Hearty All Butter Whole-Wheat Pie Crust

Hearty All Butter Whole-Wheat Pie Crust
4.7 from 3 ratings
Pie crust is by far my favorite thing to make in the kitchen. First things first, I am an advocate for good fat and a high-quality, organic, grass-fed butter devotee.  Good butter truly makes all the difference when baking. Beyond its health benefits, the flavor of good butter can make even the most novice bakers look good. This recipe primary uses whole-wheat flour but includes a small additional of spelt flour for flavor and depth. If you don't have spelt, you can simply add in a 1/2 cup more all-purpose or whole-wheat flour in its stead.The trick with pie crust is to keep everything cold; you don’t want the heat from your hands to melt the butter. Instead, you want the cold butter lovingly layered into the flour so your pie crust bakes up flaky.  Next, unless you are using a food processor, I recommend using your hands to form the dough. Feeling the moisture content makes all the difference in making the perfect crust. However, if you do add too much water, simply throw in a bit more flour to balance it out again. Lastly, when your dough is finished, shape into flat, round discs; this will make it much easier to roll out.   
Servings
6
servings
Whole-Wheat Pie Crust
Ingredients
  • 2 sticks butter
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose white flour
  • 1 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup spelt flour
  • 1/2 tablespoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon raw sugar (optional for sweet pies)
  • ice water, about 1 tablespoon
Directions
  1. Gather the diced butter in a medium bowl and place in freezer for 10 minutes. In another bowl, combine all flours, salt and sugar (if using) and set aside.
  2. When butter is sufficiently chilled, place the entire flour mixture on top of the chilled butter, and with a fork, a pastry cutter, or your hands begin to work them together. Continue this until the butter is reduced to very small pieces and the mixture looks “sandy.”
  3. Next, begin with a tablespoon of water at a time and stir in the water just until there is no longer any dry flour. The dough should not feel wet. Press the dough together with your hands and shape into two flat round discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for up to 1 day. Dough can also be frozen for 1 week.