Simple Pie Crust in Bulk with Whole Wheat Flour
Pie crust dough made from scratch is one of the best things to have on hand, stored away in the freezer whenever you need it. This simple whole grain pie crust recipe makes 6 portions of pie dough.
ingredients
- 230 g Butter cold and cubed
- 230 g Lard cold and cubed
- 600 g All-Purpose Flour
- 250 g Whole Wheat Flour
- 15 g Salt
- 1 Whole Egg
- 1 Tbsp White Vinegar
- 1 Cups Cold Water more if needed
instructions
- Cube cold butter and cold lard into small pieces. Keep them in the fridge until the moment you need them — cold fat is everything for a flaky crust.
- Weigh out all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and salt into a very large bowl. Whisk together until evenly combined.
- Add roughly half the dry mixture and half the chilled fat to the food processor. Pulse in short bursts — 5 to 8 quick pulses — until the mixture resembles small pebbles or peas. You want visible chunks of fat, not a fine meal. Stop before it looks uniform. Transfer back to the large bowl.
- Repeat with the remaining dry mixture and fat. Same approach — short bursts, stop at pebbles. Add to the bowl with the first batch.
- In a small bowl whisk together egg, white vinegar and ice cold water. Add to the flour and fat mixture and fold to combine.
- Gradually drizzle in more cold water if you need, up to a 1/2 cup more, folding gently with a spatula or your hands after each addition. Add just enough that the dough starts to come together and holds when pressed — slightly sticky but not wet. Do not overwork it. Visible streaks of fat are exactly what you want.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat into a large rectangle and divide into 6 equal portions (weighing around 300g each). Shape each into a round disk, dusting with flour as needed.
- Place each disk into a small ziplock bag or wrap with cling wrap. Label with the date and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter before using.
notes
The most important rule: Do not over-pulse. The food processor turns fat into a fine crumb faster than you think — a few pulses too many and you'll end up with cookie dough instead of a flaky crust. Stop the moment you see pebbles or peas of fat.
Fold, don't mix: Hand folding gives you control — you can feel when the dough is just right and stop before it gets overworked.
Pearls of butter = flaky layers. Those visible chunks of cold fat are what create steam in the oven and produce a tender, flaky crust. Protect them at every step.