure to weigh the flour for this recipe. To ensure the best flavor, use either recently purchased whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat flour that has been stored in the freezer for less than 12 months. In the mixing stage, this dough will be more moist than most pie doughs, but as it chills, it will absorb a lot of excess moisture. Roll out the dough on a well-floured counter.
Instructions
- Grate 4 tablespoons butter on large holes of box grater and place in freezer. Cut remaining 16 tablespoons butter into ½-inch cubes.
- Pulse whole-wheat flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, 2 pulses. Add cubed butter and process until homogeneous paste forms, about 2 minutes. Using your hands, carefully break paste into 2-inch chunks and redistribute evenly around processor blade. Add all-purpose flour and pulse until mixture is broken into pieces no larger than 1 inch (most pieces will be much smaller), 4 to 5 pulses. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Add grated butter and toss until butter pieces are separated and coated with flour.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup ice water over mixture. Toss with rubber spatula until mixture is evenly moistened. Sprinkle remaining ¼ cup ice water over mixture and toss to combine. Press dough with spatula until dough sticks together. Use spatula to divide dough into 2 portions. Transfer each portion to sheet of plastic wrap. Working with 1 portion at a time, draw edges of plastic over dough and press firmly on sides and top to form compact, fissure-free mass. Wrap in plastic and form into 5-inch disk. Repeat with remaining portion; refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Let chilled dough sit on counter to soften slightly, about 10 minutes, before rolling. (Wrapped dough can be frozen for up to 1 month. If frozen, let dough thaw completely on counter before rolling.)
Time
40 minutes, plus 2 hours chillingYield
Makes one 9-inch double crustIngredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Our goal was to create a whole-grain pie dough that baked up tender and flaky instead of delicate and crumbly—the typical issues with crusts made with even a portion of whole-grain flour. These problems stem from the fact that whole-grain flours can't form as much gluten as all-purpose flour. We used the food processor to coat 1½ cups of whole-wheat flour with butter, forming a water-resistant paste. We broke that paste into pieces, coated them with 1 cup of all-purpose flour, and tossed in some grated, frozen butter. When we added the water, it hydrated only the all-purpose flour, which formed the dough's gluten. When we rolled out the dough, we created layers of high-gluten dough, which provides structure and crisp flakiness, and low-gluten dough, which adds richness and tenderness.
Before You Begin
Be sure to weigh the flour for this recipe. To ensure the best flavor, use either recently purchased whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat flour that has been stored in the freezer for less than 12 months. In the mixing stage, this dough will be more moist than most pie doughs, but as it chills, it will absorb a lot of excess moisture. Roll out the dough on a well-floured counter.
Instructions
- Grate 4 tablespoons butter on large holes of box grater and place in freezer. Cut remaining 16 tablespoons butter into ½-inch cubes.
- Pulse whole-wheat flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, 2 pulses. Add cubed butter and process until homogeneous paste forms, about 2 minutes. Using your hands, carefully break paste into 2-inch chunks and redistribute evenly around processor blade. Add all-purpose flour and pulse until mixture is broken into pieces no larger than 1 inch (most pieces will be much smaller), 4 to 5 pulses. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Add grated butter and toss until butter pieces are separated and coated with flour.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup ice water over mixture. Toss with rubber spatula until mixture is evenly moistened. Sprinkle remaining ¼ cup ice water over mixture and toss to combine. Press dough with spatula until dough sticks together. Use spatula to divide dough into 2 portions. Transfer each portion to sheet of plastic wrap. Working with 1 portion at a time, draw edges of plastic over dough and press firmly on sides and top to form compact, fissure-free mass. Wrap in plastic and form into 5-inch disk. Repeat with remaining portion; refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Let chilled dough sit on counter to soften slightly, about 10 minutes, before rolling. (Wrapped dough can be frozen for up to 1 month. If frozen, let dough thaw completely on counter before rolling.)
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