Perfecting the Crust: Tips for Making the Flakiest Apple Pie Dough.
The key to a flaky crust is to keep all ingredients, especially butter, water, and flour, as cold as possible.
Use all-purpose flour for your dough as it strikes a good balance between tenderness and structure. Some bakers suggest adding a bit of pastry flour for a softer texture, but all-purpose is usually ideal for a sturdy, yet flaky crust.
Cut your cold butter into small cubes before adding it to the flour. Use a pastry cutter, fork, or your hands to work the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Add ice-cold water, one tablespoon at a time, to your dough mixture. You only need enough water to bring the dough together. Overworking the dough can lead to a tough crust, so handle it as minimally as possible.
The less you handle the dough, the flakier the crust. Mix until the dough just holds together, and stop. Overmixing can activate the gluten in the flour, leading to a tough crust instead of a flaky one.
After making the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Chilling the dough helps to relax the gluten, preventing shrinkage and allowing the butter to firm up again, ensuring a tender and flaky crust.
Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface, but don’t overwork it. Use gentle, even strokes to roll the dough into a circle. If the dough becomes too warm or sticky, return it to the fridge for a few minutes before continuing.
To prevent the edges of your crust from burning while baking, use a pie shield or make your own by wrapping the edges of the pie with aluminum foil. This will keep the edges perfectly golden without overbaking.