Piecrust - EVAN'S ULTIMATE APPLE PIE DOUGH

By RoketJSquerl

Ingredients

• 12 ounces (340 g) all-purpose flour
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional)
• 2 ounces (60 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 6 ounces (170 g) chilled unsalted butter or other fat, cut into 6 to 8 pieces
• 4 ounces (115 g) cold apple juice or 4 ounces (115 g) cold water plus 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder (if using) with a whisk, fork or your fingers. Work the softened butter into the flour mixture with your fingers until the butter is evenly dispersed into the flour mixture.

2. Pull the pieces of chilled butter apart and toss them in the flour mixture so that each is coated. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until most of the dough looks like crumbs the size of peas, but some of the fat is still in bigger clumps, the size of almonds or walnuts. Do not overblend.

3. Drizzle the liquid over the flour-butter mixture. Use a fork to mix. When the dough mostly holds together, you have added enough liquid. Don’t
worry about a bunch of dry crumbles at this point.

4. Dump the mixture on the counter. Use a bench scraper to gather the crumbs into the mass of dough. Use the heel of your hand to smear the
dough away from you one-third at a time. You are creating flat layers of flour and butter. After the dough is smeared out, gather it together with the bench scraper, using the scraper to layer the smears on top of each other, creating a mass of dough. Do it again. The dough should come together nicely, but you should still see big pieces of butter.

5. Use the bench scraper to cut the dough in two pieces. Form each piece into a puck shape about 2 inches (5 cm) thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or as long as overnight. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months after it rests.