FOOD PROCESSOR PIE CRUST: EASY PIE DOUGH RECIPE & TIPS
Making pie dough from scratch in your food processor is fast and easy and requires less manual effort and clean-up. The tips and tricks in this article will teach you a dough preparation method that can result in a flaky pie crust of your liking. With the right knowledge, recipes, and tips, you can make savoury butter pie crusts and sweet crumb pie crusts for your family and guests to enjoy.
WHICH FOOD PROCESSOR IS BEST FOR PIE CRUST?
The multi-purpose s-blade that is standard issue with most food processors lets you make an assortment of pie crusts. Dough blades, which are typically sold separately, are a good choice for flour and butter crusts like those used for fruit pies. A 7-cup or larger food processor should provide ample capacity for a 9-inch(23 cm) pie. The amount of pie crust you intend to make should determine whether you use a smaller or larger food processor. It’s always a good idea to give yourself a little extra capacity.
FOOD PROCESSOR FEATURES TO HELP YOU MAKE HOMEMADE PIE DOUGH
Flour, salt, water and fat (butter, shortening or lard) are the basic ingredients needed to make a traditional pie crust. Remember, the secret to a flaky crust is very cold fat and one benefit of a food processor is that it can cut nearly frozen fat without melting it into the flour.
Here are some common features and functions of a food processor that can help you make pie dough.
A feed tube. This feature is used to pour the liquid inside the appliance as the dough comes together.
A dough blade. This feature is ideal for making buttery and flaky pie crusts.
A pulse function. Pulsing ensures you don’t overwork your dough
TIP:
If you overwork the gluten in a flour crust, the dough can become tough and dense. The Pulse function cuts butter into flour almost as if it was being done by hand. This helps you closely monitor your dough’s progress so it can reach the right consistency.
HOW TO USE YOUR FOOD PROCESSOR TO MAKE A BUTTER PIE CRUST
What’s better than hearing the crackle of a delicate pie crust? That beloved sound is the product of a long-held secret to great-tasting pie…very cold butter.
A food processor lets you pulse ingredients with precision resulting in the consistency needed for a flaky pie crust.
This versatile pie crust works equally as well with savoury meats and vegetables or a classic pumpkin pie filling. It’s also delicious wrapped around a grilled peach pastry.
To learn more about food processor functions, read our article on how to use a food processor step by step.
The steps in this recipe can help you create an amazing pie crust. Amounts and exact directions will vary by recipe yet the general process for making pie crust in a food processor should remain roughly the same.
INGREDIENTS FOR FOOD PROCESSOR BUTTER PIE CRUST
To achieve that classic flaky and golden texture, you should use a 3-2-1 ratio of flour to fat to liquid. While quantities and certain details may vary, these standard ingredients are rarely excluded:
Flour
Butter (you can substitute lard or shortening)
Sugar (if sweet)
Salt
Cold water
STEP 1: POUR THE DRY INGREDIENTS INTO THE FOOD PROCESSOR WORK BOWL
Add flour and a pinch of salt and/or sugar, depending on whether you want a savoury or sweet dough, to the food processor bowl that’s fitted with a standard multi-purpose s-blade or a dough blade. Next, aerate the ingredients by using the pulse function a few times.
STEP 2: ADD THE COLD CUBED BUTTER TO THE PROCESSOR AND THEN PULSE
Cut the cold butter into cubes and then add it to the work bowl. Quickly pulse the food processor 3 to 5 times only stopping when the butter is incorporated and you see crumbs about the size of large peas. Don’t worry if the pieces are uneven but be careful not to overprocess the dough as this will cause the pie crust to be more dense and less flaky—neither of which is desirable.
STEP 3: SLOWLY ADD COLD WATER
The next step is to slowly add cold or ice water 1 ounce (30 ml) at a time through the tube or drizzle basin as you quickly pulse the food processor. Don’t run the food processor non-stop as this may cause the gluten in the flour to get overworked, making a light and airy crust tough to achieve.
STEP 4: MONITOR THE PROGRESS
At some point, stop the food processor and pinch the dough with your fingers. It should look and feel loose yet easily clump together. If you find that your dough is too dry, add water a little at a time until it reaches your desired consistency, which should be clumpy, not smooth.
STEP 5: CHILL THE DOUGH
Form the dough into a ball, flatten it slightly into a disc shape and then wrap it in plastic wrap. Next, refrigerate the dough for between 30 and 60 minutes, or according to your recipe, to allow the butter the opportunity to re-solidify. Firmer fat will result in less sticking when you roll the dough and prevent the gluten from being overworked.
STEP 6: ROLL THE PIE DOUGH
Roll out the chilled pie dough on a cool surface that’s dusted with flour. As you roll out the dough, keep rotating it while adding more flour to avoid sticking to the surface. Your rolled dough should be 1/8th of an inch (0.32 cm) thick.
STEP 7: CUT PIE CRUST TO SIZE
Flip a pie pan upside down and place it on top of the rolled-out dough. There should be roughly two inches (5 cm) of space around the pie pan, giving you enough dough to run up the sides of the pan and a touch extra for making a lovely crimped edge. Your options now are to fill your pie dough with ingredients or chill it to use at a later date.
HOW TO MAKE FOOD PROCESSOR CRUMB PIE CRUST
This is an easy pie crust to make in a food processor. It only requires a handful of steps and you can use graham crackers, cookies or wafers. Whenever you host your next dinner party, you’ll have a quick way to create a moist and crumbly cheesecake crust or custard pie crust.
INGREDIENTS FOR FOOD PROCESSOR CRUMB PIE CRUST
While you can get creative, these are the types of ingredients you will probably find in a recipe for a food processor crumb pie crust:
- Melted butter
- Cookies, graham crackers or wafers
- Sugar and/or spices
STEP 1: POUR THE DRY INGREDIENTS INTO THE FOOD PROCESSOR BOWL
Add the dry ingredients (will vary based on the recipe) into your food processor bowl with a standard multi-purpose s-blade. You can work in batches if you have a smaller food processor bowl.
STEP 2: PULSE THE DRY PIE CRUST INGREDIENTS
Pulse the dry ingredients until they are the consistency of fine crumbs with no lumps. This will help produce a smooth, even pie crust.
STEP 3: MIX THE BUTTER INTO THE PROCESSED DRY INGREDIENTS
Pour the melted butter into the mixture in your food processor. Then, pulse all the ingredients until they are evenly mixed together. If you’re working with a smaller food chopper, you should put the mixture into a bowl, drizzle it with the melted butter and then mix it until it’s evenly coated.
STEP 4: PRESS THE CRUMB PIE CRUST INTO THE PAN
Spoon the crust mixture into a pie pan. Using your fingers, press the mixture down so that it’s even at the bottom and also up along the sides of the pan. An alternative method is to use a measuring cup to press the pie crust down. Just make sure you work it evenly over the entire pan.Now that it’s ready, you can either bake it and make a delicious pie or chill it for use at a later date.
MULTI-PURPOSE S-BLADE
Ideal for:
- Crumb pie crusts
- Cleanly cutting butter
- Chopping nuts or fresh herbs into pie dough
dough blade
IDEAL FOR:
Replicating hand mixing
Preparing crumb toppings
Making pastry pie crusts
WHAT FOOD PROCESSOR BLADE IS BEST FOR MAKING PIE CRUST?
A multi-purpose s-blade, which is typically included with most models, and a dough blade are both effective for creating butter pie crusts in a food processor. If you’re making a crumb pie crust, it’s recommended to use the standard multi-purpose s-blade as it is designed to chop ingredients like wafers, graham crackers and cookies.
A standard multi-purpose s-blade is also great for recipes that require cutting or chopping ingredients —like butter, fresh herbs or nuts—into pie dough.
Select KitchenAid® Food Processors come with a dough blade that replicates hand mixing, which is ideal for classic pastry pie crust recipes. This type of crust is traditionally used for fruit pies or savoury pot pies.
Learn all about food processor blades and accessories in our detailed How to Use a Food Processor Guide.
HOW TO MAKE A PIE CRUST WITHOUT USING A FOOD PROCESSOR
Pie dough can be manually made with a pastry blender, sometimes known as a pastry cutter. This handheld tool is fashioned with metal strips or wires that loop around and connect to a handle. If you use this tool, you will have to press it into the butter and flour mixture repeatedly until you achieve the desired texture. To learn more, follow these tips to make pie dough with a pastry blender.
Looking for another way to make a flaky pie crust? Try using a stand mixer with a flat beater or pastry beater. The pastry beater was designed for the tough task of cutting cold butter into dough, which is essential for pie crusts. The pastry beater is a simple yet effective substitute for a hand-held pastry blender or cutter.
You’re all set to make a golden and flavourful pie crust that can be the foundation for whatever imaginative pie creation you want to make. Before you start, make sure you have the best equipment at your disposal.
Browse KitchenAid® Food Processors to find the right tools for the job.
