Pie Dough

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar.
2. Add the cold butter cubes. Use a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingertips to work the butter into the flour until pea-sized chunks remain. You want visible bits of butter — they create those flaky layers!
3. Add the 6 tablespoons of cold water and mix by hand just enough for the dough to hold together when pinched. Try not to overwork the dough, it should be shaggy, not sticky. Add more water if needed.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead just until it comes together.
5. Divide into 2 equal portions, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days). At this point, the pie dough can be used as the base/top of a pie, a galette, or a prebaked pie shell.
6. If using as a base/top: Start rolling from the center outward, turning the dough a quarter turn every few rolls to keep it even and round.
7. Use gentle, steady pressure; don’t mash or stretch the dough.
8. Depending on the size of your pie pan, roll to about 3 mm thick (⅛ inch) and about 30–32 cm (12–13 inches) wide — roughly 5 cm (2 inches) larger than your pie dish.
9. Lightly flour your rolling pin. Pick up the dough by carefully rolling it around your rolling pin. Lift and unroll the dough onto your pie dish (a 23 cm / 9-inch dish). Gently ease the dough into the bottom and up the sides — don’t stretch it or it will shrink as it bakes.
10. Trim the overhang with a paring knife or scissors, so you have about 2.5 cm (1 inch) of extra dough all around to roll and crimp.
11. Dock the pie with a fork or skewer and freeze before baking for at least 1 hour.
12. The single-crust pie shell is now ready to be filled or blind- baked. If making a double-crusted pie, brush with egg-whites, sprinkle with sugar (optional), and cut vent holes before baking..
13. Bake cold dough in a hot oven (200°C / 400°F) for the first 15 minutes, then lower if if your recipe calls for it.