A tangy alternative to a traditional pie crust recipe for all of your favorite pies and pastries.
COOK+BAKE | Published September 1, 2020
Regardless of what type of pie you're baking, you need a good recipe for pie crust. And that might differ depending on the type of pie you're preparing.
Some pies like basic blueberry pie are best with just an ordinary butter and flour crust. Other fruit pies benefit from a thicker, more rustic crust recipe that might include sour cream and sugar amongst other things.
I recently discovered a recipe for Buttermilk Crust that adds a nice rich, tangy flavor to a pie and best of all, it was really easy to work with. It rolled out perfectly and didn't shrink while it was baking....two important things to look for when trying to find your favorite recipe.
This is the pie crust recipe used for my Apple Butter Pie and it pairs nicely with other fruit filled pies bringing a rich taste that can't be achieved with an ordinary butter crust recipe. It can also be used for galettes, homemade pop tarts, cinnamon rolls, turnovers and other pastries that could benefit from the added flavor.
This is the pie crust recipe used for my Apple Butter Pie and it pairs nicely with other fruit filled pies bringing a rich taste that can't be achieved with an ordinary butter crust recipe. It can also be used for galettes, homemade pop tarts, cinnamon rolls, turnovers and other pastries that could benefit from the added flavor.
WHAT IF I DON'T HAVE ANY BUTTERMILK?
If you don't have buttermilk already in your refrigerator or don't want to purchase it just for the small amount used in this recipe, you can make it yourself!
Simply add 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to 1/3 of a cup of milk. Mix them together and allow it to sit for 10 minutes. Then it is ready for your recipe.
TIPS FOR SUCCESSFULLY MAKING BUTTERMILK PIE CRUST
- Make it cold. It even helps to put the measured out flour into the refrigerator while you cube the butter. And the butter and buttermilk should be used directly out of the refrigerator.
- This pie crust dough can be made quite easily in a food processor. But if you don't have one, you can still make it using a pastry cutter (that's how I made this dough.)
- Roll it cold. If your room is hot or humid, the dough is going to be sticky and adding too much flour will make it tough.
- The dough may seem crumbly, but don't add more buttermilk. It will come together once you form it into a round disc and refrigerate the mixture.
- Refrigeration is key to making a crust that doesn't shrink. Before putting any pie made with this crust into the oven, it needs to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to make it solid.
- If you're looking for a really golden crust when it comes out of the oven, mix an egg with a splash of milk and brush it onto the crust edge before baking.
- And if you find your crust is getting too brown, cover the edges with strips of aluminum foil or use a silicone crust shield (seriously one of the best inventions ever in my opinion!)
BUTTERMILK PIE CRUST
Makes two 9-inch pie crusts
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
HOW TO BUTTERMILK PIE CRUST
STEP 1 (WITH A FOOD PROCESSOR): Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor. Add the butter on top and mix until it is evenly distributed. The mixture will turn into chunky crumbles. Continue mixing as you slowly pour in the buttermilk. Mix until everything is completely combined, but do not over mix the dough. It may still be a little crumbly but will come together later when you roll it out.
STEP 1 (BY HAND): Add the flour, salt, and sugar into a bowl and mix them together. Place the cubed butter into the mix and use a pastry cutter to blend the butter into the flour mixture until what you have looks like chunky crumbles. Stir in the buttermilk and continue blending until your dough comes together. You may need to use your hands. It may still be a little crumbly, but will come together later when you roll it out.
STEP 2: Remove the dough and form it into two separate round discs wrapped in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes before making your pie.
STEP 3: When you are ready, remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out using a little flour if necessary so that the dough does not stick. Place it into your pie pan and crimp the edges however you'd like if you're making a one-crust pie. Place the completed pie crust back into the refrigerator for 30 minutes before adding your filling. If you are making a double crust pie, you can add the filling and second crust now and then place it back into the refrigerator for 30 minutes before baking.
For whatever type of pie you're making, it is best to put the crust back into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before it goes into the oven to prevent it from shrinking. The dough needs to be solid before being baked.
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