The story of this pie crust begins with my love of cozy meals, salted butter and freshly milled flour. This crust will make you feel like you’re sitting in your grandma’s kitchen, rolling out the dough right next to her. So, next time you need a pie crust, try this homemade one. I promise, you will be delighted by the buttery, flaky texture!
Ingredients you’ll need:
- flour (freshly milled soft white wheat, whole wheat or all-purpose flour)
- kosher salt
- grass-fed butter
- ice cold water
Why you’ll love this Pie Crust:
- Salted butter & freshly milled whole grain flour – the winning combination for nutty & buttery flavor.
- Cozy – anything with a buttery pie crust feels like a warm, welcoming hug.
- Perfect for quiche. Find my favorite quiche recipe here!
- A vessel of beauty that you made with your own two hands
Recipe Tips
Method: Using a food processor makes this very quick, but I do not have one currently so I typically use my hands, a pastry cutter & a fork.
Double it for future use: This recipe makes one crust. I would encourage you to double the recipe & make two crusts if you have enough ingredients. Store the second one away in the fridge or freezer for next time! You will thank yourself later.
Favorite flour for pie crust: My favorite flour to use for this recipe is freshly milled flour made from soft white wheat berries. It makes the most nutty, light, delicious crust you’ve ever had. If you do not have wheat berries or a grain mill, there are some great whole wheat flours out there that will add that nutty, wholesome flavor. I trust Azure Standard and King Arthur flours for quality and taste. You could also substitute all-purpose flour or use half all-purpose, half whole wheat!
Store-bought Crust:
I used to be an avid user of store bought crusts, there’s some yummy ones out there, but many have several added gums, preservatives and unnecessary ingredients. Plus, the taste doesn’t hold a candle to a homemade crust. The store-bought crusts are an easy grab but I’m telling you, they ain’t how grandma made it! Ok, maybe great grandma but I am trying to bring back some old fashioned skills here.
Freshly Milled Flour:
What really makes this pie crust extra special is the freshly milled flour. True whole grain flour contains all elements of the grain & thus, all the nutrients from the harvested wheat – as God intended it I like to say. Using freshly milled flour in your recipes will boost the vitamin, mineral and fiber content of whatever you’re making significantly. If you have access to fresh milled flour or are interested in making your own flour, let me know! You can use whatever flour you’d like in this recipe, just pay attention to the consistency and wetness of the dough when you’re adding the water.
Milling Flour at Home:
It has been an incredible and fulfilling experience learning why and how to mill flour at home and incorporate it into recipes to boost the health of my family. There is quite a story behind the modern flour on the shelves in groceries today, and I’m sure it will surprise you like it did me. The more I found out about grains and flour, the more intrigued I became and thus, my journey of milling flour at home began. With the countertop mills on the market today, making your own flour is much easier than you would think. Even easier and quicker than making this pie crust! This pie crust is one of the first recipes I ever made with freshly milled flour and I come back to it every time I need a delicious crust for a quiche or pie.
I’ll have more posts on freshly-milled flour in the coming months! I really love digging into this topic so as time goes on, I will share more resources and stories on the process and benefits. It’s truly incredible! Ok, I’m getting excited here if you can’t tell. Let’s make some crust!
Lastly, if you make this Whole Grain Pie Crust, please let me know down below by leaving a comment and rating! I love to hear from you guys! It’s so fun to share food stories & cook these recipes together. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me @saltedseasons on Instagram! I love looking through your food photos. Cheers to handmade meals!
Love y’al
– Țaylo
The Best Whole Grain Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups freshly milled soft white wheat flour can sub for whole wheat flour or all-purpose or half of each
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted grass-fed butter frozen preferred, grated or cut into small cubes
- ¼ cup ice cold water more if needed
Instructions
- If time allows, throw your butter in the freezer for 10-15 minutes or ideally, use butter that has been in the freezer for hours or overnight. The coldness makes grating it easier which allows you to reach a crumbly texture easier and faster.
- In a bowl, combine the flour and salt. You can use a food processor for this as well. Whisk or pulse to combine.
- Grate the cold/frozen butter with a box grater (like you would a block of cheese!). This is by far the best way to get an even distribution of butter in the crust. If your butter is not cold enough to grate, chop the butter into small cubes with a knife.
- Add the grated or chopped butter to the flour and salt mixture. Using a pastry cutter or fork, combine until mixture is crumbly. If using a food processor, pulse 2-3 times until you see a crumb-like texture.
- Add the ice-cold water and combine with hands (or pulse with processor) until the dough comes together. If the dough feels try, add 1-2 tablespoons of additional water. Add extra water sparingly, you do not want the dough to be sticky. Whole grain and whole wheat flours often need more hydration of water than all-purpose flour so keep this in mind.
- Shape the dough into a round 1” disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then chill in the freezer for 30 minutes or fridge for 2 hours. If you need the crust right away, place in the freezer for as long as time allows. It will help maintain the structure and will be easier to roll out.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F. Roll out the prepared pie crust on a floured surface to about ¼” thick. Butter a pie plate to prevent sticking and place crust over the prepared pie plate. Poke holes in bottom with a fork to allow steam to escape. Bake pie crust for 10-15 minutes until middle is set. Use crust as directed in recipe. Enjoy!
Notes
- Using a food processor makes this very quick but I often just use my hands and a pastry cutter or fork.
- This makes one crust. You can double the recipe easily to make two crusts. I often do this and store the second one away in the freezer for next time I need it. Or, double the recipe when you’re wanting a top and bottom crust for pie.
- Flours: My favorite flour to use for pie crust is freshly milled soft white wheat flour. It makes the most nutty, light, delicious crust you’ve ever had. If you do not have access to wheat berries or a grain mill, there are some great whole wheat flours out there that will add a nutty, wholesome flavor. I like Azure Standard and King Arthur flours for their quality and taste. You could also use all-purpose flour instead or use half all-purpose, half whole wheat!
I hope you enjoy this recipe that has become a well-loved favorite here at Salted Seasons— where we celebrate seasonal eating and down to earth living. Thank you for being here and thanks so much for cooking with me! Until next time—
—Taylo
