Lunch: All-Butter Pie Crust

Recipe by Nicole Perry Once you try this simple pie crust recipe, you'll wonder how you ever felt intimidated by baking pastry.

Ingredients

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 c. very cold water

Instructions

To Make by Hand: Whisk together the flour, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Add the cubed butter to the flour mixture, and cut in using a pastry cutter (rubbing it in with your fingertips also works in a pinch). Keep working the butter into the dough until the largest pieces of butter are in between the diameter of a dime and a nickel.
Scrape off any residual butter-flour mixture from the pastry cutter, and drizzle in the water. Gently work the water into the dough with a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon until it becomes a shaggy, but relatively cohesive mass. Give the dough a few kneads with your hands (less than 10) so that it forms a rough ball.
Divide the dough ball into two, and flatten each half into a rough disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and chill for at minimum 1 hour (this time increment allows for the water to fully hydrate the dough, making for a more cohesive product that's easier to roll out).
To Make in a Food Processor: In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt; pulse to combine. Add butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds.
With the machine running, add about half of the water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream; stop when the dough holds together without turning wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of dough together; if it is still too crumbly, add a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Divide the dough ball into two, and flatten each half into a rough disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and chill for at minimum 1 hour (this time increment allows for the water to fully hydrate the dough, making for a more cohesive product that's easier to roll out).

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