Buttery Pioneer Woman Pie Crust Recipe

Pioneer Woman’s pie crust with butter transforms ordinary baking into an artisan experience that connects generations of home cooks.

Flaky, golden, and rich with dairy goodness, this recipe represents culinary tradition at its finest.

Crafting such a crust requires precision, patience, and understanding of delicate ingredient interactions.

Professional bakers and passionate home cooks treasure this method for creating sublime pastry foundations.

Tender layers emerge through careful technique and strategic ingredient selection, promising a mouthwatering result.

The magic happens when cold butter meets flour, creating remarkable textural complexity that elevates any sweet or savory filling.

Why Pioneer Woman Pie Crust With Butter Works

• Craft Flaky Butter Layers: The unique technique of leaving pea-sized butter chunks creates extraordinary flaky, melt-in-your-mouth layers that make this pie crust exceptionally tender and delicious.
• Master Quick Homemade Pastry: With just six simple steps and minimal ingredients, even novice bakers can confidently create a professional-quality pie crust that looks and tastes like it came from a bakery.
• Prepare Ahead with Ease: The make-ahead friendly recipe allows you to chill the dough for up to two days, making it perfect for busy home cooks who want to plan desserts in advance without sacrificing quality or taste.

Ingredients in Pioneer Woman Pie Crust With Butter

• All-Purpose Flour: Essential foundation for the pie crust with sturdy texture and classic flavor. King Arthur or Gold Medal brands work wonderfully.
• Salt: Enhances overall flavor and balances the buttery richness of the crust.

• Unsalted Butter: Provides flaky layers and rich, creamy taste. Must be very cold and high-quality for best results. European-style butter offers extra richness.

• Water: Helps bind dry ingredients together. Ice-cold temperature is crucial for maintaining butter's integrity.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Prevents gluten development, ensuring tender and flaky crust. Helps create a more delicate pastry texture.

How to Make Pioneer Woman Pie Crust With Butter

Step 1: Gather Your Baking Buddies

• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• Cold unsalted butter
• Ice water
• Apple cider vinegar
• Large mixing bowl
• Pastry cutter or clean hands
• Plastic wrap
• Rolling pin
• Measuring cups and spoons

A clean workspace is your secret weapon!

Step 2: Create Your Flour Foundation

Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Stir gently to distribute salt evenly throughout the flour. This step ensures balanced flavor in your crust.

Step 3: Butter Breakdown Magic

Cut cold butter into 1/2-inch cubes. Drop butter into flour mixture. Use pastry cutter or fingertips to blend until mixture looks like rough breadcrumbs. Some larger butter chunks are perfect – they’ll create delicious flaky layers later.

Step 4: Liquid Love

In separate small bowl, combine ice water and apple cider vinegar. Vinegar helps prevent gluten development, making crust extra tender.

Step 5: Gentle Dough Dance

Slowly drizzle liquid over flour mixture. Toss with fork until dough starts coming together. Stop adding liquid when dough feels just moistened but not wet.

Step 6: Quick Dough Handling

Lightly knead dough 4-5 times. Divide into 2 equal disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Press gently to create smooth surface.

Step 7: Chill and Relax

Refrigerate dough for 2 hours or up to 2 days. Cold resting allows butter to solidify and gluten to relax, ensuring ultimate flakiness.

Step 8: Ready for Pie Adventure

Remove dough from refrigerator 10 minutes before rolling. Your pie crust is now ready for baking magic!

Pro Tips for Pioneer Woman Pie Crust With Butter

• Solidify Butter Success: Refrigerate dough disks for at least 2 hours to relax gluten and ensure smooth rolling without shrinkage.
• Gentle Rolling Technique: Turn dough frequently during rolling, applying consistent pressure to maintain a perfect circular shape and prevent unwanted sticking.
• Quick Chill Prevention: Stash assembled pie in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before baking to lock in its beautiful structure and prevent messy spread.
• Minimal Mixing Magic: Combine ingredients swiftly without overdoing it, stopping precisely when components merge to guarantee a tender, melt-in-your-mouth crust.
• Temperature Trick: Keep butter and water ice-cold until the final mixing moment, ensuring those delightful flaky layers that make everyone swoon with the first bite.

Store Pioneer Woman Pie Crust With Butter

Airtight Shield: Protect your freshly made pie crust by wrapping it securely in plastic wrap or placing it in a sealed container. Refrigeration keeps the buttery goodness intact for 3-4 days, preserving its delicate texture and rich flavor.

Freezer Haven: Transform long-term storage into a breeze by carefully tucking your pie crust into a heavy-duty freezer bag. Double-wrap with aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn and maintain its pristine quality for up to 2 months. Gentle thawing in the refrigerator overnight ensures your crust remains as perfect as the moment you made it.

Moisture Guard: Prevent unwanted moisture and potential flavor absorption by storing the crust away from strong-smelling foods. Use a dedicated section of your refrigerator or freezer, keeping it isolated from other ingredients that might compromise its delicate butter-rich character.

Versions of Pioneer Woman Pie Crust With Butter

• Herb-Infused Butter Crust: Enhance the traditional recipe by adding finely chopped fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, or sage directly into the flour mixture for an aromatic and savory pie crust that complements both sweet and savory fillings.
• Whole Wheat Rustic Variation: Swap half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour to create a nuttier, more robust crust with added nutritional value and a deeper, more complex flavor profile that pairs wonderfully with fruit and custard pies.
• Spiced Butter Crust: Incorporate warming spices like ground cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom into the flour mixture to give the crust a subtle, sophisticated flavor that elevates autumn and winter pie recipes, adding depth to traditional desserts.
• Cheese-Blended Butter Crust: Mix in finely grated hard cheese like parmesan or aged cheddar during the butter-cutting stage to create a rich, savory crust perfect for quiches, pot pies, and other savory baked dishes.

Wrap-Up for Pioneer Woman Pie Crust With Butter

Savory pie crusts reach new heights with Pioneer Woman’s butter-based technique.

Culinary magic happens when cold butter meets flour, creating flaky layers that melt in your mouth.

Home bakers can master this simple yet sophisticated method with minimal ingredients and maximum flavor.

Crisp, golden edges promise a pastry experience that elevates any pie from ordinary to extraordinary.

Share this recipe, spark conversation, and inspire fellow bakers to create their own buttery masterpiece – you’ll not want to miss the delicious journey ahead.

Pioneer Woman Pie Crust With Butter Recipe

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4.9 from 36 reviews

• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x

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Description

Flaky Pioneer Woman Pie Crust delivers buttery perfection with simple ingredients. Home bakers can master this classic recipe that creates delicate, golden pastry for sweet and savory pies.

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Ingredients

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Main Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups (591 ml) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, cubed and kept cold

Seasoning:

• 1 teaspoon (5 grams) kosher salt

Liquid Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons (90 ml) water, chilled
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar

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Instructions

1. In a spacious mixing bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour (240 grams or 2 cups) and salt (5 grams or 1 teaspoon), creating a uniform dry base for the pie crust.
2. Extract cold butter (226 grams or 8 ounces) from the refrigerator and slice into small, precise cubes. Integrate the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or fingertips, working quickly to maintain the butter’s chilled temperature and creating a landscape of uneven, coarse crumbs.
3. Prepare a chilling liquid by combining ice-cold water (120 milliliters or 1/2 cup) with apple cider vinegar (15 milliliters or 1 tablespoon). Pour the liquid incrementally over the flour-butter mixture, using a fork to gently fold and incorporate until the dough begins to show signs of cohesion.
4. Transfer the slightly moistened mixture onto a clean surface and perform minimal, deliberate kneading; no more than 4-5 gentle compressions; just enough to form a unified, shaggy mass without developing excessive gluten.
5. Partition the dough into two equal portions, carefully shaping each into a flat, round disk approximately 1 centimeter (1/2 inch) thick. Encase each disk securely in plastic wrap, ensuring no air pockets remain.
6. Nestle the wrapped dough disks into the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours or up to 48 hours, allowing the gluten to relax and butter to solidify, which guarantees a flaky, tender crust with exceptional structural integrity.
7. When ready to use, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften slightly, making it more pliable for rolling and shaping.

Notes

• Chilling transforms your pie dough from good to extraordinary, allowing butter to solidify and gluten to relax for maximum flakiness.
• Cold butter creates magical layers that separate during baking, delivering a melt-in-your-mouth texture professional bakers adore.
• Minimal handling prevents tough crusts, letting you gently mix ingredients until they just come together.
• Apple cider vinegar adds unexpected tenderness and subtle complexity that elevates your pastry from ordinary to remarkable.
• Refrigerating dough disks overnight gives you flexibility and improves overall texture, making prep easier for spontaneous baking adventures.

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 8
• Calories: 400
• Sugar: 0 g
• Sodium: 200 mg
• Fat: 30 g
• Saturated Fat: 18 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 34 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 4 g
• Cholesterol: 60 mg