I always made my pie crust with a food processor, but my grandma's hand method is way better

I used my Cuisinart for years and the crust was fine, but a bit tough sometimes. Last weekend, I tried her way of using a pastry cutter and my fingers to mix the butter in, keeping it cold. The difference was huge, the crust was so much flakier and lighter. Has anyone else switched from a machine to doing it by hand and seen a big change?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_andrew1mo ago

Yeah, the "keeping it cold" part is key. I overwork dough so easily with a machine, my pies end up with a crust like a hockey puck lol. Your grandma's method gives you way more control.

victor_adams24d ago

Honestly, I used to be one of those people who thought a food processor was the only way to go for pie dough. I figured it was faster and more consistent, but my crusts always came out tough and dense. After reading this thread and trying grandma's method a few weeks ago, I'm totally converted. The control you get from feeling the dough change under your hands is just something a machine can't match.

lucaslee1mo ago

Right? @the_andrew, hockey puck crust is the worst. Grandma knew best.