valw36•1mo ago

Just realized I was overworking my pie dough for years

I used to mix it by hand until it was one smooth ball, which always gave me a tough crust. About six months ago, I watched a baker in Tucson just barely bring the dough together with visible butter chunks. Tried it and my next apple pie was so flaky it shattered. Has anyone else made a switch like that with a basic technique?

3 comments

3 Comments

abby_black1mo ago

My mom always taught me to work the dough until it was smooth... I thought that was the only way. Seeing those butter chunks felt wrong, but the flaky layers were a total game changer. Now I stop mixing as soon as it looks shaggy and barely holds together.

the_charlie1mo agoMost Upvoted

Honestly it's wild how much baking is about fighting your instincts. You see lumps and think "fix it" but the magic happens when you leave it broken.

tarar2723d agoMost Upvoted

That first time I made croissants I overworked the dough into a tough, sad mess because I thought it needed to look perfect. Your post finally clicked for me last weekend when I deliberately stopped mixing a pie crust while it still looked like a disaster. In my experience trusting the broken lumps actually gave me the flakiest result I've ever gotten, and I'm a convert now.