Basic Pastry Dough Recipe (With Video and Step-by-Step)

Say hello to your new go-to pastry dough recipe. It's a versatile all-butter dough you can use for many recipes. In terms of texture, it's more flaky and soft but less tender than a classic pie dough. Its flavor is rich and buttery, and while it can be used for traditional fruit pies or custard-filled pies, it is not exclusively a pie dough recipe. It is also perfect for many other dishes, like mini fruit tartlets, chicken pot pies, and sweet or savory hand pies. This two-ingredient pastry dough recipe will become a favorite in your kitchen.

Main Ingredients

The main ingredients in pastry dough are similar to those in standard pie dough—all-purpose flour and unsalted butter. But there is one difference. This recipe does not include sugar, as often seen in other pastry dough recipes. Using sugar in pastry dough tenderizes and adds overall flavor and sweetness. However, as this recipe is not just for sweet pies, we do not include sugar, which makes this is a more versatile dough that can be used for just about any dish. It also means the dough is more stable and easier to roll out.

The small amount of salt added brings out the buttery flavor of the dough, and all-purpose flour and water hold it together.

4 Tips for Making Basic Pastry Dough

Keep your ingredients cold. Working with chilled butter and very cold water helps keep the pastry dough nice and flaky as it bakes.
This pastry dough is a bit more forgiving than standard pie dough. If you notice any cracks or holes while you're rolling the dough out, feel free to patch them up with scraps of excess pastry.
Mix quickly and don't overwork the dough. Over-mixing can make the pastry a little tough, so stop mixing just as soon as the flour is incorporated.
Keep the dough cold when rolling. If you start to notice any sticky or warm spots on the pastry as you're rolling it out, transfer the dough to the refrigerator for a few minutes to firm up. Cold dough is much easier to work with.

Directions

Ingredients of Basic Pastry Dough — Credit:
Rachel Marek

Mix flour and salt:

In a food processor, pulse flour and salt to combine.

Credit:
Rachel Marek
Add butter and pulse:

Add cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.

Credit:
Rachel Marek
Add ice water and pulse:

Sprinkle with ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 3 tablespoons more water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Do not overmix.

Credit:
Rachel Marek
Form dough into a disk and chill:

Form dough into a 1-inch-thick disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days).

Credit:
Rachel Marek

Using a Food Processor to Make Pastry Dough

The food processor is a handy tool for making pastry dough. You can whip up multiple crusts in no time without getting your hands dirty. Just be sure to pulse slowly and gently to make sure you don't overmix the dough. If you're concerned you will overmix the dough in the food processor, you can always finish mixing with a spatula.

How to Store Pastry Dough

If you are preparing your pastry dough in advance or end up not using all of it for your dish, wrap the pastry dough in plastic and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the three types of pastry dough?
  
  There are three main types of pastry dough: Brisée, sucrée, and sablée. Brisée is a flaky dough typically used for standard pie crusts. Sucrée is similar to brisée but has more sugar so its flavor is sweeter and its texture more crumbly. Sablée is known for its rich buttery flavor, it often includes almond flour and is more tender than the other two types.
- What does adding vinegar do to pastry dough?
  
  Adding vinegar to pastry dough inhibits the gluten development of the dough. As soon as moisture is added to the dough, the gluten will start to form. Adding a little bit of vinegar can help slow down the gluten development, making the crust more tender.
- Can you overmix pastry dough?
  
  Yes, you can overmix pastry dough. The longer you mix the dough, the tougher the dough will become. Overmixing strengthens the gluten, leaving you with a chewy crust that is difficult to roll out.
- What if my pastry dough is crumbly or wet?
  
  There are a few reasons your pastry dough might be crumbly or wet. If your pastry dough is crumbly, that means it needs more fat or moisture. Try adding a little cold water slowly while kneading the dough. If your pastry dough is wet, gradually add a little more flour and knead very gently.
- Is this pastry dough the same as pie dough?
  
  This pastry dough is very similar to pie dough but not identical. Both our recipe for pastry dough and for pie dough use butter as the fat and have a rich, buttery flavor and a flaky texture. A classic pie dough often has a spoonful of sugar to slightly sweeten and tenderize the dough, but there is no sugar in our pastry dough recipe.
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