This basic savory pie dough is easy to make and has a hint of black pepper combined with a buttery dough. It is a perfect base for all your savory pies or quiches. You will find it makes the perfect base for the quiche recipe on my website.
The ingredients are simple and typically I have them at the ready in my pantry/fridge. Thus when I want a nice hearty quiche for lunch, or need something easy and quick for a picnic, I don’t have to run to the store. I can quickly make this basic pie dough, let it chill for a bit, and I am ready to bake whatever I am up for. This dough makes a great substitute for recipes requiring a puff pastry as a base. Since I don’t always have puff pastry in my fridge I have substituted this dough several times and it works great.
As you can see in the picture above I use pastry flour for this recipe. You can substitute it with all purpose flour, preferably an unbleached one. I think that pastry flour yields a nicer end result, but it is not essential that you use it. Pastry flour is milled to a finer texture than all purpose flour, and is made with soft wheat for a lower protein content. This helps baked goods, like pie crusts, have more tender results and a finer crust.
Before you add the butter and liquid make sure you combine all the dry ingredients well. The pastry flour is sifted before use. Sifting is a process that breaks up any lumps in the flour. I always sift my flour before I go to any next step of baking. Sifted flour is easier to mix into other ingredients. Another tip is to fluff up your flour before measuring. When flour sits in the package it gets compressed together. Measuring before fluffing may cause too much flour to be added and you will need more liquid in your recipes.
Frozen butter is easily grated and combined into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter. It also doesn’t require as much strength as when you cut your butter into cubes and try to incorporate it with the flour. Since it is already tiny, it is quick and easy to cut in, and this prevents the butter from getting too warm. It is essential when making a pastry dough to work quickly and prevent warming the butter.
When the butter is well combined with the flour, it is time to pour in your ice cold liquids, starting with the Vodka. After the Vodka is combined with the dough, you add one tablespoon at a time of the ice cold water, until the dough comes together and no longer feels dry. Keep adding more until you are satisfied your dough isn’t dehydrated. You will need to add enough liquid to form a circle. If you add too little of the liquid the dough will crack later when you roll it out.
Form a circle, wrapping it air tight, and put it in the fridge to chill for at least one hour. You can also prepare it the night before you need it. If it made the night before you may need to take it out 30 minutes before you are ready to roll out your dough.
When rolling out the dough it helps to start from the center and then roll outward. After you have done one side, flip the dough to the other side and repeat the rolling out from the center. This method will help you create a nice even circle. It may be helpful to dust the rolling pin with flour to prevent it from sticking to the dough. Once you have your desired circle width, gently roll it over your rolling pin and transfer it to your oiled baking dish.
Make sure the dough goes over your edges of your pastry dish because this will be a blind bake. During a blind baking, the pastry will shrink, and if you cut off your edges before the bake you won’t have a nice edge on your pie. Before we put it in the oven, place some parchment paper on the dough and fill it with pie weights. There is no need to buy specially made weights. I typically use any dried beans I have on hand.
Cover your pie dough and let it rest in the fridge while you preheat your oven to 400 Fahrenheit.
When the oven is preheated, remove the cover ,and place it in the center of your oven to bake for 10 minutes. After it is done baking, carefully remove the pie weights without burning yourself. Now the pie base is ready to be filled and baked.
Savory Pie Dough
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 Cup Pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Black pepper freshly ground
- 8 Tablespoons Unsalted butter frozen and grated
- 2-3 Tablespoons Vodka ice cold
- 2-3 Tablespoons Filtered water ice cold
Instructions
- Combine the flour with the salt and black pepper.
- Cut in the frozen butter with a pastry knife until you have a crumbled flour and butter mixture.
- Slowly add one tablespoon at a time of the vodka. After combining, if the dough still feels dry, add one tablespoon at a time of the cold water. Mix quickly with your hands so you don’t melt the butter. When it no longer feels dry, and nicely comes together, your dough is done.
- Form a circle and wrap it in cling wrap so it is air tight. Let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. If you have the time an hour is preferred. It is ready to be used once chilled.
Blind Baking
- Roll out your pastry on a floured counter top. It is best to roll it out from the center towards the edge. After each roll turn the dough over and roll again from the middle to the outside. Repeat rolling until you have a big enough circle.
- Spray your pie pan with some oil. I used avocado oil. Roll the dough over your rolling pin and transfer it into the dish. Do not cut off the sides before blind baking. Pastry shrinks so let the dough hang over the edges.
- Put some parchment paper over the dough and fill it with pie weights. I used dried beans for this.
- While you preheat the oven to 400 Farhenheit set the pie in the fridge to rest.
- When the oven is warm blind bake the pie for 10 minutes.
- After blind baking remove the parchment paper and the pie weights. Now your ready to fill it with whatever you like and finish baking.