My aunt told me my pie crust was tough and it changed my whole method

I made my usual apple pie for a family dinner last week and my aunt, who is a great baker, pulled me aside. She said, 'You're working the dough too much, it's making it tough.' I always just mixed everything until it came together. So this weekend, I tried her tip: I stopped mixing as soon as the dough just barely held, even if it looked a little shaggy. I also started using ice water like she said. The crust came out so much flakier and lighter, it was a total game changer! Has anyone else had a family member give them a cooking tip that really worked?

3 comments

3 Comments

john_singh1mo ago

Honestly, that "barely held together" advice sounds messy. I've always mixed my pie dough until it's smooth and it turns out fine every time. Why fix what isn't broken?

the_henry18d ago

Maybe kareng27 just had bad recipes before.

kareng271mo ago

See it differently here. That shaggy, barely-together dough is key. Overmixing develops the gluten, which is what makes it tough like a cracker. A flaky crust needs those little pockets of unmixed fat. My own crusts were like cardboard until I learned to stop early, even when it looks wrong. The texture change is night and day.

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