Ben Starr, the Ultimate Food Geek, revolutionizes your pie pastry experience with a super-simple recipe using oil and buttermilk, rather than butter, to create a light, flaky crust that comes together in 5 minutes with no chilling required. Not only is the crust every bit as delicious as a traditional butter pastry, it's infinitely healthier, as well!
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SWEET CRUST
6.7 oz (1 1/3 cups, 190g) all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons (25g) sugar
1 tsp (6g) Kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp table salt, 6g )
2.5 oz (1/3 cup, 71g) neutral-flavored oil (canola, grapeseed, corn, etc.)
2.3 oz (3 generous Tablespoons, 66g) buttermilk
(milk can be used in a pinch, but the crust is not NEARLY as good)
SAVORY CRUST (for quiche, veggie tarts, etc.)
6.7 oz (1 1/3 cups, 190g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp (6g) Kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp table salt)
1 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp black pepper (optional: red pepper flake)
2.5 oz (1/3 cup, 71g) extra virgin olive oil
2.3 oz (3 generous Tablespoons, 66g) buttermilk
(milk can be used in a pinch, but the crust is not NEARLY as good)
Stir dry ingredients together and make a well in the center. Add the oil and buttermilk, and whisk the wet ingredients together. Then begin to drag the dry ingredients into the wet. Alternate between gentle stirring and dragging until most of the flour is incorporated. Gently work the dough with your hands to incorporate the rest of the dry flour.
Gently fold the dough in half and gently press out until about 1 inch thick. Gently fold in half and press out again. Repeat the fold a third time. Treat the dough as gently as possible, overworking will result in a crust that shrinks when it bakes. Form the dough into an even, flat disc. Transfer to a generously floured surface, and gently roll out, rotating the dough every few seconds to ensure it does not stick to the surface. Roll out a few inches wider than the pie plate is deep, so that when the crust is transferred, it hangs over the edge of the pie plate a bit.
Using a bench scraper, or working carefully with hands, fold the crust in half, and then fold again into a quarter. Transfer to the pie plate, unfold, and recenter. Be certain the crust is set down fully around the bottom inside of the pie plate. Fold the edge of the crust under itself to form an even ring around the circumference of the pie plate, and flute between your finger. Transfer dough from areas with extra dough to areas lacking dough, if necessary.
If your pie crust bakes along with the pie, it can now be filled and baked.
If your recipe calls for a pre-baked crust, prick the crust all over the bottom and sides with a fork. Bake in the center of a 400 degree oven for 12 minutes, or until the edges of the flutes begin to lightly brown. Cool before filling.
(For quiches and custard pies that bake inside the crust, par-bake the crust at 400F for 5 minutes before adding egg filling to crust, then bake according to your recipe.)