by Samin Nosrat
All-Butter Pie Dough
Makes two 10-ounce balls of dough, enough for two single-crust 9-inch pies, one double-crust 9-inch pie, or 1 Chicken Pot Pie
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Use this dough to make the pie of your dreams, whether it’s Classic Apple Pie or chess pie, Chicken Pot Pie or Chocolate Pudding Pie. Since it’s made entirely with butter, this preparation requires a little forethought and care—chill everything thoroughly, work quickly, be extra careful not to add too much of it and extra attentive to prevent overworking the dough. Butter may be tricky to work with, but the result is a crust unparalleled in flavor.
One note: if you don’t have a stand mixer, you can make this dough in a food processor or by hand with a pastry blender. Just make sure to freeze all of your tools, no matter which ones you use.
2 1/4 cups (12 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 generous tablespoon sugar
Large pinch of salt
16 tablespoons (8 ounces) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
About 1/2 cup ice water
1 teaspoon white vinegar
Place the flour, sugar, and salt in bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, then freeze the whole thing for 20 minutes (if you can’t fit the bowl in your freezer, then just freeze the ingredients). Freeze the butter and ice water as well.
Fit the bowl on the mixer and turn to the lowest speed. Add the cubed butter, a few pieces at a time, and mix until the butter looks like broken walnut pieces. Distinct bits of butter lead to beautiful flakes in the dough, so avoid overmixing.
Add the vinegar in a thin stream. Add just enough water and mix as little as possible until the dough barely holds together—you’ll probably need close to the entire 1/2 cup. Some shaggy bits are fine. If you’re not sure whether or not the dough needs more water, stop the mixer and take a handful of dough in your palm. Squeeze it hard, then gently try to break it apart. If it crumbles apart very easily and feels very dry, add more water. If it holds together or breaks into a few chunks, you’re done.
On the counter, pull out a long piece of plastic wrap from the roll but do not cut it. In a quick, fearless motion, flip the bowl over onto the plastic wrap. Remove the bowl, and avoid touching the dough. Cut the plastic from the roll and, lifting both ends, use it to encourage all the dough into a ball. Don’t worry if there are a few dry bits—the flour will evenly absorb the moisture with time. Twist the plastic tightly around the dough to form a ball. Use a sharp knife to cut the ball in half through the plastic, wrap each half again tightly with plastic, and press each half into a disk. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
To freeze unwrapped, prepared dough for up to 2 months, double-wrap it in plastic and then wrap it in aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Allow the dough to defrost in the refrigerator overnight before using.
Classic Apple Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie
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1 recipe (2 disks) chilled All-Butter Pie Dough
2 1/2 pounds tart apples, such as Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Sierra Beauty (about 5 large apples)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (4 1/2 ounces) dark brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Granulated or demerara sugar for sprinkling
Preheat the oven to 425°F and set a rack to the center position.
Roll out one disk of chilled dough on a well-floured board until it’s about 1/8-inch thick and 12 inches in diameter. Wind it around a lightly floured rolling pin and pick it up. Place the dough over a 9-inch pie pan and unroll, gently pressing it into the corners of the pan. Trim any excess dough with a pair of scissors, leaving an overhang of about 1 inch, and freeze for 10 minutes. Save and chill the trimmed bits as well. Roll out the second disk of dough to the same dimensions, cut a steam hole out of the center, and chill in the fridge.
In the meantime, peel, core, and cut the apples into 3/4-inch slices. Place the apples, cinnamon, allspice, salt, sugar, flour, and vinegar in a large bowl and toss to combine. Place the filling into the prepared pie pan. Use a rolling pin, as you did with the first round of dough, to pick up and gently unroll the second round over the pie filling. Use scissors to trim both crusts at the same time, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang.
Tuck 1/4 inch of the border underneath itself so you have a rolled cylinder that sits on the rim of the pie plate. Work with one hand inside the edge of the crust and the other on the outside. Use the index finger of the inside hand to push the dough between the thumb and forefinger of your outside hand, forming a V shape. Continue all around the crust, spacing the Vs about an inch apart. As you crimp, pull the dough out just past the edge of the pan. It’ll shrink back as it bakes. Patch any holes with dough trimmings.
Freeze the entire pie for 20 minutes. After removing it from the freezer, place the pie on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the top crust generously with heavy cream, then sprinkle with sugar. Bake on the center rack at 425°F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 400°F and bake another 15 to 20 minutes until lightly golden. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake until done, another 45 minutes. Allow pie to cool on a wire rack for 2 hours before slicing. Serve with Vanilla, Cinnamon, or Caramel Cream (pages 423 to 425).
Classic Pumpkin Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie
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1/2 recipe (1 disk) chilled All-Butter Pie Dough
Flour for rolling
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
15 ounces (1 large can) pumpkin purée
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Preheat the oven to 425°F and set a rack to the center position.
Roll out the chilled dough on a well-floured board until it’s about 1/8-inch thick and 12 inches in diameter. Wind it around a lightly floured rolling pin and pick it up. Place the dough over a 9-inch pie pan and unroll, gently pressing it into the corners of the pan. Trim any excess dough with a pair of scissors, leaving an overhang of about 3/4 inch. Save the trimmings.
Crimp the dough by rolling under itself so you have a rolled cylinder that sits on the rim of the pie plate. Work with one hand inside the edge of the crust and the other on the outside. Use the index finger of the inside hand to push the dough between the thumb and forefinger of your outside hand, forming a V shape. Continue all around the crust, spacing the Vs about an inch apart. As you crimp, pull the dough out just past the edge of the pan. It’ll shrink back as it bakes. Patch any holes with dough trimmings. Prick the dough all over with a fork, then freeze for 15 minutes.
Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and break them up with a whisk. Add the cream, pumpkin purée, sugar, salt, and spices to the bowl and whisk thoroughly to combine. Pour the custard mixture into the frozen shell.
Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 325°F and bake until the center is just barely set, about 40 minutes more. Allow to cool on a wire rack for an hour before slicing. Serve with Tangy Whipped Vanilla, Cinnamon, or Caramel Cream (pages 423 to 425).
Variation
• To make a Chocolate Pudding Pie, roll, crimp, and freeze a 9-inch pie shell as directed on the previous page. Blind bake the shell: line the dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 400°F and bake until lightly golden, another 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove the crust from the oven, remove the pie weights or beans and parchment paper, and reduce the heat to 375°F. Return the crust to the oven and continue baking until the bottom of the crust is lightly golden and the outer crust is jus
t starting to brown, another 5 to 10 minutes. Watch the crust closely on this final bake, as baking times will vary depending on the oven.
Let the crust cool, then melt 2 ounces of bittersweet chocolate and brush it all over the crust. Let it harden.
Make 1 recipe Bittersweet Chocolate Pudding, but increase the cornstarch to 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces). Press plastic wrap onto the top of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming and cool the pudding to room temperature. Spoon the cooled pudding into the prepared crust, cover with plastic wrap, and chill the pie overnight. To serve, top with billowy Vanilla, Chocolate, Coffee, or Caramel Cream (pages 423 to 425).
Light and Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
Makes 16 biscuits (this recipe halves beautifully)
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I learned this unconventional method from Tom Purtill, a young baker at one of my favorite diners in Oakland. The first time I tasted one of his biscuits, I begged him to come out of the kitchen and talk me through his process. And I’m so glad that I did, because every word he said was completely at odds with everything I knew about making biscuits. I’d always thought the key was to work the dough as little as possible, but he told me how he completely incorporated half of the butter into the dough to make it tender, and then rolled and folded the finished dough a few times to create flaky layers. It was so counterintuitive, in fact, that if the moistest, flakiest biscuit I’d ever seen weren’t sitting right in front of me, I wouldn’t have believed him.
But I did, and went straight home to try it out. I treated every word he’d said like gospel, and it worked! The key, just as he said, is to keep everything ice-cold so that the butter doesn’t melt and combine with the flour to form gluten, which will make the biscuits tough. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a food processor. Or mix everything by hand using a metal pastry cutter—it’ll just take a little while longer.
3 1/2 cups (18 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
16 tablespoons (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
1 cup buttermilk, chilled
1 cup heavy cream, chilled, plus 1/4 cup more for brushing biscuits
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Freeze the cubed butter and the buttermilk for 15 minutes.
Place the flour, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment and mix at low speed until combined, about 30 seconds.
Add in half of the butter, a few pieces at a time, and continue mixing at low speed until the mixture looks sandy and no distinct pieces of butter are visible, about 8 minutes.
Add the rest of the butter and continue mixing until the butter pieces are the size of large peas, about 4 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a large, wide bowl and very briefly use your fingers to flatten the largest butter pieces: get some flour on your hands and run your thumb from the tip of your pinky to the tip of your index finger along your fingertips like you’re making the “Cha-ching! Cash money!” motion.
Create a well in the center of the mixture. Pour the buttermilk and 1 cup cream into the well. Mix with a rubber spatula with broad, circular strokes until the dough comes roughly together. The dough may still appear shaggy, which is fine.
Lightly flour the counter and turn the dough out of the bowl. Gently pat the dough out into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle, about 9 inches by 13 inches. Fold the dough in half, then fold it again, then fold it a third time, then use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough back out to a 3/4-inch thick rectangle, about 9 inches by 13 inches. If the top of the dough isn’t yet smooth, gently repeat this rolling and folding one or two more times until it is.
Lightly flour the counter and roll the dough to a height of about 1 1/4 inches. Cut straight down with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, wiping and flouring the cutter between each cut. This will ensure the biscuits rise straight up, instead of sloping over. Reroll the scraps once and cut remaining dough into biscuits.
Place the biscuits about 1/2 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets and brush the tops generously with cream. Bake at 450°F for 8 minutes, then rotate pans and switch their oven positions. Continue baking another 8 to 10 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown and feel light when picked up.
Transfer biscuits to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm.
To freeze the biscuits for up to 6 weeks, freeze cut biscuits in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to plastic freezer bag and freeze. To bake, do not defrost. Brush frozen biscuits with cream and bake for 10 minutes at 450°F and 10 to 12 minutes at 375°F.
Variations
• For Shortcakes, add 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) sugar to the dry ingredients. After cutting the biscuits, brush with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar. After baking, allow to cool for 5 minutes, then place each shortcake on a plate. Split in half and spoon in Vanilla Cream (page 423) and Strawberry Compote (page 407).
• For Fruit Cobbler, preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare a half-recipe of shortcakes and chill in the fridge after cutting. Combine 7 cups (2 1/2 pounds) of fresh pitted cherries, sliced peaches or nectarines, or 10 cups blackberries, boysenberries, or raspberries, with 3/4 cup of sugar (5 1/4 ounces), 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) cornstarch, 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, and a big pinch of salt in a large bowl. (For frozen fruit, increase cornstarch to 3 tablespoons/1 1/2 ounces.)
Pour fruit mixture into a 9 by 9-inch baking dish. Arrange the chilled shortcakes on top of the fruit. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet to catch any juices that bubble over. Brush shortcakes with heavy cream and sprinkle generously with sugar, then bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the biscuits are cooked through and turning golden. Allow to cool slightly before serving, with vanilla ice cream if desired.
Aaron’s Tart Dough
Makes one 16-ounce tart dough, enough for a 12-inch tart
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I used to be terrified of tart making, until my dear friend Aaron, who’s as obsessive about flavor as I am, came up with this recipe after years of experimentation. Both versatile and forgiving, it works for any fruit or savory tart. Once you can make a delicious tart, practice making a beautiful one. Lay out toppings with an eye toward aesthetics. Alternate different colored plums, apples, tomatoes, or peppers for a striped pattern, or simply dot an asparagus tart with dollops of seasoned ricotta for contrast. The more senses to which your food appeals, the more delight it’ll bring you.
One note: if you don’t have a stand mixer, you can make this dough in a food processor or by hand with a pastry blender. Just make sure to freeze all your tools, no matter which ones you use.
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter cut into 1/2-inch cubes, chilled
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) crème fraîche (page 113) or heavy cream, chilled
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Freeze, along with the butter and the paddle attachment, for 20 minutes. Chill the crème fraîche and cream in the fridge.
Put the bowl of dry ingredients on the stand mixer and fit with the paddle attachment. Turn the speed to low, and slowly add the butter cubes. Once the butter is added, you can increase the speed to medium-low.
Work in the butter until it looks like broken-walnut-size pieces (don’t overmix—bits of butter are good!). This will take about 1 to 2 minutes in the stand mixer, a little longer by hand.
Add the crème fraîche. In some cases, this will be enough to bind the dough with a bit of mixing. In other cases, you might need to add a spoonful or two of ice water. Resist the urge to add so much water, or mix for so long, that
the dough comes completely together. Some shaggy bits are fine. If you’re not sure whether or not the dough needs more water, stop the mixer and take a handful of dough in your palm. Squeeze it hard, then gently try to break it apart. If it crumbles apart very easily and feels very dry, add more water. If it holds together or breaks into a few chunks, you’re done.
On the counter, pull out a long piece of plastic wrap from the roll but do not cut it. In a quick, fearless motion, flip the bowl over onto the plastic wrap. Remove the bowl, and avoid touching the dough. Cut the plastic from the roll and, lifting both ends, use it to encourage all of the dough into a ball. Don’t worry if there are some dry bits—the flour will evenly absorb the moisture with time. Just twist the plastic tightly around the dough, press the ball into a disk, and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
To freeze the dough for up to 2 months, double-wrap it in plastic and then wrap it in aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Allow the dough to defrost in the refrigerator overnight before using.
Apple and Frangipane Tart
Makes one 14-inch tart
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For the Frangipane
3/4 cup (4 ounces) almonds, toasted