The Best Whole Grain Pie Crust
This pie crust recipe is full of wholesome, buttery & delicious flavor. The perfect crust for quiche, pie or pot pie!
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!