Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Granulated Sugar (optional)
  • 1 cup (2 sticks/226g) Unsalted Butter, frozen solid and grated
  • 6 tablespoons Ice Water (plus more as needed)
  • 1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar or Vodka

Instructions:

  1. Freeze the butter for at least 30 minutes. Grate the frozen butter directly onto a plate lined with parchment paper. Return the grated butter to the freezer while preparing dry ingredients.
  2. Whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.
  3. Add the grated frozen butter to the dry mixture. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, quickly cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with some visible pea-sized chunks of butter remaining. Do not overwork the mixture.
  4. In a small jug, mix the ice water with the vinegar/vodka. Drizzle 6 tablespoons of the ice water mixture over the flour/butter mixture. Gently toss with a fork. Add the remaining water, 1 teaspoon at a time, only if the dough barely holds together when squeezed.
  5. Turn the shaggy mixture out onto a lightly floured surface. Quickly bring the dough together into a cohesive mass—do not knead. Divide into two equal discs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and flatten slightly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  6. Remove one disc from the fridge (let it sit for 5-10 minutes to soften slightly). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough evenly into a 12-inch circle.
  7. Carefully transfer the dough to the pie plate. Trim the edges, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Crimp the edges as desired. Return the lined pie plate to the refrigerator for 30 minutes before filling or blind baking.
  8. If blind baking, prick the bottom thoroughly with a fork (docking). Line with parchment paper, fill with pie weights, and bake according to your specific pie recipe instructions.