Basic Flaky Crust Recipe

This basic flaky crust recipe is simple and versatile for using in both sweet and savory dishes.

By Rose Huxford

I have been making this Basic Flaky Crust recipe for a few years now, and it is my 'Go To' recipe whenever I am making pies, Galette's or even quiches. There is hardly any mess and keeps in the refrigerator for days and in the freezer for a few months.

I love trying new recipes and then taking that recipe and making it my own. For this recipe, I changed it in a way that would leave the crust between crispy and soft, which is my favorite.

Basic Flaky Crust Recipe

Yields: 1 crust

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup All-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

• 3/4 cup chilled unsalted butter, cubed

• 4-5 tbsp ice cold water, add more if needed

• 1 tsp lemon juice, or white vinegar

• 1 tsp salt

Directions

1. Cube butter and place it in a dish. Leave in the freezer for about 30 minutes to an hour.

2. Using a food processor, combine flour and salt. Pulse until well blended.

3. Take the butter out of the freezer a few minutes before. Then, while pulsing, add butter bits to the flour until the mixture resemble pea size crumbles.

4. In a medium liquid measuring cup, add ice water and lemon together. With the food processor going, slowly pour the water lemon into the flour mixture. Don't over mix!

5. Your dough now should look "shaggy", that's a good sign you have a good dough. If' it's a little wet, that's ok too.

6. Lay a plastic wrap on the counter, about 14" in length. Sprinkle it with flour.

7. Dump the dough onto the plastic wrap. Using the plastic wrap, begin to bring the "shaggy" dough together until it becomes smooth and in a rectangular or square shape.

8. Wrap the dough again with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30-40 minutes, or up to four days. You can also freeze for 2 months. *If you freeze the dough, make sure to wrap it with foil too to protect the dough.

9. If you are going to use the dough after being refrigerated, let the dough sit out on the counter to get to room temperature. If you are taking the dough out from the freezer, place in the fridge for at least 24 hours to thaw (never thaw on the counter).

10. Now you have ready to use flaky crust!

Cube unsalted butter BEFORE your freeze it....believe me, it's much harder to cut once the butter has been in the freezer.

This is what the flour mixture should look like after adding the chilled butter.

This is what it looks like after adding water/lemon (or white vinegar). If you add less water, it will look more 'dry', but I like more of a flaky/soft crust, so this recipe calls for a bit more liquid.

After you 'dump' the dough out, start bringing it together using the floured plastic wrap. Use all the side of the plastic wrap to bring the sides together to form either a rectangle or square shape.

Once you get to this point, wrap it with the plastic wrap, and then again with another layer. Place in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. If you are going to freeze it, I recommend wrapping it with foil to protect the dough.

By Rose Huxford

Now you have dough ready! Enjoy!