Cornmeal Pâte Brisée (With Step-by-Step)

Prep Time:

10 mins

Cook Time:

0 mins

Total Time:

10 mins

Servings:

8

Shake up your baking routine by making this cornmeal pie crust. Like our favorite pâte brisée recipe, this one still leans primarily on all-purpose flour—the gluten in it is crucial for a tender yet sturdy crust—but gets an earthy, mildly sweet boost from half of a cup of cornmeal. We prefer to make it in a food processor for ease, but you could certainly use a pastry cutter or your hands to pull it together without a machine. This pâte brisée stars in our rhubarb galette recipe but would work equally well as the base for a single- or double-crust pie. (Try it with a blueberry or blackberry filling for an especially delicious pairing!)

The Best Cornmeal for This Pie Crust Recipe

If you can locate stone-ground cornmeal, seek it out for this recipe. Typically ground in smaller batches and still containing the hull and germ, it will have a superior, more corn-forward flavor than roller-ground options (which are often bleached or de-germed for a finer texture). If you can't find stone-ground cornmeal, opt for a medium grind rather than fine or coarse.

Making This Recipe Without a Food Processor

Using a food processor for pie dough helps the recipe come together quickly without as much risk of overworking, but you can absolutely make this crust by hand instead. To do so, combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, then use a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers to work in the butter until a coarse meal forms. Stir in ice water until the dough comes together.

How to Make This Crust Ahead

The dough can be frozen for up to one month, wrapped well in a double layer of plastic; thaw before using.

Directions

Ingredients for cornmeal pte brise including flour butter salt sugar cornmeal and water arranged in bowls on a surface — Jake Sternquist

Pulse dry ingredients; add butter:

Place the flour, cornmeal, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse several times to combine. Add the butter, and process, until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds.

Jake Sternquist
Add ice water:

With the machine running, pour the ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, until the dough just holds together (do not process for more than 30 seconds).

Jake Sternquist
Form dough:

Turn out dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Flatten each to form a disk. Wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 1 day before using.

Jake Sternquist

How to Use This Crust

Martha uses this rustic, earthy crust for her rhubarb galette recipe; make it when the first stalks of rhubarb appear at the market for a wonderfully delicious, ultra-springy dessert. But don't feel the need to stop there: It would also be fantastic in our blueberry pie, these patriotic summer-berry pies, or as the crust for this juicy peach galette.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is pâte brisée?

Pâte brisée is a traditional, all-butter crust used primarily for pies and galettes. It's made by cutting butter into a mixture of flour and salt (and sometimes sugar), then stirring in water until a dough comes together. It's our pick for most pie recipes as it bakes up tender and flaky yet sturdy enough to stand up to a wide variety of fillings.
Why add cornmeal to pâte brisée?

Adding cornmeal to pâte brisée adds a nubby, rustic texture and subtle earthy, sweet flavor. The cornmeal is added to the dry ingredients before the butter is worked in. We especially like this crust with tangy fruit fillings such as rhubarb, blueberry, and blackberry.
Why is my pie crust tough?

If your pie crust is tough, it's likely it was overworked, which can develop excess gluten. It's important to handle the dough as lightly as possible, mixing it just until it comes together. Adding too much water to the dough can also make it tough; a good pie dough should be shaggy and just moist enough to keep from crumbling apart.