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How to Use a Pastry Blender to Make Pie Crust

A hand using a pastry blender to mash butter into flour in a glass bowl
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Using a pastry blender is a simple and reliable method for making pie dough by hand.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon (4 grams) Diamond Crystal kosher salt (see note for other)
  • 16 tablespoons (227 grams) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1" pieces
  • ½ cup (115 grams) ice water, more as needed

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the flour and diced butter. Use the pastry blender to sweep through the bowl, mixing the butter to coat with flour.
  2. Firmly hold the pastry blender by the handle, and press the blades down through the butter. With a rocking motion, continue this process while rotating the bowl to evenly cut the butter into the flour. Aim for mostly pea-sized pieces of butter, with some larger marble-sized chunks for added flakiness.
  3. Slowly drip in 3/4 of the ice water over the dough, tossing the mixture with the pastry blender or a rubber spatula. Add in the remaining water as needed. When enough water is added, the dough should easily squeeze together in your hands.
  4. Transfer the dough to a work surface and hydrate any dry spots as needed, either by dripping it in or using a kitchen-safe spray bottle. Add just enough water to bring the dough together without overworking it.
  5. Using your hands, gently bring the dough together into one large ball. 
  6. Divide it into two equal pieces, about 12 ounces each. Shape each piece into a rough disk.
  7. Place each disk in a piece of plastic wrap and wrap tightly.
  8. Using a rolling pin, roll the wrapped dough out until it stretches to the edges of the plastic wrap to ensure an airtight seal.
  9. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.

Equipment

Notes

This pie crust recipe is a very streamlined in terms of ingredients. Check out my essential Butter Pie Crust recipe for a more comprehensive guide to making pie crust.

Weighing your flour is the most accurate way to measure. If you aren't going to weigh it, make sure to spoon it into the measuring cup and then level it off. If you scoop the flour out with the measuring cup and then level it, it could change the outcome of the final product.

This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use  Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease the volume by half. 

You can store this pie dough in the refrigerator for 2 days or the freezer for up to 3 months. If you plan to store it for an extended period of time, wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap.

This recipe makes enough pastry to make one double-crust pie or two single-crust pies. You can halve the recipe if you only want to make one single-crust pie.

Find it online: https://everydaypie.com/how-to-use-a-pastry-blender/